Since 2008 the Prize, attributed with a frequency of two years, rewards professionals and academics at any stage of their careers who have demonstrated uncommon skills in education or exceptional creativity and innovation capacity in the fields of earthquake engineering and engineering seismology, and have achieved extraordinary research and professional achievements.
The first recipient of the Prize was Professor M.J. Nigel Priestley. The subsequent awardees were Professors V. V. Bertero (2010), L. Esteva (2012) and G.M. Calvi (2014). After the passing away of Professor M.J. Nigel Priestley, the Eucentre Foundation decided to rename the Prize into the Nigel Priestley International Prize. Since then, the awardees were Professors S.L. Kramer (2016) and A.K. Chopra (2018).
The Prize consists of an art piece created by a renowned sculptor who tries to translate his own feelings and interpretation of earthquakes and their impact on human beings, environment and culture.
The first edition of the ROSE Prize was a sculpture by Graziano Leonardelli
The second edition of the ROSE Prize was a sculpture by Sergio Alberti
The third edition of the ROSE Prize is a sculpture by Bruno Zenobio
The fourth edition of the ROSE Prize is an artistic creation by Architect Teresio Fasani
The first edition of the Nigel Priestley International Prize is a painting by Louise Daoust
The second edition of the Nigel Priestley International Prize is a bronze work by Lorenzo Perrone