2026 LINO GENTILINI AWARD

FOR A MASTER'S THESIS AND
A DOCTORAL DISSERTATION ON
STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING HISTORY

The Fondazione ing. Lino Gentilini - ETS in cooperation with the University of Roma Tor Vergata announces two awards for master's theses and doctoral dissertations focused on the history of structural engineering. The objective of this initiative is to share the Foundation's vast archival documentation and debate the cultural themes connected with the professional and scientific work of Lino Gentilini (1933-2001). The 2026 Lino Gentilini Award takes place with the patronage of AITEC, Federbeton, ANAI, and Ordine degli Ingegneri della Provincia di Trento. The Fondazione ing. Lino Gentilini - ETS was founded on August 8th, 2013, and is based in Trento, Italy. Its primary objective is the support and implementation of educational and research initiatives in the context of engineering and scientific research, inspired by the historical and cultural preservation of the comprehensive engineering work performed by Lino Gentilini. This announcement encompasses two separate awards. The first award is for a master's thesis developed at an Italian university. The second award is for a doctoral dissertation developed at a university located in one of the countries belonging to the Council of Europe.

Art. 1 - RESEARCH TOPICS

The Lino Gentilini Award intends to promote research in the field of history of structural engineering, with special emphasis on themes that benefit from multidisciplinary, comparative, and critical perspectives. Under this premise, special attention will be given to works that treat and/or combine a diverse spectrum of research topics, always within a unified historiographical perspective that has engineering work and structural design at the center of the analysis. Possible research topics related to the main historical theme include, but are not limited to: history of civil engineering and constructions, history of transport and traffic engineering, economic history, history of entrepreneurship, social history, history of labor and business organization, development of new materials or technological solutions for engineering applications with specific focus on decarbonization strategies for construction, specific investigations of engineering works of unique interest, history of infrastructural, regional, and urban development, historical studies on the environmental and landscape context, development of information technology applied to design. Special consideration will be given to interdisciplinary works that investigate topics from different perspectives with adequate awareness of the historical, economic, social, and cultural context and with an eye to the humanistic side of problems. Contributions must also include a correct and as much as possible comprehensive empirical, documentary, bibliographic and archival analysis. The research work may be carried out using the documentary and archival heritage of the Fondazione ing. Lino Gentilini - ETS and, if necessary, with the logistic support of the same and the advice of its collaborators.

Art. 2 - MASTER'S THESIS AWARD RECIPIENTS

The award is intended for graduates who have obtained a master's degree at an Italian university. It is possible to apply with a master's thesis the topic of which is listed among those specified in Art. 1 and the defense of which took place in the period from January 1st, 2024 to December 31st, 2025. Applications already submitted to previous calls of this award will not be considered.

Art. 3 - DOCTORAL DISSERTATION AWARD RECIPIENTS

The award is intended for graduates who have obtained a doctoral degree (Ph.D. or equivalent) at a university located in one of the countries belonging to the Council of Europe. It is possible to apply with a doctoral dissertation the topic of which is listed among those specified in Art. 1 and the defense of which took place in the period from January 1st, 2024, to December 31st, 2025. Applications already submitted to previous calls of this award will not be considered.

Art. 4 - APPLICATION

The application shall be submitted online using the following URL address https://fondazionegentilini.ddns.net:15633/application.html by 24:00 (UTC+2) Sunday June 28th, 2026. Applicants shall submit the following attachments as pdf documents (max dimension of each file 500 MB):

  1. copy of the master's thesis / doctoral dissertation in the original language, together with a translation into Italian or English if the master's thesis / doctoral dissertation was written in a language other than these two;
  2. abstract both in Italian and in English (100-150 words);
  3. curriculum vitae;
  4. recommendation letter from thesis/dissertation advisor;
  5. academic transcript with final degree, courses and grades;
  6. copy of a valid document proving identity.

Art. 5 - EVALUATION COMMITTEE

The Evaluation Committee, which will bestow the awards, will be formed by a professor appointed by the University of Roma Tor Vergata, a professor from another Italian university, and two other members of foreign research institutions or universities, selected on the basis of their peer-reviewed works and/or experience in the topics covered by this announcement. The Evaluation Committee may also rely upon the scientific and technical advice of external specialists with expertise in one of the specific research topics. The Evaluation Committee will bestow the awards based on an indisputable decision that will take into account the quality and the scientific and cultural brilliance of the contributions, as specified in Art. 1.

Art. 6 - AWARDS

The recipients of the best master's thesis and the best doctoral dissertation will be awarded a cash prize of euro 800 and euro 1.600, respectively, which will be paid by the Fondazione ing. Lino Gentilini - ETS before or during the award ceremony. In the event of an ex-aequo award, the amount of the prize will be shared equally among the winners. Cash prizes amounts shall be awarded as specified above, and the award recipients shall be responsible for any taxation required by law. The final decision will be published on the website of the Fondazione ing. Lino Gentilini - ETS. The outcome of the evaluation will be also notified to the winners, who must send a declaration of acceptance or refusal of the award within the deadline set by such notification. In the event that none of the submitted master's theses or doctoral dissertations or both is identified as deserving the award, the Evaluation Committee can reassign the cash awards to the next round of the Lino Gentilini Award.

Art. 7 - INFORMATION ON THE PROCESSING OF PERSONAL DATA

In compliance with the EU Regulation 2016/679 "General Data Protection Regulation" (GDPR), the Fondazione ing. Lino Gentilini - ETS will process personal data for the performance of its institutional activity exclusively to manage this selection procedure (article 6(1), lett. e) GDPR). The Data Controller is the Fondazione ing. Lino Gentilini - ETS, with main offices in via F.lli Perini n. 93, 38122 Trento, Italy, e-mail: fondazione@pec.fondazionegentilini.it or info@fondazionegentilini.it. Contact information of the Data Protection Officer is: dpo@fondazionegentilini.it. Personal data will be processed using manual and/or electronic means exclusively by personnel authorized to process data in relation to the tasks and duties assigned to them and in compliance with the principles of lawfulness, fairness, transparency, adequacy, relevance, and necessity. Collected personal data will not be transferred to non-EU countries. The provision of personal data is essential for the selection process and failure to provide it precludes participation in the same. Personal data is stored for the time necessary to fulfil the above-mentioned purposes and all legal obligations. In any case, data will be stored for the period required by the current legislation regarding the management and conservation of the documentation produced by the Fondazione Ing. Lino Gentilini - ETS in the performance of its institutional activities. Data subjects shall exercise the rights referred to in article 15 et seq. of the GDPR at any time, and, in particular, the right of access, of rectification, of integration, of erasure, of restriction, or of processing of his/her personal data, or the right to object to processing of his/her personal data. In case of an infringement of the GDPR during the processing of personal data, data subjects have the right to lodge a complaint with the Italian data protection authority by virtue of article 77 of the GDPR.

For further information please contact:

Fondazione ing. Lino Gentilini - ETS
+39 0461 390911 | premi@fondazionegentilini.it

University of Roma Tor Vergata
Placement Office
+39 06 72592627 | placement@uniroma2.it