UCA Scientific Excellence Awards 2025: Honoring Innovation and Research Leadership

As part of its ongoing commitment to fostering excellence, Cadi Ayyad University (UCA) annually presents the Scientific Excellence Awards to recognize the most outstanding achievements of its doctoral students and faculty researchers.

These awards serve as a strategic tool to:
•    Showcase research of exceptional quality, originality, and impact.
•    Stimulate high-level scientific production through prestigious recognition.
•    Promote the valorization of research outcomes and safeguard intellectual property.
•    Foster a culture of excellence and initiative across all academic disciplines.
•    Enhance UCA’s national and international visibility through its scientific contributions.
•    Cultivate an academic environment that encourages performance, innovation, and collaboration.
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Award Categories
One award will be conferred in each of the following categories across various academic disciplines:

•    Best Doctoral Thesis
•    Best Scientific Publication
•    Best Academic Book
•    Best Patent / Protected Innovation
•    Researcher of the Year
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Eligibility Criteria

•   Doctoral Theses: Defended in 2025 by a UCA-registered doctoral student under the primary supervision of a faculty member affiliated with a UCA research unit.
•    Publications: Published in 2025, indexed in Q1 journals, with UCA as the primary affiliation of the first author.
•    Books: Published in 2025, with UCA as the primary affiliation of the first author.
•    Researcher of the Year: All achievements considered must be published in 2025, with UCA as the affiliated institution.
•    Patents / Innovations: Filed through UCA in 2025.
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Disciplinary Fields

Awards will be granted across the following five fields:
•    Sciences and Engineering
•    Medical Sciences
•    Humanities, Social Sciences, and Education
•    Economics and Management
•    Legal and Political Sciences
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Selection Criteria

Best Doctoral Thesis
•    Originality and scientific contribution
•    Quality of writing and methodological rigor
•    Potential or demonstrated impact
•    Scientific and technological valorization (publications, patents, innovations)

Best Scientific Publication
•    Journal impact (Q1 ranking, impact factor)
•    Citations and measurable influence
•    Contribution to the advancement of knowledge

Best Scholarly Book
•    Originality and scientific relevance
•    Academic quality (rigor, structure, theoretical framework)
•    Published by a nationally or internationally recognized publisher
•    Academic impact, dissemination, and recognition

Researcher of the Year
•    2025 output (indexed articles, supervised doctoral theses, books, innovations)
•    International impact and recognition
•    Participation in major projects and collaborative research initiatives

Best Patent / Protected Innovation
•    Innovativeness and practical applicability
•    Obtained legal protection
•    Potential for economic and societal valorization
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Application and Selection Process

•    Call for Applications: Open to all doctoral students and faculty researchers at UCA.
•    Submission of Applications: Exclusively via the dedicated electronic platforms provided below.
•    Evaluation: Conducted by a selection committee appointed by the President of the University.
•    Results Announcement and Award Ceremony: An official ceremony will be organized to honor the laureates.

Key Dates