Sterk Participatieprijs
Are you a researcher who makes patient participation an essential part of your work? Then don’t miss your chance to compete for the Sterk Participation Award 2026! The award comes with a prize of 5,000 euros. A portion of this amount is intended as personal recognition of your commitment to patient participation - and may be spent at your own discretion.
The award is named after Prof. Dr. Peter Sterk. Throughout his impressive career, he has shown great commitment to patient participation. One example of this is the U-Biopred project.
With this award, Longfonds aims to encourage researchers in the respiratory field to integrate the patient perspective into all phases of their research - from design to implementation. Involving patients as research partners offers unique insights that significantly enhance both the relevance and quality of your project.
What can you win?
The award includes a total prize of 5,000 euros.
- 500 euros serves as a personal acknowledgment of your commitment to involving patients in research – yours to spend as you see fit.
- 4,500 euros is intended to further strengthen patient participation in current or future projects, for example through:
- Publishing research results in open access channels/journals
- Patient participation training for researchers
- Individual coaching for researchers on patient participation
- Organising open days or conferences for patients
- Compensation for “professional” patient partners
How to apply
To compete for the award:
- Submit your abstract for the Dutch Lung Congress 2026 (deadline October 31st)
- Complete the Application Form, answering five short questions on patient involvement in your research
Access the requirements and entry form here:
- Application Form Sterk Participatieprijs 2026
- Voorwaarden Sterk Participatieprijs 2026 in Dutch and English
Deadline for submission: 15 November 2025, 12:00h.
Involving patients
Involving people with lung disease in research is an important focus of Longfonds. Their experience can make a valuable contribution to research. They are important partners in dialogue, as people with lung disease know exactly what it is like to live with such a condition — they are experts by experience.
These experts can play an active role in the design, supervision, and reporting of research. Their role goes beyond simply informing or consulting patients; it is closer to advising, co-deciding, and sharing responsibility.
Patient representatives of Longfonds are trained for this. Read more here about patient participation and how to involve patients in your research. You can also find extensive information on patient participation at ZonMw and on Kickstarter, a platform developed with and for researchers.
Previous winners
The award is presented annually. Here’s an overview of previous winners: