Supporting research in respiratory science
The European Respiratory Society (ERS) is the leading organisation in Europe in the field of respiratory medicine. The project 'Respiratory science promoted by international research exchanges' (RESPIRE) assisted the ERS in its mission to promote lung health and resolve lung diseases. RESPIRE worked with the ERS to open doors for more fellows to conduct research on respiratory illness. The project also facilitated networking among existing centres of excellence and enabled the creation of virtual networks through closer connections among different organisations. The project was widely promoted across all of Europe, with requests going out to postdoctoral fellows to submit applications on a range of topics. Through the project, ERS was able to more than double the number of postdoctoral researchers, building the pool of experienced investigators. A total of 19 fellows were chosen and funded over 4 years. Project efforts helped ERS gain recognition within the community. This resulted in greater investment in ERS research, increased competitiveness during fellowship review processes and a stronger fellowship programme, with enhanced standards overall. Finally, RESPIRE established a network of fellows for future respiratory scientists. This network is reinforced annually at the ERS 'Fellows' Get-Together', a session for ERS fellows during the ERS Annual Congress. Due to the success of RESPIRE, a RESPIRE 2 project is under development. This new project will focus on scientific and non-scientific career development. It will also stress the importance of good working conditions for fellows. RESPIRE has been successful by encouraging young scientists to become researchers. It also has encouraged young researchers to stay in Europe and has attracted top-quality researchers from around the world.
Keywords
Respiratory science, career development, respiratory medicine, international research exchanges, lung diseases, respiratory illness, respiratory scientists
