Awarded for a contribution made possible by the Semantic Web that has delivered an exemplary positive impact on broader society.
Contributions are any technical artifacts, e.g., software, libraries, languages, specifications, datasets, ontologies, applications, platforms, portals, best practices, etc.
The contribution can be credited to a person or a small group of people (five suggested as maximum) who played a key role in its creation and adoption.
Evaluation Criteria
We recognise contributions with:
Established positive impact on broader society
Potential for future positive impact on society
Clear roots in Semantic Web standards / research / systems
Creativity and novelty versus related initiatives
How we evaluate it:
The scale of positive impact via statistics of users / members of society benefitted
The depth of positive impact, and the potential for future impact, via testimonials from broader society
The connection to the Semantic Web via details of what techniques / standards / resources were deployed, and how
The novelty and creativity of the contribution via a description of how it distinguished itself from other initiatives
Prize
The winner for 2026 will be announced at ISWC 2026
The award includes a certificate. A free registration to ISWC 2026 will also be covered, and a talk on the contribution will be invited.
Application Procedure
Self-nomination by those credited with playing a key role in the creation and adoption of the contribution (henceforth, “those credited”).
If you wish to promote a third-party contribution, we highly encourage you to directly contact the key people behind it and encourage them to apply.
A letter (suggested length: 2–3 pages, letterhead recommended) by those credited indicating the history of the contribution; its impact, along with statistics of users or members of society impacted; how the contribution was made possible by the Semantic Web (with specifics); how it distinguished itself from related initiatives; the role of each person credited in its creation and adoption; and what is planned for the contribution in future.
Further acknowledgements can optionally be included.
At least two letters (suggested length: 1–2 pages, letterhead recommended) serving as testimonials of the positive impact of the contribution on broader society, and its potential for future impact; these testimonials should:
not be from the institution or team as those credited;
ideally be authored by those directly impacted by the contribution from broader society, which may include representatives of communities, governments, industry, NGOs, other academic areas (beyond the Semantic Web community), etc.;
clarify, firsthand, the substantial positive impact of the contribution and its potential for further impact.
Deadline August 19th 2026 AoE.
Submit your application via the following Google Form.
