Verified

ERS Short-Term Research Fellowships

European Respiratory Society

European Respiratory Society (ERS) Short-Term Research Fellowships support early career scientists and clinicians to carry out projects lasting between 1–3 months at research institutions outside of their home country. The programme enables fellows to access and learn research techniques that are not available at their home institution, supporting the exchange of knowledge and best practices across institutions.

Key deadlines and important information

Applications for the ERS Short-Term Research Fellowship are currently open. For information on calls, please refer to the information below.

Call opening:

1 August, 2026

Application deadline:

1 October, 2026

Notification of application decision:

Mid-February, 2027

Selecting a host institution

In the quest for potential research institutions, the Web Host Registry proved invaluable for ERS fellowship applicants facilitating the identification of potential host institutions. However, please note that the Web Host Registry, initially designed for RESPIRE4, might not perfectly align with the requirements of the Short-Term Research Fellowship programme. It is imperative to understand that the responsibility for identifying the most suitable institution and supervisor for the application rests entirely with the applicant. In all instances, the choice of the host institutions remains the candidate’s prerogative.

AI Based Application Success Predictor

1. Strong relevance to respiratory research ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is the highest-priority factor.

Competitive projects should clearly address:

Respiratory diseases
Pulmonary medicine
Lung biology
Respiratory physiology
Sleep and breathing disorders
Respiratory infections
Asthma/COPD
Interstitial lung disease
Pulmonary vascular disease
Thoracic medicine
Respiratory epidemiology
Respiratory public health

ERS explicitly lists relevance of the topic to respiratory research as a scored criterion.

2. Potential impact on patients and respiratory medicine ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

ERS evaluates the potential impact of the proposed research, including:

Patient-related outcomes
Translational potential
Policy-making
Clinical practice
Healthcare delivery

Therefore, a strong proposal should clearly explain why the research matters and how successful results could improve respiratory health.

3. Novelty and innovation ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Innovation is an explicit ERS scoring criterion.

Competitive proposals should demonstrate:

Original research questions
Novel hypotheses
New methodologies
Innovative technologies
New approaches to respiratory disease
Potential to challenge existing knowledge

A proposal should make clear what is genuinely new rather than simply applying established methods to a familiar question.

4. Strong methodology and research design ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

ERS specifically evaluates:

Adequacy of approach
Methodology
Work plan
Feasibility
Quality of study design
Backup/contingency plan

A strong application therefore needs a technically convincing methodology and should anticipate potential problems rather than presenting an overly optimistic plan.

5. Strong applicant scientific record ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The applicant accounts for 40% of the fellowship assessment, making this nearly as important as the research project itself.

ERS considers:

CV quality
Publications
Previous grants
Scientific presentations
Overall ability to successfully conduct the project
Research potential

This means the application should present a coherent trajectory showing that the applicant is ready to undertake the proposed work.

6. Strong career-development plan ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

ERS fellowships are designed not merely to fund a research project but to develop the next generation of respiratory researchers and clinicians.

A competitive career plan should show:

Skills the applicant will gain
New techniques to be learned
How the fellowship fills a current training gap
How the experience advances scientific independence
Long-term career objectives

ERS explicitly scores the quality and feasibility of the career-development plan.

7. Strong host institution and supervisor ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

For research fellowships, the host environment contributes 10% of the overall evaluation.

Important factors include:

Scientific expertise of the host institution
Technical capabilities
Appropriate supervisor
Access to methods/equipment unavailable at the home institution
Interaction with other researchers
Opportunity to develop new international collaborations

The Long-Term Research Fellowship specifically enables researchers to work at institutions outside their home country to gain research techniques and expertise unavailable at their home institution.

8. International collaboration and networking ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

ERS places significant emphasis on mobility and international collaboration.

Strong applications demonstrate how the fellowship will:

Establish new international collaborations
Provide access to specialist expertise
Expand the applicant's professional network
Facilitate future collaborative research
Create opportunities for knowledge exchange

ERS specifically considers the potential for the fellowship to create new international collaborations.

