Congratulations to the winners of the ECCO Fellowships and Grants awarded at the ECCO Congress 2026 in Stockholm! As part of its continued commitment to advancing IBD research, ECCO announced that its investment in research and travel grants would rise to EUR 2.5 million, with the result that a second Pioneer Award and five more ECCO Research Grants were awarded.
With the rising number of applications, the review process requires enhanced coordination. Proposals are reviewed by a minimum of four experts, comprising both internal ECCO Committee Members and external specialists, with emphasis on diversity of expertise, geography and gender. Since 2024, improvements such as the inclusion of proposal abstracts and expanded reviewer profiles (including ORCID number and biography) have further strengthened the evaluation process.
Reviewers score applications via an online system across key criteria including originality, methodology, feasibility and scientific impact, with structured timelines introduced for 2026. These developments build on 2024 initiatives such as the “The Reviewers of ECCO” platform and dedicated engagement activities, including the “Reviewers of ECCO – sign up” page, reflecting ECCO’s ongoing efforts to support and recognise its reviewer community.
At the Congress, Fellowship and Grant recipients received their certificates from the ECCO President, Fernando Magro, and the SciCom Chair, Isabelle Cleynen. Learn more about the promising research projects supported through this year’s programme in the Journal of Crohn's and Colitis, Volume 20, Issue Supplement_1, January 2026.
ECCO Pioneer Award
Keratinocytes as driver of Crohn’s disease associated fistulas
M. Scharl and N. Shpigel
https://doi.org/10.1093/ecco-jcc/jjaf231.1581
Metagenome-informed metaproteomic decoding of diet-host-microbiome drivers of human Crohn’s disease
E. Elinav
https://doi.org/10.1093/ecco-jcc/jjaf231.1582
ECCO Global Grant
Helminth secretome as novel antifibrotic therapy for inflammatory bowel disease
M. Barnhoorn and others
https://doi.org/10.1093/ecco-jcc/jjaf231.1583
ECCO Fellowship
Obesity-Driven Fibroblast Remodelling in Intestinal Fibrosis: A Multi-Omic Approach
M.F. Nani
https://doi.org/10.1093/ecco-jcc/jjaf231.1584
Development and Validation of a Segmental Intestinal Ultrasound Score for Monitoring Disease Activity and Therapeutic Response in Ulcerative Colitis
L. Rossier and B. Verstockt
https://doi.org/10.1093/ecco-jcc/jjaf231.1585
ECCO Grant
The Role of the Hepcidin-Ferroportin-Axis in Crohn’s Perianal Fistula
L. Schrader and J. Merten
https://doi.org/10.1093/ecco-jcc/jjaf231.1586
Study of the role of the epithelium in the initiation and progression of intestinal fibrosis in ulcerative colitis
M. Stepniak and others
https://doi.org/10.1093/ecco-jcc/jjaf231.1587
Characterizing the Pre-diagnostic Metabolome of Inflammatory Bowel Disease
F. Ottosson
https://doi.org/10.1093/ecco-jcc/jjaf231.1588
Investigating a Novel Therapeutic Diet on Food Additives for Ulcerative Colitis (The INNOVATE Study)
C. Yao and others
https://doi.org/10.1093/ecco-jcc/jjaf231.1589
Elucidating the immunomodulatory role of estrogen in inflammatory bowel disease using patient-derived colonic organoids
A. Mora-Boza
https://doi.org/10.1093/ecco-jcc/jjaf231.1590
Towards personalised treatment in Crohn’s disease: using proteomics at diagnosis to identify markers of treatment outcomes and disease trajectory, and new drug targets
N. Noor and others
https://doi.org/10.1093/ecco-jcc/jjaf231.1591
Genetic mechanisms underlying the increase of Adherent-Invasive E. coli in Inflammatory Bowel Disease
E. Toumi and others
https://doi.org/10.1093/ecco-jcc/jjaf231.1592
Immunogenetic Profiling of Colonic Mucosa in Ulcerative Proctitis to Identify Disease Progression Signatures
L.A.A.P. Derikx and others
https://doi.org/10.1093/ecco-jcc/jjaf231.1593
Gut glycocalyx dysregulation triggers autoreactive anti-glycan B cell reaction associated with IBD immunopathogenesis
L. Alves and others
https://doi.org/10.1093/ecco-jcc/jjaf231.1594
Integrated approach to identify new targets and develop innovative therapies for chronic abdominal pain associated with gut dysbiosis in patients with quiescent ulcerative colitis (PAIN-UC)
T. Innocenti and E. Lucarini
https://doi.org/10.1093/ecco-jcc/jjaf231.1595
Uncovering the role of TL1A/LTα1β2 signalling in perianal fistulising Crohn’s disease
V. Gudiño
https://doi.org/10.1093/ecco-jcc/jjaf231.1596
The SLC15A4/TASL/IRF5 axis role in the immunopathogenesis of IBD and associated cancer
M. Monguió-Tortajada
https://doi.org/10.1093/ecco-jcc/jjaf231.1597
Targeting CD38 for the prevention and treatment of Crohn’s disease-associated fibrosis
T.L. Parigi and others
https://doi.org/10.1093/ecco-jcc/jjaf231.1598
CROHNtrol – Local Combination Nanotherapy for Crohn’s Disease
A.S. Barros
https://doi.org/10.1093/ecco-jcc/jjaf231.1599
Influence of leaky gut on long-term colitis development
V. Thevin and Z. Al Nabhani
https://doi.org/10.1093/ecco-jcc/jjaf231.1600
D-ECCO Grant
A Microbiota-Targeted Mediterranean Diet-Based Intervention (IBDMED) to Reduce Post-Operative Recurrence in Patients with Crohn’s Disease: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial
L. Godny
https://doi.org/10.1093/ecco-jcc/jjaf231.1601
N-ECCO Grant
Cultural Differences in IBD Care
N.E.M. Berkers and others
https://doi.org/10.1093/ecco-jcc/jjaf231.1602
IIS Registry Grant
Improvement of postoperative management by establishment of an international prospective registry of patients with Crohn’s disease after ileocolonic resection (IMPACT REGISTRY)
A.C. de Vries and others
https://doi.org/10.1093/ecco-jcc/jjaf231.1603
