2026 National Bioethics Bowl

2026 National Bioethics Bowl

The 2026 National Bioethics Bowl will be hosted by the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health and will be held on 

Saturday, April 11, 2026

The National Bioethics Bowl is an annual tournament which brings together undergraduate teams from colleges and universities around the country to debate tough ethical issues in medicine, biotechnology, and health care. Students prepare for the event by studying a set of cases and crafting their own arguments for their positions on each case, which they present in debate rounds at the bowl.  

Enrollment Process

Due to the overwhelming response to the Bioethics Bowl National Competition, the Executive Committee has reconsidered the enrollment process to compete. All interested parties will have an opportunity to put their name in a lottery during a designated time frame in January. At a second date and time a few days later, there will be a live drawing to select 19 schools to participate, along with a list of alternates who will be drawn in order. The host school will hold the 20th spot. Schools will have four business days to pay the registration fee of $320. 

Note: an individual payment link will be sent to the 20 selected schools on the evening of the drawing. Participants should check their spam/junk folders in case the payment link email is inadvertently diverted. 

Selected schools that have not paid will receive one reminder email (to the primary contact indicated on the original interest form) the day that payment is due (see dates below). If payment is not received by 5 p.m. EST on the payment due date, the school will be automatically removed and the next school on the waitlist will be notified of their selection into the 2026 National Bioethics Bowl and a link to pay the registration fee. Schools admitted from the waitlist will have four business days to remit the $320 payment.  

Save the Dates

keyboard with 'submit' key
January 12-14, 2026

Formal Indication of Interest in Participating in the 2026 National Bioethics Bowl

A link to a form will be posted on January 12, 2026 and will remain posted until 5 p.m. Eastern time on January 14, 2026. On this form, schools can indicate their formal interest in participating in the 2026 National Bioethics Bowl. This form must be completed to be included in the lottery on January 16, 2026 at 1 p.m. The form will include a receipt for your records. Please retain this receipt. Within 24 hours, the University of Pittsburgh will respond to the university with an assigned number. This number will be the number used to identify that university in the lottery. No payment will be due at this stage. 

The opportunity to indicate your interest in participating in the lottery has closed. Please contact Cindy McCarthy at cindy.mccathy@pitt.edu with any questions. Any teams indicating interest after this time will be added to the bottom of the waitlist in order of receipt. 
picking names from a bowl
Friday, January 16, 2026, 1 p.m. EST

Live Webinar Drawing Names of Participants for the 2026 National Bioethics Bowl

A live webinar will occur to showcase the drawing for the 2026 National Bioethics Bowl. An electronic randomizer will be used to draw numbers between 1 and 19. The 20th spot will go to the host school. The list of schools drawn in the lottery will be posted here for those that are not able to watch the webinar live. 

Competitors

Listed in the order drawn in the lottery: 

  1. Ohio Northern University (#3)
  2. Loyola University of Chicago (#6)
  3. University of California Los Angeles (#19)
  4. Oral Roberts University (#14)
  5. University of Georgia (#27)
  6. Macalester College (#18)
  7. University of Maryland Baltimore County (#5)
  8. Utah Valley University (#13)
  9. Tulane University (#31)
  10. University of California Santa Barbara (#16)
  11. Rice University (#24)
  12. University of Alabama (#8)
  13. University of Mary (#30)
  14. California Polytechnic SLO (#15)
  15. William and Mary College (#26)
  16. University of California Davis (#25)
  17. Stanford (#20)
  18. Seattle Pacific University (#32)
  19. University of Richmond (#10)
  20. University of Pittsburgh (host)
2026 Waitlist

Teams listed in the order that they were drawn.

  1. Georgetown University (#1)
  2. Florida State University (#23)
  3. University of Pennsylvania (#2)
  4. Loyola University of New Orleans (#21)
  5. Arizona State University (#9)
  6. University of California Santa Cruz (#7)
  7. University of Portland (#17)
  8. Boston College (#4)
  9. San Jose State (#22)
  10. Gannon University (#11)
  11. Wesleyan University (#28)
  12. Baylor University (#12)
  13. Georgia Tech (#29)
Teams Added to the Waitlist after the lottery enrollment

(in order)

14. Iowa State University
15. University of California - Berkeley

four students brainstorming
Friday, January 16, 2026

Bioethics Bowl Case Release

Cases will be posted to the website after the drawing. All schools will have access to the cases. Schools that have been waitlisted should consider beginning to prepare in case they are called from the waitlist. 

2026 Cases

payment successful message on smart phone
Friday, January 23, 2026, 5 p.m. EST

Deadline to pay

Selected schools will have until 5 p.m. EST to pay the $320 registration fee. Schools that have not paid by the start of business on January 23, 2026 will receive a reminder email at the email address provided in the original interest form. If payment is not received by 5 p.m. EST, the school will be removed from the list of participating schools and the next school on the waitlist will be notified by email of the opportunity to participate. Schools that have been added from the waitlist will then have 4 business days to remit the $320 registration fee. 

Questions?

For additional details or questions, please feel free to reach out to Cindy McCarthy at cindy.mccarthy@pitt.edu. 

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Cosponsored by the School of Public Health and the Institute for Bioethics. 

Pitt campus with downtown skyline in the background
Plan Your Trip to the 2026 National Bioethics Bowl

Tentative Event Schedule

7:45 a.m.

Team check-in (one representative such as coach, advisor, or team captain)


Moderator check-in

Surma Board Room
7:45 a.m. Light breakfastPublic Health Commons area - 1st floor
8:00 a.m.Judge check-inSurma Board Room
8:10-8:30 a.m.Prepping session for judges A115
8:35-8:45 a.m.Opening remarks (All)G23
9-10:15 a.m.Round 1Refer to Team Schedule in blue folder
10:25-11:40 a.m.Round 2Refer to Team Schedule in blue folder
11:50 a.m.-12:50 p.m.Lunch breakPublic Health Commons area - 1st floor
   
11:50 a.m.-12:50 p.m.Coaches meetingG23
11:50 a.m.-12:50 p.m.Optional - Introduction to Pitt Public Health graduate programs (prize opportunity for participation)Public Health Commons area - 1st floor
1-2:15 p.m.Round 3Refer to Team Schedule in blue folder
2:25-3:40 p.m.Round 4Refer to Team Schedule in blue folder
3:50-4:15 p.m. Introduction of the National Bioethics Bowl Board; Announcements; Reveal of 2027 National Bioethics Bowl HostG23
4:15-5:30 p.m.Final roundG23

Note: Last minute schedule changes will be emailed to the person identified on the original interest form as primary contact. Please check your email the morning of the event.