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Awards

ESCEO-IOF Young Investigator Awards

The ESCEO-IOF Young Investigator Awards are given to young investigators for their contributions in the field of bone and mineral research.

Twenty awards of 1000€ each will be distributed during the WCO-IOF-ESCEO Annual Meeting.

Requirements:

  • To be born after January 1, 1986
  • To be co-author of at least two abstracts submitted to the WCO-IOF-ESCEO 2026 Congress
  • Recipients must be duly registered to the Congress and attend the congress
  • Recipients must have their badge scanned on Saturday April 18, 2026 afternoon at the registration desk at the Congress Center

Deadline:

  • The application should be completed before January 28, 2026.
  • Abstracts can be submitted until January 28, 2026 on https://www.wco-iof-esceo.org/abstracts
  • Application will not be validated if a copy of the two (or more) submitted abstract and a copy of the passport/ID Card are not provided.
  • Applications will only be validated after the reception of a confirmation email from the Congress secretariat (no exception will be granted).
  • Recipients will be selected based on their abstracts by the ESCEO Scientific Advisory Board during the third week of February and notice will be provided no later than the first week of March, 2026.
  • Failure to have the badge scanned on Saturday April 18, 2026 afternoon at the registration desk at the Congress Center will result in the cancellation of the Scholarship (no exception will be granted).

We thank you very much for your active participation and we look forward to another successful Congress.

Recipients will be selected based on their abstracts by the ESCEO Scientific Advisory Board during the third week of February and notice will be provided no later than the first week of March, 2026.

Apply now

ESCEO-WHO Innovation Prize – Osteoporosis and Fragility Fractures

The Innovation Prize – Osteoporosis and Fragility Fractures recognizes and promotes innovative technologies that contribute to the prevention, management, and rehabilitation of osteoporosis and fragility fractures. The Prize aims to highlight scalable and impactful solutions that improve musculoskeletal health outcomes globally.

  1. Submission categories

    Applicants are invited to submit their innovations under one of the following categories:

    1. Technology supporting prevention of fragility fractures or osteoporosis

      (e.g., screening tools, predictive analytics, lifestyle or nutrition support technologies, pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions).

    2. Technology supporting rehabilitation following osteoporosis or fragility fractures

      (e.g., mobility aids, digital rehabilitation platforms, adherence monitoring, or assistive technologies).

  2. Eligibility

    • Submissions may come from individuals, research institutions, startups, non-profit organizations, or private companies.
    • Innovations should be at least in the prototype or early implementation stage with demonstrated feasibility.
    • Preference will be given to solutions that address equity, accessibility, and usability among older adults.
    • Submissions are limited to PRECCO members only.

  3. Submission process and timeline

    Activity Timeline (2025-26) Details
    Call for Submissions Opens 1 November 2025 Submission of proposal — 5 pages (max)
    Deadline for Submissions 15 January 2026 All applications must be submitted by this time.
    Initial Review by ESCEO / WHO 15 January – 15 February 2026 Review submissions for eligibility.
    Public Pitching Session April 2026 Applicants present innovations during WCO-IOF-ESCEO, before the Opening Ceremony.
    Award Ceremony April 2026 Winner announced at the Opening Ceremony of the WCO-IOF-ESCEO.

  4. Judging process

    Judging Panel

    • Jotheeswaran Amuthavalli Thiyagarajan, Department of Sexual, Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing, WHO HQ
    • Sameer Pujari, Lead AI at WHO, Vice Chair AI 4 health WHO ITU expert group, Department of Digital Health & Innovation, WHO, HQ
    • Rene Rizzoli, Chair of WHO BOHEG (Bone Health Expert Working Group), WHO HQ

    Judges' Responsibilities

    • Review the submissions
    • Shortlist the finalists
    • Attend the public pitching session during WCO-IOF-ESCEO 2026
    • Evaluate each innovation using a standardized scorecard provided in advance
    • Submit rankings by April 2026

  5. Evaluation Criteria

    • Innovation and creativity – Novelty and originality of the concept.
    • Impact and relevance – Potential to improve prevention or rehabilitation in osteoporosis and fragility fractures.
    • Feasibility and scalability – Viability of implementation and potential for broader adoption.
    • Equity and accessibility – Contribution to reducing disparities, including for low-resource settings.
    • User-centric design – Usability, engagement, and responsiveness to older adults’ needs.
    • Evidence of effectiveness – Data or pilot results demonstrating measurable impacts.

  6. Contact Information

    For any questions regarding the submission process or eligibility, please contact: René Rizzoli.

  7. How to Submit

    Please send your application to Mr. Martin Scheffer at scheffer@humacom.com by 15 January 2026.

IOF President's Award

The International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) President's Award honors IOF members from different regions of the world who have made a significant and unstinting contribution to the advancement of the work of the IOF, through furthering one or more of the mission statements and/or goals of the Foundation. Recipients are selected by the IOF President, with the approval of the IOF Executive Committee.

IOF Medal of Achievement

The International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) Medal of Achievement honors individual researchers who have significantly advanced the field of osteoporosis through their original and outstanding scientific contributions. The award underlines important aspects of IOF's mission - to increase understanding and awareness of osteoporosis and to promote medical innovation. The IOF Medal of Achievement is presented every year during the WCO-IOF-ESCEO congress. Candidates are nominated by members of IOF's Committee of Scientific Advisors (CSA) and the winner selected by the Chair of the CSA with the approval of the IOF Executive Committee.

IOF Olof Johnell Science Award

The International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) Olof Johnell Science Award, named in honor of the late Professor Olof Johnell is awarded every year during the WCO-IOF-ESCEO congress. The Award honors an individual who has contributed to the field of osteoporosis in a scientific or policy implementation area, worldwide. The candidates will be nominated by IOF members and the winner chosen by the IOF Board.

IOF Committee of National Societies Medal

The International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) Committee of National Societies Medal honors an individual who has made an important contribution to IOFs Committee of National Societies (CNS) through active participation in CNS activities and by expanding IOF's message and outreach in his/her country. An IOF Committee selects the winner, with the approval of the IOF Executive Committee.

2026 ESCEO Medal of Excellence

The "ESCEO Medal of Excellence" is a prize intended to honor and reward an outstanding contribution to the field of bone, joint and muscle from an established researcher

ESCEO-IOF Pierre Meunier Young Scientist Award

The "ESCEO-IOF Pierre Meunier Young Scientist Award" is intended to reward the work of a young researcher, who has already demonstrated his/her scientific merits without having yet reached a prominent academic position. Numerous awards are dedicated to young promising scientists and other honor the "Masters and Mentors" for their overall work. Nevertheless, there is in between a gap, in the recognition of those who represent the next generation of leaders.

ESCEO-IOF Pierre Delmas Medal

The European Society for Clinical and Economic Aspects of Osteoporosis and Osteoarthritis (ESCEO) and the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) is proud to present the ESCEO-IOF Pierre Delmas Medal during the WCO-IOF-ESCEO Congress 2026 in Prague,

Pierre Delmas, Professor of Medecine and Rheumatology at the University of Lyon, France, Director of the INSERM research unit « Pathophysiology of Osteoporosis », was an outstanding scientist who directed essential basic and clinical research in metabolic bone diseases, particulary in osteoporosis and osteoarthritis.

He was the Co-Founder and the First President of the IOF.

The Pierre Delmas Prize will be awarded to an individual for outstanding and major scientific contributions to the study of bone and mineral diseases, and consists of a medal.

The prize Committee will be composed of remarkable Scientists chosen within the IOF Committee of Scientific Advisors and ESCEO Scientific Advisory Board.