APPLICATION PROCESS

Candidates must submit their application through a specific form, including their curriculum, research summary, personal contributions, and two letters of reference.
Applications are evaluated based on the quality and impact of the candidate’s research.
Three finalists are selected for each award category. 
Finalists present their research to a distinguished jury, which then selects the award recipients, at virtual Oral Presentations.
Finalists participate in the ISSNAF Annual Event, where they showcase their work through poster presentations.
Winners are announced during the event, held at the Embassy of Italy in Washington, D.C.

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ISSNAF YI Awards 2025: 
Call is closed! Thank you to everyone who applied!

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ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
1) Italian citizenship;
2) Current affiliation with a research institution in the United States or Canada, with the exception that applicants for the Embassy of Italy Award must work in the USA;
3) PhD received or Medical/Veterinary Residency completed in 2018 or later.

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PRIZE AND RECOGNITION
- Winners receive a prize of $3,000.
- Winners and Finalists are invited to attend the ISSNAF Annual Event at the Embassy of Italy in Washington and receive a travel and lodging award.
- Winners and Finalists receive public recognition of their accomplishments via the ISSNAF social media.

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NEW TIMELINE!!!

- June 25, 2025: Call is open 
- August 25, 2025: Call is closed 
- September 2, 2025: Letters of reference are due 
- September 7, 2025: Applicants are notified whether their application has been accepted
- September 22, 2025: Applicants are notified whether they have been named Finalists     
- October 2025: Finalists present their research at the Young Investigator Online Oral Presentation
- First half of November 2025: Winners receive their Award at 2025 ISSNAF Annual Event

CONTACT
For questions and information, please contact awards@issnaf.org

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EMBASSY OF ITALY AWARD

FOR RESEARCH IN QUANTUM TECHNOLOGY

 

Established in 2020, this year’s edition recognizes outstanding contributions from Italian researchers in the USA active in the broad field of quantum technologies, recognizing groundbreaking research that advances our understanding and application of materials, algorithms and platforms for quantum computing, sensing and imaging.​​

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FINALISTS 

Dr. Marco Colangelo, Assistant Professor, Northeastern University
"High-performance superconducting detectors for quantum information science applications."

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 Dr. Gabriele Pasquale, Postdoctoral Fellow, Harvard University
"Revealing and Controlling Quantum Matter for Next-Gen Devices."

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Dr. Giovanni Scuri, Bloch Postdoctoral Fellow, Stanford University
"Integrated quantum photonic devices for sensing, networking and information processing."

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Chair
Andrea Alù, CUNY

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Jury

Prof. Andrea Alù, City University of New York
Dr. Stefano Lami, National Quantum Information Research Center
Prof. Alberto Salleo, Stanford University

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INFN BRUNO TOUSCHEK AWARD
FOR RESEARCH IN  FUNDAMENTAL PHYSICS
 

Established in 2022 by Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, this award honors the memory of Prof. Bruno Touschek for his pioneering work in the fields of elementary particle physics and particle accelerators. It recognizes contributions in the fields of fundamental interactions of matter, such as elementary particle physics, nuclear physics, cosmology and the physics of particle beams.

 

FINALISTS

Dr. Francesca Bonaiti, Postdoctoral Research Fellow,

Michigan State University & Oak Ridge National Laboratory
"Connecting the structure of atomic nuclei to neutron stars."

Dr. Giulia Cerini, NASA Postdoctoral Fellow, JPL & Caltech
"Galaxy Clusters as Cosmic Colliders for Cosmology and Dark Matter."

Prof. Antonella Palmese, Assistant Professor, Carnegie Mellon University
"Gravitational waves as a new cosmological probe."

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Chair
Patrizia Rossi, Jefferson Lab

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Jury

Prof. Elena Orlando, University of Trieste
Dr. Alessandro Ratti, Berkeley Lab
Prof. Patrizia Rossi, Jefferson Lab

MARIO GERLA AWARD
FOR RESEARCH IN COMPUTER SCIENCE
 

Established by the Gerla family in 2019, this award is in memory of Dr. Mario Gerla, pioneer in computer networking, professor of Computer Science at UCLA and ISSNAF founding member.​​

FINALISTS 

Prof. Antonio Loquercio, Assistant Professor, University of Pennsylvania
"Re-thinking the Role of Perception for Decision Making."

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Prof. Riccardo Paccagnella, Assistant Professor, Carnegie Mellon University
"Software Security Challenges in the Era of Modern Hardware."

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Prof. Tiziano Picardi, Postdoc & Incoming Assistant Professor,

Stanford University & Johns Hopkins University
"Designing online platforms aligned with human needs and values."

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Chair
Leila De Floriani, University of Mariland

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Jury
Dr. Elisa Bertino, Purdue University
Prof. Leila De Floriani, University of Maryland
Prof. Fil Menczer, Indiana University

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PAOLA CAMPESE AWARD
FOR RESEARCH IN HEMATOLOGIC MALIGNANCIES
 

Established by Stefania and Vito Campese in 2011, this award is in memory of their young, talented and generous daughter Paola.

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FINALISTS 
Dr. Nicoletta Chieri, Instructor, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
"Systematic identification of minor histocompatibility antigens predicts transplant outcomes."

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Dr. Sara Piccinelli, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

"Overcoming CAR T Cell Resistance in Acute Myeloid Leukemia."

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Dr. Maria Caterina Rotiroti, Research Fellow, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
"Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy for hematological malignancies."

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Chair
Alessandra Ferrajoli, MD Anderson Cancer Center

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Jury

Prof. Alessandra Ferrajoli, MD Anderson Cancer Center
Prof. Marco Ruella, University of Pennsylvania
Prof. Paolo Strati, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

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RnB4CULTURE AWARD
FOR INNOVATION IN THE STUDY OF ITALIAN CULTURE
 

Established in 2021 by RnB4Culture, this award recognizes the vibrancy of research in Italian culture and its evolving nature expressed in a variety of ways such as innovative uses of technology, or originality of approach, or contribution to wider questions and trends in the Humanities at large. 

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FINALISTS

Dr. Cristina Carnemolla, Assistant Professor, McGill university
"Harvesting Truth: Southern Realism as an Extractivist Aesthetics."

Dr. Sara Galli, International Visiting Lecturer, Dickinson College
"Inclusive Language and Educational Change in Italian Courses."

Dr. Luca Zipoli, Assistant Professor, Bryn Mawr College
"Globalizing the Renaissance: Cultural Exchanges in Early-Modern Florence (1439-1492)"

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Chair
Franco Pierno, University of Toronto

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Jury
Prof. Gianni Cicali, Georgetown University
Prof. Stefania Lucamante, Università di Cagliari - Catholic University of Washington
Prof. Stefano Jossa, Royal Holloway University of London, Università degli Studi di Palermo

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