9. Ethics, dissemination and outreach ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

The research plan should address:

Ethical approvals
Participant protection
Appropriate animal-research principles where applicable
Dissemination of findings
Scientific communication
Outreach

ERS explicitly includes ethical processes and a dissemination and outreach plan among its research-project criteria.

10. Clear application strategy and exact programme fit ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

ERS has several different funding mechanisms, so applicants should select the programme that matches their career stage and research objective.

For example:

Short-Term Research Fellowship: 1–3 months
Long-Term Research Fellowship: 6–24 months
Clinical Training Fellowship: 1–6 months
VISIT Grant: up to 1 month
Clinical Research Collaboration: collaborative respiratory research networks

The current ERS portfolio explicitly differentiates these programmes by duration, applicant profile, mobility, and purpose.

Specialties

Pulmonology

Eligibility Requirements

a. Applicants should be actively engaged or must have experience in the respiratory field.

b. Applicants must be postgraduates holding a university degree in any field related to respiratory medicine (MD, MSc, PhD, MD-PhD). Applicants should have graduated with a MD, MSc or equivalent degree at the time of application.

c. Postgraduate scientists such as immunologists, biologists, geneticists, pharmacologists, biophysicists, chemists, etc. involved in respiratory science, are entitled to apply for the STRF, excluding established investigators. At a minimum, applicants should hold a MD or MSc at the time of application.

d. Qualified healthcare professionals (non-MD) working in respiratory health/medicine (nurses, physiotherapists, respiratory function technologists, allied respiratory professionals, etc.) are entitled to apply for an STRF requiring a minimum of an MSc, or equivalent degree at the time of application.

e. Applicants should have adequate fluency in the language spoken at the host institution.

Sponsor Details

Sponsor Institute/Organizations: European Respiratory Society

Sponsor Type: Corporate/Non-Profit

Address: 4 Avenue Ste-Luce CH1003

Legal & Affiliation Disclaimer

Affiliation Disclaimer: Trialect operates independently and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or supported by any sponsors or organizations posting on the GrantsBoard platform. As an independent aggregator of publicly available funding opportunities, Trialect provides equal access to information for all users without endorsing any specific funding source, content, organization, or sponsor. Trialect assumes no responsibility for the content posted by sponsors or third parties.

Subscription Disclaimer: Upon logging into Trialect, you may choose to SUBSCRIBE to GrantsBoard for timely notifications of funding opportunities and to access exclusive benefits, such as priority alerts, reminders, personalized recommendations, and additional application support. However, users are advised to contact sponsors directly for any questions and are not required to subscribe to engage with funding opportunities.

Content Ownership and Copyright Disclaimer: Trialect respects the intellectual property rights of all organizations and individuals. All content posted on GrantsBoard is provided solely for informational purposes and remains the property of the original owners. Trialect does not claim ownership of, nor does it have any proprietary interest in, content provided by third-party sponsors. Users are encouraged to verify content and ownership directly with the posting sponsor.

Fair Use Disclaimer: The information and content available on GrantsBoard are compiled from publicly accessible sources in alignment with fair use principles under U.S. copyright law. Trialect serves as an aggregator of this content, offering it to users in good faith and with the understanding that it is available for public dissemination. Any organization or individual who believes their intellectual property rights have been violated is encouraged to contact us for prompt resolution.

Third-Party Posting Responsibility Disclaimer: Trialect is a neutral platform that allows third-party sponsors to post funding opportunities for informational purposes only. Sponsors are solely responsible for ensuring that their postings comply with copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws. Trialect assumes no liability for any copyright or intellectual property infringements in third-party content and will take appropriate action to address any substantiated claims.

Accuracy and Verification Disclaimer: Trialect makes no warranties regarding the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information provided by sponsors. Users are advised to verify the details of any funding opportunity directly with the sponsor before taking action. Trialect cannot be held liable for any discrepancies, omissions, or inaccuracies in third-party postings.

Notice and Takedown Policy: Trialect is committed to upholding copyright law and protecting the rights of intellectual property owners. If you believe that content on GrantsBoard infringes your copyright or intellectual property rights, please contact us with detailed information about the claim. Upon receipt of a valid notice, Trialect will promptly investigate and, where appropriate, remove or disable access to the infringing content.

View Funding Opportunity