Amsterdam AI is seeking nominations for the Amsterdam AI Thesis Award 2026 for the academic year 2025-2026. Winners of the awards will receive a cash prize and the opportunity to present their thesis work at the Amsterdam AI Impact Festival in November 2026.
How it works:
Important dates
– Submission deadline: October 2, 2026 (Friday), 11:59 p.m.
– Award decision: November 13, 2026 (Friday)
– Award ceremony: Amsterdam AI Impact Festival, November 24, 2026
Call for nominations
We are looking for thesis nominations that present exciting and innovative work in the field of AI and Data Science research. We take a broad view of relevant research, including but not limited to:
– Artificial intelligence and machine learning
– Data sciences
– Data and AI/ML workflow management
– Computer systems and infrastructure support for AI/ML
– Computer systems and infrastructure support for AI/ML
– Life sciences
– Social sciences
– Digital humanities
– Business intelligence and processes
We specifically encourage nominations for thesis work in AI and Data Science in the Netherlands by women and other underrepresented groups. This includes (but is not limited to) members of the LGBTQI+ community, people with different abilities, neurodiversity, a migration background, or an underrepresented cultural, religious, or socioeconomic background. The work will be evaluated by members of the selection committee affiliated with Amsterdam AI Partners.
Submit your nomination now via this site
The objectives of the Amsterdam AI Thesis Award are:
1. Reward and advocate for high-quality thesis work;
2. Promote women and underrepresented minorities and encourage them to continue their education;
3. Encourage diversity in AI and Data Science;
4. Promote Amsterdam and the Amsterdam AI ecosystem as an innovation hub by highlighting outstanding theses.
Classes of the award
We will be presenting a total of five awards for the best theses in two categories: BSc and MSc. Both categories have two awards, with at least one winner in both the BSc and MSc categories being a woman or someone from an underrepresented group. Each award comes with a cash prize and a certificate, presented during the annual Amsterdam AI Society & Impact Event (formerly Amsterdam AI Highlight Event) in November. Winners will have the opportunity to present their thesis work during the Amsterdam in Society event.
Evaluation criteria
All thesis submissions will be assessed on how they advance AI and Data Science through:
– [50%] Innovative scientific and technical contributions
– [25%] High societal and/or economic impact of the findings and results
– [25%] Promotion of responsible and open science through FAIR data principles, and availability of high-quality open-source code, results, traces, frameworks, etc.
See the nomination letter template for instructions on how to provide this information in an accessible manner for the selection committee.
Suitability and selection process
1. The thesis work must be supervised by a faculty member from one of Amsterdam AI’s university partners (AUAS (HvA), UvA, VU).
2. The thesis must be completed within 12 months prior to the submission deadline (i.e., between September 25, 2025, and September 25, 2026).
3. A minimum final grade of 8.0.
Who can nominate and how:
1. The thesis supervisor nominates the thesis directly with an accompanying letter describing its merits.
2. Each supervisor may nominate one BSc and one MSc thesis.
Tip: Consult with the student before submitting their thesis. If they win the award, they will be expected to prepare a short presentation and attend the ceremony during the Amsterdam AI Impact Event in November 2026.
We specifically encourage nominations from women and underrepresented groups. This includes (but is not limited to) members of the LGBTQI+ community, people with different abilities, neurodiversity, migration backgrounds, or underrepresented cultural, religious, or socioeconomic backgrounds.
If the nominee falls into one of these groups, please mention this in a paragraph of the nomination letter. See the nomination letter template for the required details.
The documents required for a valid nomination:
1. Final thesis (PDF), including:
– Name of student and supervisor
– Official date of completion or defense
2. Nomination letter (PDF), according to template, including:
– Thesis grade
– Percentile in the course (if available)
– How the thesis meets the evaluation criteria
– Whether the candidate belongs to an underrepresented group
The template for the nomination letter can be found here.
The thesis and nomination letter can be combined into a single PDF file and submitted
here.
Tip: Provide details in your nomination letter, aimed at a broader reviewer who may not be a direct expert in the field of the dissertation. Therefore, a broadly accessible and approachable language is recommended that can articulate the clear merits of the dissertation.
Guidelines for the submission
1. The thesis supervisor must upload these two documents (letter + thesis) as a single PDF file to the submission portal.
2. The student and supervisor must fill in their details as authors of the submission.
3. In the keywords section, enter the correct technical keywords to assist the reviewers in the bidding process.
The selection committee follows a conference paper-style review process to evaluate the submissions. Each work is assessed by a subset of the committee members. The committee members have diverse expertise. Winners will be announced three weeks before the highlight event. If expertise is lacking, external experts will be called in.
Privacy and Confidentiality Note
All nominations and details are confidential. Personal information (e.g., about underrepresented groups) is only accessible to the selection committee for the award selection. For questions or comments, please contact the chair of the Steering Committee, Lise Stork ([email protected]).
Selection Committee
Steering committee
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