The Renato Musto Award in Theoretical Physics, funded by Prof. Eliana Minicozzi Musto in memory of Prof. Renato Musto, that is  under the patronage of the Rector of Naples University "Federico II", the Director of the Department of Physical Sciences of the latter, and the Director of the INFN Naples Division, has received applications from many young scientists working in international academies and research institutions. All of them have exhibited the extraordinary qualities of the candidates making this a difficult decision for the Scientific Committee.

The Selection Committee evaluated the following criteria when making its decision: Productivity with its impact on the scientific environment along with the project's potential for future developments in the field of Theoretical Physics of Fundamental Interactions. Based on these parameters, on September 15th, 2015, the Committee unanimously decided to bestow the Award ex-aequo to Dr. Andrea CAMPOLEONI (Université Libre de Bruxelles) and Dr. Michele CICOLI (Bologna University) who have contributed significant achievements in their two distinct, and greatly relevant fields.

Dr. Andrea CAMPOLEONI has obtained a very fundamental result reported in a paper already famous: he has discovered asymptotic symmetries of higher spin gravitational theories in three dimensions, and these symmetries could provide a key for the quantization of such theories. Understanding these aspects could provide a preliminary tool for understanding the same aspects in the four-dimensional gravity.

Dr. Michele CICOLI has a wide production in many different, relevant sectors of Theoretical Physics and, in particular, String Phenomenology. In this framework, Dr. Cicoli has developed a well-defined and consistent "compactification procedure", i.e. that mechanism that reduces the multidimensionality of String Theory, that is the only candidate to describe the Unification of the Fundamental Interactions, to the four space-time dimensions that we experience in our common perception.

The  Award Cerimony will take place on November 20th, 2015 at 3 pm, in the "Aula Caianiello" of the Department of Physics, in buiding no. 6 of "Complesso Universitario di Monte S. Angelo".  Dr. Campoleoni and Dr. Cicoli will present seminars respectively entitled, "Higher Spin Gauge Theories: a Glimpse into Quantum Gravity?" and "But what does String Theory predict?"

         The ceremony is open to the public.