Young Researchers’ Symposium

About Young Researchers' Symposium (YRS)

We are delighted to announce the PhD Symposium on Technologies for Low-Carbon & Lean Construction (TLC2) to be held (in-person) on Monday, February 01ˢᵗ, 2027. The symposium will provide a premium forum for young researchers to present advances and research results in the construction materials and management sector, interact with peers and experts, and network during the event.

The best speaker will receive the Prof. Surendra P. Shah Award 2027 on Technologies for Low-Carbon and Lean Construction and will be given an opportunity to present his/her PhD work at The 6ᵗʰ International Workshop on Technologies for Low-Carbon and Lean Constructions 2027 to be held at IIT Madras, Chennai, during February 01ˢᵗ–03ʳᵈ, 2027.

Travel grants of up to EUR 2000 (two thousand) could be available to selected speakers, preferably to speakers outside India (partial support towards the actual travel expenses).

Prestigious Prof. Surendra P. Shah Award

The best speaker will receive the Prof. Surendra P. Shah Award 2026 on TLC2 2026

Prof. Surendra P. Shah

Walter P. Murphy Professor of Civil Engineering (Emeritus), Center for Advanced Cement-Based Materials, Northwestern University, USA & Distinguished Professor, IIT Madras, India

About the honoree

Prof. Shah has been actively involved in concrete technology research for several decades. His research addresses a variety of topics in concrete materials science and engineering, including high-strength concrete, shrinkage measurement, nondestructive test methods to monitor properties ranging from setting time to the modulus of elasticity, and rheology of fresh concrete, self-consolidating concrete, and nanotechnology applications. He has made pioneering and groundbreaking contributions to understanding fiber-reinforced concrete, damage, and fracture and developing innovative experimental techniques. He served as a Professor of Civil Engineering, at Northwestern University and founded NSF-funded Center for Advanced Cement Based Materials (ACBM) including the academic partner universities of Illinois, Michigan, Purdue, and NIST. Currently, he is the Director of the Center of Advanced Construction Materials, Civil engineering department at the University of Texas at Arlington.

Supplementary/alternative cementitious materials - hydration, fresh, durability, hardened properties

Service life and life cycle assessment, sustainability and carbon footprint of construction industry

Organizational and policy research for large-scale and accelerated construction technology

Identification, processing, and valorization of waste for use in concrete construction

Implementing lean techniques in construction projects - research on organizational and stakeholder-linked implementation challenges

Submit an abstract of 200 words and a 5-minute video on your part of PhD thesis by October 31ˢᵗ, 2026.
Your submission will be evaluated and intimated if shortlisted.
Best 10 submissions will be shortlisted based on the short videos and abstracts.
The shortlisted candidates will be invited to YRS to give a 15-minute oral presentation followed by 5 minutes of Q&A.
A jury of international experts will evaluate the posters, and the best poster will receive Technologies for Low-Carbon and Lean Construction – Best Poster 2027 at the 6th International Workshop on Technologies for Low Carbon and Lean Construction to be held on February 02nd, 2027 at ICSR, IIT Madras, Chennai, India.
For students traveling from abroad, a travel grant may be given (partial support towards the actual travel expenses).

Senior Ph.D. students (in the final year of their PhD Research work) or recent PhD graduates who have defended their thesis in 2026.
The shortlisted candidates (but not finalists) of YRS 2026 who satisfy the above criteria are also encouraged to apply for YRS 2027.

Submission is closed

Please fill out the Google form for the 5th Young Researchers Symposium (YRS) 2027. The deadline to complete the form is October 31ˢᵗ, 2026.

Submit

YRS Poster Presentation on February 01ˢᵗ,2027

The poster presentation will be part of the 4th Young Researchers’ symposium 2026 on Technologies for Low-Carbon and Lean Construction (TLC2), providing a platform for young researchers to present advances and research results in the construction materials and management sector. The participants could interact with peers and experts and network during the event.

Please fill out the Google form in the submission section once you have registered for the 4th Young Researchers Symposium (YRS) 2026 and are presenting a poster. The deadline to complete the form is February 01ˢᵗ, 2027.

Please bring your printed posters in advance with the following specifications –

1) Size – A1 (594 x 841 mm)

2) Colored printout (with high-resolution images)

The best poster will be awarded the ‘Best Poster Award’ during the YRS 2026
The poster template is attached to this email.

YRS Poster Template

Themes Include (but not restricted to…)

Supplementary/alternative cementitious materials – hydration, fresh, durability, hardened properties
Identification, processing, and valorization of waste for use in concrete construction
Service life and life cycle assessment, sustainability, and carbon footprint of the construction industry
An Integrated Test-Bed for large-scale processes and visualization
Organizational and policy research for large-scale and accelerated construction technology
Implementing lean techniques in construction projects – research on organizational and stakeholder-linked implementation challenges

Eligibility

Participants should be MS/PhD students working on areas related to the above topics.

Please fill out the Google form once you have registered for the 4th Young Researchers Symposium (YRS) 2026 and are presenting a poster. The deadline to complete the form is January 23rd, 2026.

Submit

YRS Poster Presentation on February 01ˢᵗ,2027

The poster presentation will be part of the 5th Young Researchers’ symposium 2027 on Technologies for Low-Carbon and Lean Construction (TLC2), providing a platform for young researchers to present advances and research results in the construction materials and management sector. The participants could interact with peers and experts and network during the event.

A jury of international experts will evaluate the posters, and the best poster will receive Technologies for Low-Carbon and Lean Construction – Best Poster 2027 at the 6th International Workshop on Technologies for Low Carbon and Lean Construction to be held on February 02nd, 2027 at ICSR, IIT Madras, Chennai, India.

Please fill out the Google form in the submission section once you have registered for the 5th Young Researchers Symposium (YRS) 2027 and are presenting a poster. The deadline to complete the form is January 25ᵗʰ, 2027.

Submission will open soon