Award presented at ECRO 2026 — Paris

CyNexo Olfactory Innovation Award 2026

Unlock new possibilities in olfactory research with next-generation odor delivery technology

The Award

What is it?

The CyNexo Olfactory Innovation Award supports innovative pilot projects in human olfactory research, giving researchers access to Sniff–Able, a next-generation automated olfactometry platform to enable new experimental paradigms in the chemical senses.

Applications are welcome from researchers at all career stages and across disciplines.

Apply Now

Access to Sniff–Able

Use SniffAble free of charge for up to 6 months.

Technical support

Onboarding, materials and direct help from the CyNexo team.

Visibility to ECRO

Recognition at ECRO 2026 in Paris and beyond.

Sniff–Able enables the full digitalization of olfactory testing and training, transforming a traditionally manual and operator-dependent process into a standardized, automated, and scalable workflow

The Problem

Today, olfactory testing is still manual

Current olfactory testing and training rely heavily on manual guided procedures, which significantly limit data comparability and large-scale research scalability.

Operator-dependent

Administered manually by trained operators.

Time-consuming

30–45 minutes for a single test.

High variability

Difficult to replicate results across studies.

Limited scalability

Hard to scale up beyond lab.

The Paradigm Shift

From manual testing to digital olfactometry

Today, olfactory testing and training still often rely on manual, operator-dependent procedures. Sniff–Able digitalizes the entire process.

Traditional | Manual workflow

Operator-dependent
Time-consuming
Not scalable

Sniff-Able | Digital workflow

Automated
Standardized
Scalable

What the shift enables

Full digitalization

Testing & training, end to end.

Automated delivery

Odor presentation without an operator.

Repeatable protocols

Standardized, run after run.

Integrated data

Digital acquisition, built in.

Less operator dependency

Consistent across users.

Beyond specialist settings

Usable in non-expert contexts.

Sniff-Able automated olfactometer device

The Technology

Meet Sniff–Able

A portable, automated olfactometer for controlled odor delivery in human experimental settings. Sniff–Able builds on CyNexo's experience in developing olfactometry systems for scientific research.

Programmable, automated odor presentation
Reproducible stimulus control
Support for multiple experimental protocols
Designed for both research and clinical environments

Scientific Opportunity

Enabling next-generation olfactory research

Multi-site studies

Run cross-laboratory research on shared, standardized protocols.

Comparable datasets

Standardized, reproducible measurements across studies.

Longitudinal monitoring

Track olfactory function reliably over time.

Large-scale data collection

Scale data acquisition without added manual effort.

Opening new opportunities in neuroscience, clinical research, and cognitive science

Sniff-Able being demonstrated in a research lab

Validation & Development

Already proving itself in the lab

Sniff-Able is undergoing validation through pilot studies in academic and clinical settings. A prototype is currently in use at the Technische Universität Dresden, one of the world's leading centres for olfactory research.

CyNexo team with the Sniff-Able device at TU Dresden

Prof. Dr. Thomas Hummel

Smell & Taste Clinic · Technische Universität Dresden

Sniff-Able under evaluation at the Smell & Taste Clinic, TU Dresden, May 2026.

Where you come in

The CyNexo Olfactory Innovation Award

An exclusive opportunity for researchers

Who can apply

Open to all career stages

Academic researchers
Postdoctoral fellows
PhD candidates
Industry researchers

Funding and support

Everything you need to run your study

Free loan of Sniff–Able device (up to 6 months)
Equipment and standard materials
Technical support and onboarding
Visibility at ECRO 2026

Participation

What taking part involves

The award is a two-way collaboration around a research prototype device. Here is what your project should deliver — and how we will work together.

Collaboration

Share feedback on Sniff-Able's usability and user experience, compare it with existing methods, and suggest improvements coordinated with CyNexo.

Data & dissemination

As Sniff–Able is a research prototype, results and feedback are shared with CyNexo before publication, and any dissemination is coordinated with CyNexo.

Using the device

The Sniff-Able unit remains CyNexo's property and is returned at the end of the project period.

How to apply

Apply in two simple steps

Deadline · August 31, 2026 · 23:59 CET

Prepare your PDF

Download and use the template to prepare a single PDF including a Curriculum Vitae (max 1 page) and a Project Proposal (max 1 page).

Guidelines + Paper template

This PDF contains both the full submission guidelines and a ready-to-use paper template. Prepare your CV and project proposal directly from it, then email your single PDF.

Download guidelines + template (PDF)

Submit by email

Send it to ecro2026@ecro.online before the deadline. The applications received after the deadline will not be reviewed.

Submit to:

ecro2026@ecro.online

Submit you PDF now

Timeline

Key dates

August 31, 2026
Application deadline (23:59 CET).
Early September 2026
Review & selection process by an independent expert panel: each application is evaluated by 2 independent experts in chemical senses and 1 CyNexo representative.
September 18, 2026
Results will be announced at the conference during the award ceremony on September 18, 2026 in Paris.

Be one of the first

Become a pioneer of digital olfactory science

This is more than a prototype — it's the beginning of a shift toward digital, comparable, and scalable olfactory science. Apply now and help redefine how smell is measured, studied, and understood.

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August 31, 2026 · 23:59 CET

Apply Now