LUCE Awards | Emerging Talent

Building on the strong foundation laid in previous years, the 4th edition of the LUCE Awards represents a renewed step forward in accelerating the Green Transition. As global attention intensifies around energy, climate, and sustainability challenges, this edition reaffirms once again the critical role women play in shaping a more sustainable and inclusive future.

With our ongoing commitment to advancing gender equality in the energy, climate, and sustainability sectors — and with the valuable support of Edison— the 4th edition of the LUCE Awards celebrates the outstanding contributions of women driving innovation and progress in these fields. As we forge ahead on the path toward a greener tomorrow, this edition aspires to further amplify the voices and achievements of women who are pioneering solutions for a sustainable planet.

Emerging Talent category

The Emerging Talent category honours early-career female academics, entrepreneurs, founders (including those leading non-registered projects), advocates and young civil society leaders who are contributing meaningfully to the Green Transition across the globe. The winner will be selected through an open call for applications.

Eligible candidates

Candidates must meet the following requirements:

• Project Experience: Maximum of 5 years of involvement in the project being submitted.
• Commitment: Clear and demonstrated dedication to advancing the Green Transition.
• Age: No age restrictions.
• Geography: Open to applicants worldwide.

Suitable candidates have launched, led, or significantly contributed to:

• Projects, initiatives, or innovative solutions (including startups).
• Research or dissemination activities (e.g., academic publications, books, podcasts, campaigns, training initiatives).
• Volunteering or community-driven programmes with a social or climate-relevant mission.

A strong candidate may come from diverse professional pathways, such as:

• Research: PIs, PhD researchers, post-docs, fellows, or lead authors.
• Entrepreneurship or project leadership: Founders, co-founders, or project managers.
• Community engagement: Activists or volunteers driving impactful programmes.

Ineligible candidates

• Current members of the LUCE Awards Selection Committee.
• Candidates who have previously won the LUCE Emerging Talent Award.
• Projects completed more than one year ago or no longer active.
• Applications submitted without a complete Energybase profile (at least 90%).

Eligible projects

The Emerging Talent category is meant to give recognition to the candidates whose projects/initiatives/organisations match the following criteria:

• Must be ongoing or recent (concluded in the last year).
• Must be carried out by female energy, climate and sustainability professionals.
• The types of initiatives may vary to include projects, volunteering initiatives, academic or scientific publications, innovative or tech solutions, scientific dissemination activities and more.
• The candidates should be shouldering a considerable portion of the workload for the project/ research/ company they work on and have a leadership position on it.
• Must be carried out in the context of the energy, climate and sustainability sectors and have the potential to push forward the Green Transition worldwide.

Application process

Applicants are required to:

• Have their Energybase profile be at least 90% complete;
• Submit an application by 11 March 2026, including a description of the applicant’s project, initiative, or organisation activities.

Selection process

• After the call closes, applications will be evaluated against the eligibility and merit criteria.
• A Selection Committee will review all eligible submissions and identify the awardee.

What we offer to the Awardee:

• The winner will be invited to the LUCE Awards ceremony in Florence on 9 June 2026;
• One free seat in one community course, offered by the Florence School of Regulation.

Only registered members of the Energybase can apply. Creating a profile is free of charge and takes approximately 15 minutes.

For any questions, please contact us via this form.