24 November, 2025
ERS members can now apply or nominate colleagues for a number of the Society’s prestigious Scientific Awards that recognise research excellence across the respiratory field.
Five ERS Mid-Career Gold Medals and four ERS Lifetime Achievement Awards are on offer in 2026, in addition to the ERS Lifetime Achievement Award for Scientifically Developing Countries – applications for which are being accepted from seven ERS assemblies.
Also open for applications and nominations in 2026 is the ERS Sadoul Lecture Award, which commemorates French scientist Paul Sadoul.
ERS Mid-Career Gold Medal Awards
ERS Mid-Career Gold Medal Awards honour mid-career researchers from the ERS membership who have an excellent track record and the potential for further outstanding developments in a specific field.
In 2026, Mid-Career Gold Medals will go to ERS members working in the following fields:
- Basic and translational sciences
- Sleep-disordered breathing
- Airway diseases, asthma, COPD and chronic cough
- Thoracic surgery and transplantation
- Respiratory infections
ERS Lifetime Achievement Awards
Meanwhile, the ERS Lifetime Achievement Awards honour highly regarded senior scientists and established experts in the respiratory field who have an international reputation.
Each year, the Society asks for members from specific assemblies to apply or nominate – ensuring that members from all groups have an opportunity to apply/nominate in rotation year by year.
There are five ERS Lifetime Achievement Awards on offer for 2026:
- Paediatrics
- Allied respiratory professionals
- Pulmonary vascular diseases
- Clinical techniques, imaging and endoscopy
Historically, our female members are underrepresented in nominations and applications for these awards, and for this reason ERS particularly encourages these members to apply.
In addition, for 2026 the ERS Scientifically Developing Countries (SDC) Lifetime Achievement Award is also on offer.
In 2026, ERS members in assemblies 1, 2, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 13 who are based in a scientifically developing country can apply for this award.
Read full criteria for the ERS SDC Lifetime Achievement Award.
The ERS Sadoul Lecture Award
In 2026, ERS will also be accepting applications or nominations for the Sadoul Lecture Award from all ERS members.
The prestigious Sadoul Lecture Award is intended to honour senior scientists with a worldwide reputation. This award commemorates French scientist Paul Sadoul, founder of the Societas Europaea Physiologiae Clinicae Respoiratoriae (SEPCR), one of two European respiratory societies that merged in 1990 to form ERS.
Paul Sadoul was also a long-time editor of the “Bulletin Européen de Physiopathologie Respiratoire,” predecessor of the European Respiratory Journal.
A special Congress session will be dedicated to the Sadoul Lecture and a slot will be reserved for the awardee.
Learn more or apply for the Sadoul Lecture Award.
The deadline to apply or nominate for these awards is 23:59 CET on 15 January, 2026.
- Apply or nominate now
- More about the ERS Mid-Career Gold Medal Awards
- More about the ERS Lifetime Achievement Awards
- Read the guidance document for these awards
Do you have a query about these awards? Contact us.