Extended deadline – July 25th, 2025
Call for the best contributions including sensory and consumer studies presented by PhD students enrolled in the 1st and 2nd year of a Food Science, Technology and Biotechnology PhD
The Italian Sensory Science Society (SISS) is pleased to announce the 3rd edition of the Award for the best thesis projects that include sensory and consumer studies presented at the 29th Workshop on the Developments in the Italian PhD Research on Food Science Technology and Biotechnology.
Who can apply?
Each PhD candidate registered to the 29th Workshop on the Developments in the Italian PhD Research on Food Science Technology and Biotechnology submitting an interdisciplinary thesis project contribution in which there is a part dedicated to sensory and consumer studies, but where sensory and consumer studies are not the main/only topic of the thesis.
How to apply?
To participate, all first and second year candidates registered to the 29th Workshop on the Developments in the Italian PhD Research on Food Science Technology and Biotechnology must send the to the secretariat of the Italian Sensory Science Society (segreteria@scienzesensoriali.it) by June 30th, 2025 (Extended deadline – July 25th, 2025)
- The contribution sent for the conference (please note that this should be also send through the regular submission system filling out the registration form);
- An abstract in English (maximum 3600 characters including spaces) presenting the sensory part of the thesis, with the following sections: context (background of the thesis and research question/gap in knowledge), objectives (aim of the thesis and aim of the sensory and consumer study included), materials and methods (how the study will be or was conducted specifying the details of the participants, methods used, organization of the sensory and consumer tests), the results (expected or obtained), the role and the implications of the sensory study included in the thesis project (which is the added value of the sensory and consumer thesis?).
Evaluation criteria
The contributions will be evaluated by the Scientific Committee of the Italian Sensory Science Society in terms of:
- Correctness and adequacy of sensory methodologies to the aims of research;
- Clarity of the sensory methodologies adopted or intended to be adopted;
- Coherence and integration of the sensory part in the thesis (interdisciplinary value).
The contributions of the first and second year will be evaluated separately (with separate rankings)
What does the award consist of?
Two prizes worth over 1500 euros each will be awarded to a PhD candidate of the first and second year, respectively, which will be disbursed in vouchers that can be spent for training/participation in events organized by SISS and in editorial material. In particular, the two winners will be awarded with:
- Free registration to the course for Sensory Project Manager 2026 (450 euro)
- Free registration to the Understanding consumers 2025 course (estimated value 900 euro) or to other courses organized in 2025/26 by the association of equal value
- Free registration to the SISS society for 2026 (100 euro)
- Free registration to the National Symposium in Sensory Science 2025 (estimated cost: 100 euro)
- Volume “Atlante Sensoriale dei Prodotti Alimentari” edited by the Italian Sensory Science Society (SISS). Tecniche Nuove. ISBN 9788848128414.
The award ceremony
The award ceremony will take place in Teramo on the occasion of the 29th Workshop on the Developments in the Italian PhD Research on Food Science Technology and Biotechnology.
Contacts: segreteria@scienzesensoriali.it