Research Award: a large and qualified jury is at work

Entries for the fourth edition of the Most Promising Researcher in Robotics and Artificial Intelligence award and the new Tullio De Mauro Cyber Humanities Award have closed with an extraordinary result: over 270 applications from young researchers and PhD students. This figure confirms the role of RomeCup as a leading platform for promoting emerging talent and cutting-edge research. To assess such a significant volume of projects, an unprecedented scientific jury has been formed, comprising 63 experts: the largest and most structured in the Foundation’s history.

A widespread and interdisciplinary scientific community

More than a traditional committee, the jury is configured as a true evaluating community, bringing together expertise from over 25 universities and research centres. The geographical distribution is extensive, with institutions spanning the entire country, from Trieste to Messina, and some international representatives, including theUniversity of Vienna and theUniversity of Edinburgh. The participation of centres of excellence such as the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) and the National Research Council (CNR) ensures a comprehensive representation of the research ecosystem.

Academic excellence and high-profile governance

The prestige of the jury is reinforced by the high profile of its members and the significance of the institutional roles they hold. The chairmanship is held by Paolo Dario, professor emeritus at the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna in Pisa, one of the most authoritative figures internationally in the field of robotics.

Among the most prominent figures are Eugenio Guglielmelli, national delegate of the Ministry of University and Research for Horizon Europe, and Francesco Carlo Morabito, president of the International Neural Network Society, who bring the perspective of major national and European infrastructures to the jury. Also present are Loredana Zollo, president of the Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Machines (I-RIM), and Gianluca Antonelli, IEEE Fellow, AAIA Fellow and AIIA Fellow, leading voices in the international automation and robotics community.

The participation of vice-rectors, rectorial delegates and directors of research centres – including Domenico Pratichizzo (University of Siena) and Marco Carricato (University of Bologna) – strengthens the link between research, university governance and technology transfer. Rounding out the panel are Stefania Bandini, full professor of Computer Science and a leading figure in national and European scientific evaluations, Irene Fassi, research director at the CNR and advisor to SIRI, and Alfonso Molina, scientific director of the Fondazione Mondo Digitale and professor at the University of Edinburgh, who ensure a cross-disciplinary perspective spanning research, industry and policy.

Synergy between disciplines to interpret complexity

The size of the jury reflects a specific methodological choice: managing complexity. The introduction of the award dedicated to Tullio De Mauro strengthens the integration between the sciences and the humanities. Alongside engineers and computer scientists, the jury includes scholars of philosophy, law, history of science and educational technologies, such as Andrea Porciello, Maria Filomena Anzalone, Andrea Bernardoni and Mario Pireddu.

This broad structure allows each nomination – ranging from bio-cooperative robotics to healthcare and algorithmic infrastructure – to be assigned to specialists with vertical expertise. These include Alessia Amelio, Ferdinando Cannella (IIT) and Barbara Re.

With 15 women and a diversity of scientific approaches, the jury ensures a rigorous, fair and interdisciplinary assessment.

Towards the announcement

Currently engaged in analysing the projects, the jury is tasked with identifying candidates capable of combining scientific rigour, technological innovation and social responsibility. The winners will be announced in the Sala Esedra of the Capitoline Museums, at a ceremony celebrating conscious, future-oriented innovation (29 April).

The names mentioned represent a sample selection of the variety of profiles involved: below is the full composition of the Jury, which we will discuss further in the coming days.

Jury

Chair

• Paolo Dario, Professor Emeritus, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna in 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