The call for entries for the fifth edition of the Most Promising Researcher in Robotics and Artificial Intelligence award is now online
The call for applications for the fifth edition of the Most Promising Researcher in Robotics and Artificial Intelligence award is now online. The award is organised by the Fondazione Mondo Digitale ETS to coincide with RomeCup 2027 (14–16 April), in collaboration with the Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome.
The award is open to young researchers and PhD students engaged in research projects in the fields of robotics and artificial intelligence. Eligible applicants include individuals, PhD students across all disciplines, PhD graduates and researchers up to the age of 34, who are carrying out research in Italy at centres, organisations, institutes, universities or other public and private institutions.
The aim is to recognise and support the work of young talents engaged in cutting-edge technological fields, which are crucial for the country’s development. The award is presented to the recipient in recognition of their creativity, vision, dedication, perseverance and ability to contribute, through their research, to the development and progress of humanity.
The jury, appointed by the Fondazione Mondo Digitale and the Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome, comprises academics and representatives from the technical and scientific communities. The chair of the jury is Paolo Dario, professor emeritus at the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna in Pisa.
The winner will receive a cash prize of 20,000 euros. The jury reserves the right to split the prize, not necessarily into equal parts.
Applications must be submitted by midnight on 28 February 2027, by completing the online form available at romecup.org/research-award and attaching an academic CV, a letter of recommendation, a photograph and, optionally, an academic paper representative of the application.
The winner is due to be announced on 15 April 2027, during RomeCup.
The value of Italian research
This new edition of the award forms part of an initiative launched in 2023 to raise the profile of a generation of young scientists working on some of the most significant challenges of our time: collaborative robotics, rehabilitation, robotic surgery, trustworthy artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, health technologies and solutions with high social impact.
At the RomeCup 2026, Paolo Dario strongly emphasised the value of Italian education and research. The calibre of young researchers, he stressed, is a strategic asset for the country: human capital capable of competing at an international level, but which must be recognised, supported and enabled to generate innovation, enterprise and development.
The award was created precisely with this ambition in mind: not merely to celebrate scientific achievements already attained, but to nurture promising careers, support those who are developing new solutions, and bring research closer to the real needs of people and society.
At RomeCup, research is not confined to laboratories. It becomes a narrative, a source of guidance, an exchange with young people, and a dialogue between universities, businesses, schools and institutions. Every nomination is a story of study, method, perseverance and vision. Each edition paints a picture of a country that produces knowledge and can transform it into shared value.
How to enter
Entries must be submitted by midnight on 28 February 2027.
