Hydro vzw and The Sea as a Good Cause (the philanthropic project of VLIZ) present the prestigious Dr. Edouard Delcroix Research Grant and Incentive Award to scientists working within the broad field of the interaction between the ocean and human health. Would you like to participate? Submit your application before 19 January 2026.
The Dr. Edouard Delcroix Incentive Award (worth 2500 EUR) is presented to a promising scientist at the start of his or her research career. The Dr. Edouard Delcroix Research Grant (worth 10.000 EUR) is specifically intended to support the conduct of scientific research.
Both the award and the research grant are established in honour of Dr. Edouard Delcroix (1891-1973), a Belgian orthopaedic surgeon and pioneer in hydrotherapy.
The purpose of the research grant and the incentive award is to promote fundamental and applied scientific research that makes a significant contribution to:
- hydrotherapy and functional rehabilitation in seawater or at the seaside
- the positive effects of marine-based nutrition
- the exploration of bioactive molecules derived from seawater, sea air, marine food sources, or the marine environment
- the importance of the sea’s influence on our mental and physical health (e.g. the Blue Gym effect, as well as the biogenic or immunoregulatory hypothesis)
- solutions for human disorders caused by negative influences of the marine environment, such as harmful algal blooms and other biogenic toxins, eutrophication, transmission of pathogens and chemicals, and the impact of human activities at sea, such as aquaculture.
Proposals for the 2026 Dr. Edouard Delcroix Research Grant and the Incentive Award must be submitted no later than 19 January 2026.
The detailed terms and conditions for applying for the research grant can be found in the call for proposals. Applications must be submitted via the registration form.
The detailed regulations for the Incentive Award can be read here. Candidates may register via the online form.
