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Terms and Conditions
ITF 2026 Young Researcher Award

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The International Transport Forum (ITF) is an intergovernmental organisation administratively integrated with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The 2026 Young Researcher Award (“Award”) is an activity executed pursuant to the mission of the ITF (“Organiser”) aiming to highlight the importance of transport research for sound transport policy formulation and implementation and to foster closer links between transport policy and research.

By submitting an entry, the participant (hereinafter the “Participant”) agrees to be bound by these Terms and Conditions: 

 Participation

i. The Participant warrants that they are the sole or main author of the submitted research paper and have made a significant intellectual contribution to the paper. The Participant understands that eligible submissions are papers published in 2025 or 2026, or unpublished papers that have already been submitted to a journal. The closing date for submitting entries is 1 March 2026.  
ii. The Participant warrants that they have all authorisations required by the publisher of the work and any other person whose authorisations are legally or contractually required to participate in the Award. 
iii. The Participant understands that the Organiser is not obliged to enter into any correspondence regarding the selection of the winner. 
iv.  The Participant understands that the Organiser will use the entry to evaluate the submission and publicise the results of the Award. Participation does not imply the assignment, transfer or have any other effect on the rights that correspond to the authors or third parties for each of the entries. 
v.  The Participant understands that the Organiser reserves the right to disqualify a participant when the information provided is inaccurate or incomplete. 
vi.  The Participant understands that the jury's decision is definitive and final. It is not subject to appeal or other recourse. Legal proceedings may not be brought against the OECD/ITF due to a decision of the jury. 

 Eligibility

vii. The Participant must be under 35 years of age at the time of closing of applications. 
viii.  The Participant must have undertaken the research presented in the submitted paper in an institution, university or consultancy firm located in a member country of the ITF.
ix.  Previous winners of the Award are not eligible.

 Prize 

x.  The prize will be delivered in the form of: (a) Cash prize of EUR 5 000  (b) Complimentary registration to the ITF 2026 Summit in Leipzig, Germany from 6 to 8 May 2026 (the “Summit”). (c) Return ticket to the Summit location OR a lump sum contribution towards travel costs. The choice between these options will be made solely at the discretion of the Organiser. (d) Accommodation during the Summit OR a lump sum contribution towards accommodation costs. The choice between these options will be made solely at the discretion of the Organiser. (e) Free meals during the Summit.  (f) Free public transport in Leipzig during the Summit. (g) Prizegiving ceremony at the Summit. 
xii.  The Organiser will not cover other costs not explicitly mentioned, nor will the Organiser be responsible for providing other goods or services. Therefore, the Participant expressly renounces claiming other payments from the Organiser. 
xiii.  The Participant understands that the prize will only be delivered to the winner; therefore, the winner may not assign, sell, dispose of, or transfer the prize in any way. 

 Data Protection 

xiv.  The OECD/ITF is committed to protecting the personal data it processes in accordance with the OECD Personal Data Protection Rules. 
xv.  The OECD/ITF uses the application form submitted by a Participant to collect personal data, including surname, first name, country and city of residence, contact information (emails, job title, affiliation) work samples, travel itinerary, bios, photos and social media handles. 
xvi.  The data will be used to assess the applicant's eligibility for the Award; to organise their participation in the Summit, if selected; to confer the Award to the winner; and for outreach, promotion, awareness-raising and strategic communications of the Annual Summit, including publication on the OECD/ITF’s social media accounts. 
xvii.  The personal data we collect will be stored by the OECD/ITF in its secure data centre. Only authorised OECD/ITF staff have access to your data. Specific data (names of shortlisted Award applicants) will be transferred to the external jury members for the evaluation process. Photographs may be posted on the OECD/ITF's official accounts on Flickr, YouTube and LinkedIn. No personal data will be sold or shared with third parties for marketing or unrelated purposes. Personal data of applicants (names and contact information, work samples, bios, social media handles) will be deleted by the OECD/ITF within one month following the Award ceremony. Names, videos and photographs of participants may remain online on the event website and social media for as long as the channels exist. 
xviii.  Under the OECD Personal Data Protection Rules, you have rights to access and rectify your personal data, as well as to object to its processing, and request erasure in certain circumstances. To exercise these rights in connection with the Award, please contact the International Transport Forum at [email protected]. 
xix. If you have further queries or complaints related to the processing of your personal data, please contact the OECD's Data Protection Officer at [email protected]. If you need further assistance in resolving claims related to personal data protection you can contact the OECD's Data Protection Commissioner by writing to [email protected]. 

 Liability 

xx. The Participant understands that the OECD/ITF reserves the right to cancel or postpone the Award or modify the dates and that the Participant cannot hold the OECD/ITF responsible in any way. 
xxi. The Participant understands that the Award in no manner constitutes an endorsement or support of the Participant’s views by the OECD/ITF, and the Participant shall not advertise or otherwise claim to have obtained any such endorsement or support. 
 xxii. The Participant understands that the Award is not intended to, nor will it create any contractual relationship between the OECD/ITF and the Participant or any other person. 
 xxiii. The OECD/ITF has no liability for any losses, damages or injuries incurred by a Participant in connection with the Award. 
xxiv. The Participant will indemnify and hold harmless the OECD/ITF in respect of any and all costs, claims, losses, damages and expenses which may be incurred or suffered as a result of claims related to the Participant’s misconduct, plagiarism of the entries, infringement of intellectual property or otherwise in relation to participation in this Award, including but not limited to any breach of the Terms and Conditions herein. 
xxv.  Given the OECD/ITF’s status as an international organisation, the parties’ rights and obligations will be governed exclusively by these Terms and Conditions. Nothing in these Terms and Conditions shall be construed as a waiver of the OECD/ITF’s privileges and immunities as an international organisation. 
xxvi.  Any dispute between the Participant and the OECD/ITF arising out of or relating to the Award shall be settled amicably. 

 Precedence 

xxvii.  The Participant acknowledges that in case of contradiction or differences between the English version and any translation of the documents related to the Award, including these Terms and Conditions, the English version will prevail. In case of contradiction between this document and other documents of the Summit, the terms and conditions of the Summit will prevail. 
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