Strengthening the Community in 2026 with the NISO Plus Scholarship Awards
The NISO Plus Scholarship Program plays a vital role in advancing NISO’s commitment to serve as a nexus of collaboration across the information community. By supporting early-career professionals who are passionate about access to knowledge and the systems that enable its discovery, sharing, and preservation, the program helps cultivate a global network of practitioners.
Now in its seventh year, the NISO Plus Scholarship Program has grown into more than a one-time opportunity. At its heart, it is an investment in people and relationships, helping emerging professionals connect with an alumni network, while staying engaged with NISO and NISO endeavors beyond the conference. Scholarship recipients are selected for their accomplishments and their commitment to facilitating knowledge across cultural, scholarly, scientific, and professional contexts. Their participation strengthens the NISO community and helps shape a more connected and globally informed information ecosystem.
Welcoming the 2026 Cohort
NISO Plus 2026 will take place February 17–18, with a pre-conference happening on February 16. This year, NISO is supporting three scholarship awardees to participate in person. In-person scholarship recipients receive support for conference registration, transportation, and accommodation for both the pre-conference and main conference.
This year’s awardees who will attend in person include:
- Chiara del Vescovo, Senior Content Data Model Architect, Oxford University Press
- Brionna Johnson, E-Resources Metadata Librarian, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Nelofar Qulizada, Graduate Research Assistant, Data, University of Arkansas
Their work spans scholarly publishing, metadata and discovery, and data-driven research support. As in years past, this recognition reflects the wide range of expertise and perspectives that contribute to the success of NISO’s standards development and community dialogue.
NISO Plus Global/Online (NPGO) Scholarship Awardees
Ensuring broad global participation remains central to the scholarship program. In addition to the in-person cohort, NISO has awarded scholarships to 10 early-career professionals to participate in the NISO Plus Global/Online (NPGO) Conference taking place in September 2026. These recipients will engage in live sessions, interactive discussions, and international networking opportunities, extending the reach and impact of NISO and NISO Plus worldwide.
The 2026 NPGO Scholarship Awardees are:
- Messoomeh Niknis, PhD researcher focusing on bibliographic models in digital humanities, University of Cologne
- Madiareni Sulaiman, PhD researcher, University College London and the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Indonesia
- Winnifred Quarshie, Library Technician and Clerk, University of Alberta and MacEwan University
- Diksha, PhD researcher, University of Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir, India
- Tova Harris, Librarian Trainee, Longwood Public Library
- David Fiora, Electronic Resources Librarian, Saint Mary’s College, Indiana
- Sophie Nobes, Senior Medical Writer, Oxford PharmaGenesis
- Lucia Zoppie, Publishing Systems Coordinator, CABI
- Shenmeng Xu, Librarian for Scholarly Communication and Informetrics, Vanderbilt University
- Elaine Walker, Scholarly Communications Librarian, The University of Alabama
These awardees join the growing network of NISO Plus scholarship alumni. Their participation strengthens not only the conference experience, but also the long-term dynamism and relevance of NISO’s collaborative work.
With Appreciation to the Scholarship Review Committee
NISO is sincerely grateful to the NISO Plus Scholarship Review Committee for their thoughtful and dedicated service. Many committee members are themselves former scholarship recipients, bringing valuable perspective and lived experience to the selection process. Their continued engagement reflects the strength of the program and a shared commitment to fostering opportunity, inclusion, and excellence within the community.
