Call for Nominations
The UK National Edge AI Hub is delighted to open nominations for the 2025 Awards for Excellence and Impact in Edge AI. These prestigious awards honour individuals who have made outstanding, field shaping contributions to Edge Artificial Intelligence — from pioneering tools and techniques to driving breakthroughs across sectors such as healthcare, transport, and manufacturing. Celebrating achievement at every career stage, the awards spotlight innovation, inspire future advances, and showcase the transformative power of Edge AI.
Award Categories
Established Star Award (Senior Researcher)
This award recognises a senior researcher (12+ years post-PhD) who has demonstrated sustained leadership and made ground-breaking contributions to the field of Edge AI. The nominee should have a track record of high-impact research, active mentorship, and leadership in collaborative or cross-disciplinary initiatives. At most one individual will be selected in this category.
Applications for the Established Star Award (Senior Researcher) will be assessed based on five criteria. Candidates should provide clear evidence of these in their CV, nomination letter, and reference letter. Assessment will consider: (1) Research excellence and impact, demonstrated through influential publications, citations, best paper awards, featured papers in leading journals, and recognition in Edge AI; (2) Leadership and innovation, shown by leading major projects, shaping new research directions, and evidence of industrial impact; (3) Mentorship and capacity building, evidenced by successful supervision and development of early-career researchers; (4) Collaboration and interdisciplinarity, reflected in partnerships across disciplines, sectors, or countries; and (5) Service and community contributions, including editorial roles, conference leadership, and professional engagement.
Rising Star Award (Postdoctoral / Early Career Researcher)
This award recognises an early career researcher or postdoctoral researcher (within 5-12 years post-PhD) who has shown exceptional promise and innovation in Edge AI. The nominee should have made original research contributions and demonstrated the potential for significant future impact. Up to three individuals will be selected in this category.
Applications for the Rising Star Award (Postdoctoral / Early Career Researcher) will be assessed based on four key criteria. Applicants should provide evidence of these in their CV, nomination letter, and reference letters. Assessment will consider: (1) Originality and quality of research, demonstrated through innovative contributions to Edge AI and early signs of independent research leadership; (2) Research impact and recognition, shown by high-quality publications, awards, or influence on the field; (3) Collaboration and engagement, reflected in contributions to joint or cross-disciplinary projects and active participation in the research community; and (4) Future potential, evidenced by a clear trajectory toward becoming a leader in Edge AI research.
Future Star Award (PhD)
This award recognises outstanding PhD theses that demonstrate exceptional originality, technical excellence, and innovation in Edge AI. Nominees must have completed their PhD within the past five years and produced research that makes a significant contribution to the field, with clear potential for lasting impact across domains such as healthcare, transport, and manufacturing. Up to three awardees will be selected in this category.
Applications for the Future Star Award (PhD) will be assessed based on four concise criteria. Applicants should provide evidence of these in their CV, thesis abstract or summary, nomination letter, and reference letters. Assessment will consider: (1) Originality and innovation, shown through novel ideas, methods, or findings in Edge AI; (2) Technical excellence and rigour, demonstrated by the quality and depth of the research; (3) Impact and significance, reflected in the contribution of the thesis to advancing Edge AI or its applications in domains such as healthcare, transport, or manufacturing; and (4) Future potential, evidenced by early recognition, publications, or plans indicating promise for a strong research career.
Nominations
A candidate may be nominated by a member of the research or professional community. An individual may nominate at most one candidate per award category. Self-nominations are not eligible. Nominations should be submitted as one PDF document via email to awards@edgeaihub.co.uk.
Each nomination must be submitted as a single PDF file (the PDF should be named lastname-awardcategory-2025) and include the following:
- Name and email of the nominator;
- Name and email of the nominee;
- A nomination statement (maximum 500 words) explaining why the nominee is deserving of the award, with emphasis on relevance to Edge AI and alignment with the award category;
- A current CV of the nominee (maximum four pages);
- Up to two letters of support (i.e. reference letters) from individuals other than the nominator. These should be collected by the nominator and included in the PDF submission. Members of the selection committee may not serve as nominators or referees.
Important Dates
- Nomination Deadline: 30 November 2025
- Notification of Results: January 2026
Award Selection Committee
Prof. Rajiv Ranjan (Chair)
National Director, UK Edge AI Hub
Fellow of IEEE and Academy of Europe
Newcastle University, UK
Prof. Albert Zomaya
Fellow of IEEE, Academy of Europe, and Australian Academy of Science
The University of Sydney, Australia
Prof. Prem Prakash Jayaraman
Director, Factory of the Future and Digital Innovation Lab
Swinburne University of Technology, Australia
Prof. Liana Cipcigan
Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales
Cardiff University, UK
Prof. Massimo Villari
University of Messina, Italy
Mark Goh Voon Wei
Senior Manager, iTrust Cybersecurity Centre
Singapore University of Technology and Design, Singapore
Award and Presentation
Awardees will receive a commemorative plaque and formal recognition on the UK National Edge AI Hub website and communications channels. The awards will be presented during a special session at a UK National Edge AI Hub affiliated event or partner conference.