FRANCESCA CASSINELLI AWARD 2025

Excellence in Multiple Myeloma Research

OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

Francesca Cassinelli passed away in 2022 after a dauntless ten-year battle against Multiple Myeloma (MM). This devastating disease severely marked her life, even more considering that her mother Rita had surrendered to the same illness decades earlier. In several occasions Francesca envisioned dedicating a fraction of her assets to the advancement of scientific research on MM, so to gain a better understanding of MM’s biology, speed up the diagnosis, make treatment more effective and ease the support to affected patients and their families.

Mindful of Francesca’s wishes, her heirs have proposed to Fondazione di Piacenza e Vigevano to join forces and co-fund a prestigious, international award to fulfill her vision. The award aims at giving recognition to outstanding researchers whose work has significantly contributed to overcome the challenges of MM and improve the lives of those affected by the disease. In addition to enriching the award, the co-funding of Fondazione di Piacenza e Vigevano aims at making Piacenza a prime mover of the battle against MM.

1) Award goals

The Francesca Cassinelli Award promotes scientific research and innovation in the field of Multiple Myeloma by awarding monetary prizes to two researchers (one senior researcher and one junior researcher) who have demonstrated outstanding achievements in their scientific work related to:

• The understanding of Multiple Myeloma’s pathogenesis and disease mechanisms.
• The development of innovative diagnostic approaches.
• The creation of effective therapeutic strategies, including experimental treatments.
• Initiatives to support patients affected by MM and their families.
  
  

2) Evaluation Criteria

The award recognizes researchers or teams that have achieved internationally significant results in the field of MM research. More specifically, the following aspects will be considered:

• Scientific relevance, innovation, and originality of the candidate's work.
• Impact of candidate’s publications, with particular emphasis on the breakthroughs achieved in the past 10 years.
• Candidate’s clinical or laboratory activity dedicated to MM patients.
• Promotion of initiatives to support patients affected by MM and their families.

The research results must have been published within the past ten (10) years, i.e. since 01 January 2015.

 3) The Prize

The Prize consists of two awards:

1. € 20,000 for the best senior researcher.
2. € 5,000 for the best junior researcher (under 40 years of age).

The Prize will be awarded to the winners proclaimed by the Selection Committee by 15 December 2025. An Official Prize-Giving Ceremony will take place in Piacenza (Italy), tentatively on 14 January 2026. At the ceremony, the winners are expected to deliver a lecture illustrating the main outcomes of their research and their relevance for improving the understanding and the treatment of MM.

4) Application Procedures and Deadlines

Candidatures to the Francesca Cassinelli Award must include the scientific publications that contain the research evidence and results (as specified in the Application Form). Senior researchers must submit a maximum of five (5) publications, in which they must be either (co-)first or (co-)last or corresponding authors. Senior researchers who demonstrate particularly active and productive research in recent years — with at least three of the submitted publications published within the last five years — will be evaluated more favorably. Junior researchers must submit a maximum of three (3) publications. Junior researchers will be evaluated more favorably if they appear as first, last, or corresponding authors on the submitted publications.

Applications must include the following (all in pdf format):

1. Application form and CV, organized and formatted as specified on the Fondazione di Piacenza e Vigevano website www.fondazionepiacenzavigevano.it/cassinelliaward
2. A copy of the most relevant publications pertaining the goals of the award (maximum of 5 publications for Senior researchers; 3 publications for Junior researchers).
3. Three to five reference letters written in English, signed by authoritative members of the academic or scientific community, explicitly referring to the 2025 Francesca Cassinelli Award.

Applications must be submitted via email to:
[email protected]
no later than Monday, 13 October 2025, 15:00 hour CET time.

Following submission, each candidate will receive a Summary of the Candidature Proposal, which must be checked, signed, and returned to confirm participation. The formal confirmation of acceptance will be sent by the Secretariat upon receipt of the signed summary.

 5) Selection of Candidatures

Candidatures will be evaluated by a Committee comprising five members:

• A representative of Fondazione di Piacenza e Vigevano
• A representative of Francesca Cassinelli’s family
• Three leading researchers in the field of clinical and translational oncology/hematology, jointly selected by the representative of Fondazione di Piacenza e Vigevano and the representative Francesca Cassinelli’s family.

The Committee will evaluate the applications and select the winners. The outcome of the evaluation will be communicated via email by 15 December 2025 and published on the Fondazione’s official website.

6) Award rules

Participation in the Francesca Cassinelli Award implies acceptance of its rules and regulations. For further information, please visit the official website of the Fondazione di Piacenza e Vigevano www.fondazionepiacenzavigevano.it/cassinelliaward

7) Contact Details

For more information, please contact:

Francesca Cassinelli Award 2025
Scientific Secretariat
Fondazione di Piacenza e Vigevano
E-mail [email protected]
Phone +39 0523 311111
Web www.fondazionepiacenzavigevano.it/cassinelliaward

Piacenza, Italy, 27 June 2025