The Simpson Award Guidelines


1) Introduction

These awards were instituted in memory of Professor Michael George Simpson, President of The OR Society 1978-79 and Head of the Department of OR at Lancaster University, who died in 1983.

They are designed to enable one or two outstanding ‘new to OR’ operational researchers to attend The OR Society’s New to OR Conference and to encourage them to present papers on their work in OR.

2) Eligibility

Persons with no more than ten years' experience in OR (including time spent in postgraduate OR education) who have at least two years’ working experience, based in the United Kingdom, of Operational Research in industry, commerce or government or in a University teaching or research post at the time of application are eligible for consideration. In the case of multiple authorship of a submitted paper, all of the authors must meet these conditions, although only one of the authors will receive the award. Members of the Awards Panel may not apply. No person may be awarded more than one Simpson Scholarship.

The use of ‘new’ as a descriptor in this award implies no restriction in terms of age, but refers solely to the length of experience in the field.

3) Value

The award will cover the conference fee and reasonable travel and subsistence costs incurred in attending the New to OR conference in the year of the award for one of the authors of each selected paper.

4) Entry

Candidates may nominate themselves or may be nominated by a member of the Operational Research Society who is a supervisor, head of OR, head of department or occupies some other responsible role. The submission is to comprise an extended abstract of a paper which the author(s) intend to present at the conference, names and contact details of two independent referees, one a member of the Operational Research Society, the other a client unless inappropriate, who are in a position to testify as to the accuracy of the submission and the fact that the work described was done by the candidate(s). In respect of each candidate a detailed curriculum vitae is required and, in the case of multiple authorship of a submitted paper, the submission must also include a statement detailing the contribution that each author has made to the work described.

Submissions should be sent by email to the society’s Research & Publications Coordinator; email [email protected]. The deadline is the 28th April.

5) Selection

Scholarships may be awarded in respect of up to two submissions which in the judgement of the Awards Panel describe work of the greatest merit. In the case of multiple authorship, the committee may at its discretion award the scholarship to the author who, in the committee’s view, is most deserving of it based on the contribution made to the work and the candidate’s record of achievement in operational research; or if it considers that all authors are equally deserving it may award an open scholarship and allow the authors to decide which of them shall take it up.

6) Independence of Committee Members

During their term of office, members of the Awards Panel may not make nominations, nor may they provide references for nominees.

7) Conditions

Conditions of the scholarship are that:

  • the author(s) will present a paper, based on the submitted abstract, at the conference
  • the author(s) will either submit the paper to one of the society’s refereed journals for publication, or will facilitate the writing up, if necessary with the help of a journalist, of their work with a view to publication in OR Insight or Inside OR.

All claims for reimbursement of conference fees and reasonable travel and subsistence costs incurred in attending the New to OR conference must be fully substantiated by receipts and accompanied by appropriate documentation to show that the above conditions have been fully complied with.

8) Procedures

At the time of the Call for Papers for the New to OR conference, the Research & Publications Coordinator shall arrange for an announcement to be published in Inside OR, inviting nominations by a date chosen so as to enable the Awards Panel to adjudicate on the applications, for candidate(s) to be informed of the Awards Panel’s recommendations and for the successful candidatures to be notified to the conference committee in time for inclusion in the conference invitation programme. The Research & Publications Coordinator shall also arrange for the award of the scholarship(s) to be announced in Inside OR.

9) Current Awards Panel Practice

It is current practice that announcements relating to the Simpson Scholarships shall be published on the society’s website as well as in Inside OR.