Research Award – EN

Fondazione Mondo Digitale ETS, in collaboration with Università Campus Bio-Medico of Rome and La Sapienza Università di Roma, is promoting, within the event “Romecup2026“, the third edition of the Most Promising Researcher in Robotics and Artificial Intelligence award. The prize is intended for young female and male researchers, including PhD candidates, engaged in research projects in the fields of robotics and/or artificial intelligence. The award benefits from the collaboration of prestigious universities and research centers.

A jury appointed by Fondazione Mondo Digitale and Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, composed of academics and representatives from the scientific and technological community, will evaluate the applications and select the winner, who will be announced on April 29 during RomeCup 2026.

The award aims to recognize and support the work of young talents involved in cutting-edge technological research fields that are crucial to the country’s development, such as robotics and artificial intelligence.

The prize is awarded to the individual in recognition of their creativity, vision, dedication, perseverance, and ability to contribute through their research to the development and progress of humanity.

Download the call and fill in the registration form by 8 March 2026.

Organising Committee

Mirta Michilli, Director General, Fondazione Mondo Digitale ETS
Alfonso Molina, Personal Chair in Technology Strategy, University of Edinburgh; Scientific Director, Fondazione Mondo Digitale ETS
Tiziana Catarci, Director, Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, CNR
Luca Iocchi, Full Professor, Sapienza University of Rome

Jury

CHAIR:

Paolo Dario, Professor Emeritus, Scuola Superiore di Sant’Anna of Pisa

MEMBERS

Alessia Amelio, Associate Professor of Information Processing Systems and Director of the HPC Laboratory, “G. d’Annunzio” University of Chieti-Pescara
Gianluca Antonelli, Professor, IEEE Fellow, AAIA Fellow, AIIA Fellow Head of the Department DIEI, University of Cassino and Southern Lazio
Maria Filomena Anzalone, Associate Professor of Moral Philosophy at the Department for Humanistic, Scientific and Social Innovation (DIUSS) of the University of Basilicata.
Stefania Bandini, Full Professor of Computer Science, University of Milan-Bicocca
Sylvio Barbonjunior, Associate Professor, University of Trieste
Nicola Basilico, Associate Professor of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, University of Milan
Riccardo Bellazzi, Full Professor of Bioengineering, University of Pavia
Andrea Bernardoni, Professor of History of Science and Technology, University of L’Aquila.
Giovanni Berselli, Full Professor, University of Genoa, Affiliated Researcher, Italian Institute of Technology
Davide Brugali, Associate Professor of Robotics, University of Bergamo
Danilo Caivano, Full Professor at the Department of Computer Science, University of Bari Aldo Moro
Giorgio Cannata, Full Professor, Department of Computer Science, Bioengineering, Robotics and Systems Engineering – DIBRIS, Inter-school Polytechnic Section of DIBRIS, University of Genoa
Ferdinando Cannella, Head of Industrial Robotic Unit, IIT
Giuseppe Carbone, Vice-President of the I-RIM Association, Chair of the IFToMM Technical Committee on Robotics and Mechatronics, University of Calabria
Marco Carricato, Full Professor of Mechanics Applied to Machines and Rector’s Delegate for PhD programmes, University of Bologna
Sara Colantonio, Senior Researcher at the Institute of Information Science and Technologies of the National Research Council. Institute of Information Science and Technologies ‘Alessandro Faedo’ (Cnr-Isti)
Gianlorenzo D’Angelo, Professor of Computer Science at the Gran Sasso Science Institute
Giuseppe De Maria, Professor of Automatic Control, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli
Beniamino Di Martino, Full Professor of Computer Engineering, University of Campania ‘Luigi Vanvitelli’, Adjunct Professor – Department of Computer Science – University of Vienna (Austria)
Irene Fassi, Research Director, CNR and SIRI Councillor
Antonella Ferrara, Full Professor of Automation, Department of Industrial and Information Engineering, University of Pavia
Giancarlo Fortino, Full Professor of Computer Engineering, University of Calabria
Fabio Gasparetti, Ph.D., Computer Scientist @AI-lab, Roma Tre University
Paolo Giudici, Professor of Statistics and Risk Management, University of Pavia
Giorgio Gnecco, Full Professor in Mathematical Methods of Economics and of Actuarial and Financial Sciences, IMT Alti Studi di Lucca
Vera Gramigna, Assistant Professor of Advanced Medical and Surgical Technology and Methodology, University of Catanzaro
Eugenio Guglielmelli, Full Professor of Bioengineering, Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome and National Delegate of the Ministry of University and Research for Horizon Europe 2021-2027 Cluster Health and Mission Cancer, Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome
Roberto Guidotti, Researcher in Biomedical Engineering, University of Chieti-Pescara ‘G. d’Annunzio’
Cosimo Ieracitano, Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering, DICMaPI, University of Naples “Federico II”
Luca Iocchi, Full Professor, Department of Computer, Control and Management Engineering, Antonio Ruberti, Sapienza University of Rome
Ludovico Iovino, Professor of Computer Science, Gran Sasso Science Institute
Ilaria La Torre, Associate Professor, Department of Computer Science, Bioengineering, Robotics and Systems Engineering – DIBRIS, University of Genoa
Fulvio Mastrogiovanni, Associate Professor, University of Genoa
Eric Medvet, Associate Professor of Information Processing Systems at the Department of Engineering and Architecture, University of Trieste
Federico Meschini, University of Tuscia
Alfonso Molina, Personal Chair in Technology Strategy, Scientific Director of the Fondazione Mondo Digitale ETS, University of Edinburgh
Mario Molinara, Associate Professor at the University of Cassino and Southern Lazio, IEEE Senior Member and Head of the Artificial Intelligence and Data Analysis Laboratory (AIDA Lab) at the University of Cassino and Southern Lazio, founder of the spin-off AI-ON srl

