One key feature of IDDF is the Young Investigator Award, which provides a platform specifically for young investigators to share their research and thus gain recognition. Authors of the abstracts with the highest scores in both gastroenterology and hepatology present their work at the Young Investigator Award session. A panel of adjudicators composed of eminent international experts provides critical feedback to the participants.

The presentations are assessed according to the importance of the research question, the strength of the research methodology, the quality of the results, the clarity of the presentation, and the scientific impact of the research. Over the past five years, abstract submission numbers have risen from 68 in 2014 to 425 in 2019, an increase of 625 per cent. The continuous growth of the entry submissions in the past years is significant and fast-paced and responds to one of the most critical missions of IDDF: to nurture young investigators by providing them international exchange opportunities.