The European Society for Research in Adult Development (ESRAD) is a non-profit, scientific organization, that aims to promote research and theory on adult development, from age 18 until the end of life. Our 600+ members span multiple disciplines and include researchers, practitioners, and educators from around the globe. Topics of interest to the organization include positive development, wisdom, cognitive and moral development, social and emotional development, coaching, therapy, adult education, quality of life, political development, societal and spiritual development, and adult transitions as well as other topics of relevance to understanding and supporting adult development. We value both empirical and theoretical approaches, and encourage dialogue between practice, research, and education. ESRAD is religiously and politically non-aligned, and we welcome members of all backgrounds.

ESRAD carries out its purpose by:

• Organising annual conferences
• Organising online workshops and lectures in line with its aims and areas of interest
• Publishing a quarterly newsletter
• By supporting adult development research through small grant opportunities.
• Creating opportunities for networking between researchers and professionals both online and in person
• Providing opportunities to connect using social media, such as Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook
• Maintaining connections to similar organisations internationally

​ESRAD's Origins

The European Society for Research in Adult Development (ESRAD) was founded in 2011 by the following individuals: Jose Ferreira Alves (University of  Minho), Michael Commons (Harvard Medical School), James M. Day (University of Louvain), Eeva K. Kallio (University of Jyväskylä), Sofia Kjellström (University of Linköping), Helena Marchand (University of Lisbon), ​and Kristian Stålne (University of Malmö). The inaugural symposium was at the University of Lund in Sweden in June 2011.