Francesco Carlo Morabito, President of the International Neural Network Society, Mediterranean University of Reggio Calabria
Riccardo Muradore, Associate Professor, University of Verona
Gianluca Palli, Full Professor, University of Bologna
Stefano Paraboschi, Full Professor, School of Engineering, University of Bergamo
Marcello Pellicciari, DISMI, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia
Patrizio Pelliccioni, Director of Compute Science and Professor of Software Engineering, Gran Sasso Science Institute
Mario Pireddu, Associate Professor of Training Technologies, University of Tuscia
Giovanni Pirovano, Adjunct Professor and Research Collaborator in Industrial Mechanical Systems at LIUC – Cattaneo University. Coordinator of i-FAB. Liuc
Antonella Poggi, Associate Professor, Sapienza University of Rome
Andrea Porciello, Full Professor of Philosophy of Law at the Department of Law, University of Catania
Domenico Pratichizzo, IEEE Fellow – Vice-Rector for Technology Transfer, University of Siena – Professor of Robotics and Human-Robot Interaction, University of Siena
Barbara Re, Head of Computer Science Degree Courses, University of Camerino
Diego Reforgiato Recupero, Full Professor, Mathematical and Computer Sciences, University of Cagliari
Paolo Rocco, Full Professor, Coordinator of the Automation Section, Milan Polytechnic
Cristina Roscia, Associate Professor, University of Bergamo
Alessia Sarica, Associate Professor of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences, Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro.
Lorenzo Scalera, Associate Professor of Applied Mechanics for Machinery, Department of Engineering and Architecture, University of Udine
David Scaradozzi, Associate Professor, Polytechnic University of Marche (ISME) – Tridente d’Oro AISTS, Polytechnic University of Marche
Cristian Secchi, Full Professor of Robotics, IEEE Senior Member, DISMI – University of Modena and Reggio Emilia
Silvio Simani, Professor of Automatic Control, University of Ferrara
Barbara Tarantino, Researcher at the University of Pavia
Daniela Tondini, University of Teramo
Andrea Trivella, Full Professor of Mechanics Applied to Machines, Polytechnic University of Turin
Renato Vidoni, Full Professor of Mechanics Applied to Machinery, Department of Engineering and Architecture, University of Udine.
Massimo Villari, Full Professor of Cybersecurity and AI, University of Messina
Loredana Zollo, President of the Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Machines (I-RIM), Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome