Proprioception, or the sense of one’s own body’s position and movement, is fundamental for preventing occupational risks. It achieves this by improving stability, coordination, and reaction time to unexpected movements, thereby reducing the likelihood of falls, sprains, and other injuries. An altered proprioceptive system increases the risk of injuries, which is why proprioceptive training is crucial for returning to work after an injury and as a preventive method.

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) are conditions that affect muscles, tendons, joints, ligaments, and nerves, often caused or worsened by repetitive movements, incorrect postures, or excessive physical exertion in the workplace.

Therefore, accurate proprioception allows the body to subconsciously adjust postures and movements, distributing the load appropriately and preventing excessive strain on joints and tissues. When proprioception is deficient, there’s a higher chance of adopting incorrect or compensatory movements that, over time, increase vulnerability to MSDs. For this reason, improving proprioception is fundamental to optimizing body mechanics and reducing the risk factors for these conditions.

To improve proprioception in the context of occupational health and safety, it’s essential to perform exercises that strengthen body awareness and balance. These can include activities like yoga, Pilates, balance exercises, strength training with weights and resistance bands, and coordination activities like jumping rope. Additionally, it’s important to adjust the effort for each workout based on your physical condition and to use a mirror to monitor your movements.

A good sense of proprioception allows workers to:

• Detect incorrect movements
• Adapt to different surfaces
• Perform tasks with precision
• Prevent falls
• Recover from injuries

Students from universities in the Comunidad de Madrid, who are of legal age and have submitted a practical project during the academic years 2022–2023, 2023–2024, 2024–2025, or 2025-2026. The project must be part of a study program delivered at one of the universities in the Comunidad de Madrid. The award is open to both Spanish and foreign nationals.

Applications will be assessed from two perspectives. The prize will be awarded to the proposal with the highest overall evaluation.

(60%) Technical assessment of the digital transformation project, carried out by the research team from UC3M:

• Innovation in the field of digital transformation
• Quality of the software development proposal
• Project management quality
• Quality of the analysis performed

(40%) Assessment of the creative idea in occupational health and safety, conducted by the IRSST team:

• Relevance to the theme of the call
• Originality in the field of occupational risk prevention

A first prize of 1000€ and a second prize of 800€ will be awarded for the best creative ideas based on technology and software. The ideas must support the digital transformation of occupational health and safety by improving workers’ proprioception, thereby impacting musculoskeletal risk factors.

Phase 1:

The deadline for applications is: January 12, 2026.

Phase 2:

The deadline for applications is: March 23, 2026.

Submission of participation applications

The resolution for admitted and excluded applications will be published on: January 15, 2026 for the first phase and March 25, 2026 for the second phase. The winner will be notified on April 22, 2026.

Awards ceremony: June 1, 2026, at the 6th Workshop on Creativity for Digital Transformation in the area of Occupational Risk Prevention.