De Paepe-Willems Award

De Paepe-Willems Award

This yearly prize is being given in honour of Professor Gustave Willems, President of PIANC from 1956 until his death in 1982. As the PIANC President for seventeen years, Robert De Paepe fostered the international spirit and the professional development of PIANC. In 2002, it was decided to merge the ‘Foundation Robert De Paepe’ with the Gustave Willems Award. Since 2003, the former Gustave Willems Award is known as the ‘PIANC De Paepe-Willems Award’. 

Contestants for the prize should not have reached the age of forty and they are required to submit a paper on subjects in the fields of design, construction, improvement, maintenance of operation of inland and maritime waterways (rivers, estuaries, canals, port approaches), of inland and maritime ports and of coastal areas. 

The three winning authors receive an amount of € 4,000.00, € 2,000.00 and € 1,000.00 respectively.

Testimonials former DPWA-Winners

Winners 2023

2023 - Third Place

Julia Sorgatz 

‘Damage Progression Model for Damage Accumulation in Riprap Revetments at Artificial Inland Waterways’

DPWA Winners since 1985

List of Winners since 1985

Application Form

Before 31 August, the application form and a three-page abstract have to be submitted to the General Secretariat of PIANC. The full paper needs to be sent in before 30 September. No exception to these deadlines will be allowed.

Application Form

official