The Jakob Eriksson Prize was established in 1923 at Wageningen, The Netherlands, to encourage creative study of plant pathogens and the processes of disease development in plants. Jakob Eriksson was a plant pathologist who specialized in fungal taxonomy and parasitism of plant pathogenic fungi. He also was a fervent internationalist who promoted cooperation between plant pathologists, and his writings and ideas were instrumental in the formation of the International Society for Plant Pathology in 1968 at the first International Congress of Plant Pathology. He died in 1931.

The associated fund was augmented by contributions from Prof. Quanjer (The Netherlands), Prof. Jaczewski (Russia) and the American Phytopathological Society. In 1950 the 7th International Botanical Congress adopted a resolution that the Botanical Section of IUBS, through a committee of experts elected by the Section, should nominate a candidate for the Eriksson Prize before each Botanical Congress. In 1993 a decision was made by the Eriksson Prize Commission to sever its relationship with the Botanical Section of IUBS, and to ask that the ISPP award the Prize at the Congress in Montreal and at subsequent Congresses. The Prize consists of a gold medal and a cash award.

There have been two awardees at ISPP Congresses: Ariena van Bruggen (1993) and Richard Frederiksen (1998).

There is no speaker, as such, at the ceremony when the Prize is awarded. The Prize is awarded in the Congress Plenary Session, and the custom is that a representative of the Swedish Government in the country of the Congress venue presents the Prize.