Thesis and Dissertation Contest in Databases
CTDBD
The Thesis and Dissertation Contest in Databases (CTDBD), an event associated with the Brazilian Symposium on Databases (SBBD), aims to select and award the best doctoral thesis and the best master’s dissertation in Databases developed at Brazilian teaching and research institutions.
Works defended and approved between May 1, 2025, and March 31, 2026, are eligible, provided that they are related to the SBBD topics of interest.
Submitted works will be evaluated considering:
The scientific and technological quality of the results obtained;
The potential impact on the state of the art;
The degree of innovation in the Database area and in innovative data-centered applications.
With the objective of disseminating high-quality research developed in Brazil and encouraging broad community participation, CTDBD 2026 will be carried out in the following format:
Annual contest;
Simplified submission process;
Online evaluation and presentations;
Award ceremony and in-person presentation of the winning works during SBBD 2026, in São Carlos/SP;
Provision of an official CTD/SBBD seal for use in CVs, personal websites, and LinkedIn.
Important Dates
First Phase – Submission and Ranking
Abstract registration: 04/20/2026
Submission of documents (executive summary, proof of completion, and dissertation/thesis): 05/04/2026
Notification of those selected for the second phase: 06/08/2026
Second Phase – Online Presentations
Online presentation of selected works: 06/22/2026 to 06/26/2026
Announcement of results: 06/22/2026 to 06/26/2026 (on the same day as the online presentation)
Submission of the final version for the Proceedings: 07/10/2026
Third Phase – Presentation and Award Ceremony
In-person presentation and awarding of the best dissertation and best thesis during SBBD 2026.
Selection Process
The selection process will take place in two phases:
First Phase – Document Evaluation
Each work will be evaluated by at least three reviewers, based on the submitted material (see the required documents in the “Submission Instructions” section). The following will be selected for the second phase:
Up to 3 doctoral theses;
Up to 3 master’s dissertations.
In the event of a tie, additional works may be selected.
Second Phase – Online Oral Presentation
Authors of the selected works must deliver a public online presentation to an Evaluation Committee:
15 minutes of presentation, which must be given by the author of the work;
15 minutes of questioning by the members of the evaluation committee.
Session dates will be announced 15 days in advance.
It is important to note that the presentations are open to the entire community and are ideal for students, researchers, and professionals interested in learning about the most advanced research in Databases in Brazil. All presentations will be available on the SBC YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/sociedadebrasileiradecomputacao), expanding the reach and visibility of the theses and dissertations. By submitting their works to CTDBD, authors declare that they are aware of and authorize the use of their images.
The final selection will consider:
Scientific merit (evaluated in the first phase);
Quality of the oral presentation;
Clarity and consistency of the answers to questions.
Awards and Publication
- The winning works will be presented in person at SBBD 2026.
- An extended abstract of the works of the winners, second-place, and third-place recipients will be published in the SBBD 2026 Proceedings.
- The presence of the awarded authors during the event is mandatory.
- Presentations should preferably be carried out using the authors’ own equipment. If necessary, additional equipment may be requested in advance from the CTDBD coordination.
Submission Instructions
Submissions must be made exclusively by the author (master’s or doctoral graduate), through the JEMS system, assuming the advisor’s endorsement:
https://jems.sbc.org.br/home.cgi?c=4708
Each submission must include, in PDF format:
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Executive summary, according to the specified format;
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Proof of defense and approval within the established period;
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Full text of the thesis or dissertation.
The evaluation will be based primarily on the executive summary. The full text will serve as supporting material for the reviewers.
Executive Summary Format
The executive summary must contain:
A cover page;
Up to two pages describing the work;
One page of scientific and technical production and awards;
Additional pages for bibliographic references.
Minimum margins: 2 cm (horizontal and vertical).
Page 1 – Cover Page
Category (Master’s or Doctorate)
Author’s Name
Title of the thesis or dissertation
Graduate Program / University
Advisor’s name (include co-advisor, if applicable)
Date of defense and approval
Examination committee (with affiliation)
Grade/score and honors (if applicable)
Indicate whether your institution assigns a grade and/or concept, specifying the obtained grade/concept (with the appropriate scale);
Indicate whether your institution awards honors, distinction, or equivalent, and whether this distinction was received.
Highlights (up to 5)
We follow the definition of highlights as established by Elsevier.
Each highlight has up to 85 characters and captures an innovative and/or outstanding aspect of your work.
Pages 2 and 3 – Work Description
Context and problem: Describe the context that motivates your work, clarifying its importance within this scenario, the relevance of the research, as well as the applicability and impact of your solution. Describe the problem addressed, its complexity, challenges, and the gaps/opportunities for innovation tackled by your work.
Objective: Describe the objectives of your work. Highlight how the challenges/gaps are addressed through differentiated and/or innovative characteristics of your research/approach.
Contribution: Summarize the main contributions of your work. It is strongly recommended to include, in addition to scientific innovations, public datasets (with a link to the repository) or public code/software (with a link to the repository).
Advancement of the state of the art: Summarize how your work stands out in relation to related work and how it advances the main publications in the area. Reference the works listed in the bibliographic references using numerical citations.
Summary of your solution: Briefly describe your solution, highlighting the main differentiated/innovative characteristics, challenges faced, and problems solved. Use text or figures, as appropriate.
Evaluation: Describe how the work was evaluated/validated, including the main evaluation objectives and experiments conducted, as well as the main conclusions obtained from the evaluation.
Page 4 – Scientific and Technical Production
Scientific production: List oral or written communications resulting from your work, including authors, titles, and information identifying the respective venue. This may include journal articles, conference papers, posters, etc. List in order of importance (from most important to least important). Articles already accepted but not yet published may (and should) be included.
Submitted articles: Describe articles resulting from your work that have been submitted to a venue but have not yet received a final acceptance decision. Include authors, title, venue, year, and, if applicable, intermediate stages indicating positive progress in the evaluation.
Technical production, registrations, and patents: Briefly describe the technical production resulting from your work, including a list of software or patents.
Awards: Describe awards, distinctions, and honors obtained as a result of your work. List the award, the granting organization or event, and the year obtained. If the final selection has not yet occurred, proof of selection for intermediate stages may be included.
Page 5 onwards
Bibliographic references
Coordination and Program Committee
CTDBD Coordination – SBBD 2026
Daniel de Oliveira (UFF)
Program Committee
To be announced
Additional Information
For more information, contact the CTDBD 2026 coordination by email:
danielcmo@ic.uff.br
