• Students who have already presented their bachelor’s or master’s dissertation over the 2025/2026 academic year and have achieved a minimum grade of B are eligible to apply.
• The application process will be open through the following form: https://forms.office.com/e/iALeLVC8ms

A Coruña, March 30^th, 2026

The Universidade da Coruña has launched the call for entries for the 2025–2026 Paula Montoto Castelao Awards, organised by the Denodo–UDC Chair in Data Engineering, Artificial Intelligence and Technological Innovation. These awards aim to recognise the best bachelor’s and master’s theses in fields such as Computer Engineering, Data Science, Artificial Intelligence and related disciplines.

The Denodo–UDC Chair, managed through the CITIC Foundation of Galicia, will honour projects that stand out for their academic excellence, technological innovation and applicability in the business environment, contributing to scientific, technological and professional advancement. Students who have defended their final-year undergraduate or master’s thesis during the 2025/2026 academic year and have achieved a minimum grade of ‘good’ are eligible to apply. These theses will be assessed based on criteria such as originality, technical and methodological quality, their potential for transference of knowledge to the business sector, and their contribution to digital transformation or sustainable development.

The competition offers three prizes, with a cash prize of 5.000 euros for first place, 3.000 euros for second place and 2.000 euros for third place. The evaluation panel will consist of academic representatives from the UDC and professionals from Denodo.

Applications must be submitted in digital format, including the thesis, an executive summary and proof of its defence and grading. The deadline for submissions is October 1^st, 2026.

The Paula Montoto Castelao Awards were established as a tribute to the late UDC lecturer and key figure at Denodo, recognising not only her contribution to technological development but also her role as a mentor to numerous generations of professionals in the sector.

About the Denodo-UDC Chair

The Denodo–UDC Chair in Data Engineering, Artificial Intelligence and Technological Innovation stems from a collaboration between the University of A Coruña and Denodo, with the aim of promoting academic excellence and strengthening the link between university education and the real-world needs of the professional sector.

The Chair is managed through the CITIC Foundation of Galicia. It is headed by José Losada, a lecturer in Computer Science at the UDC’s Faculty of Computer Science, where he teaches on the Computer Engineering and Data Science and Engineering degree programmes; as well as a researcher at the CITIC.

About the CITIC

The CITIC is an investigation centre that boosts progress and excellency at R&D&I applied to ICT, created in 2008 by the Universidade da Coruña (UDC). The scientific activity is structured around four main areas of research: Artificial Intelligence, Data Science and Engineering; High-Performance Computing; and Smart Services and Networks, as well as a research area transversal to all others: Cybersecurity.

The CITIC is credited as a Centre of Excellence and a member of the CIGUS Network for the 2024-2027 period, which guarantees the quality and impact of its research. The endorsement, structure and improvement of the CITIC is cofinanced by the Xunta de Galicia and 60% by the European Union within the framework of the Operative Program FEDER Galicia 2021-2027, with the goal of promoting “a more intelligent Europe: An innovative and intelligent economic transformation” (ED431G 2023/01).