INFORMS John von Neumann Theory Prize now open for submissions

The John von Neumann Theory Prize is awarded annually to a scholar (or scholars in the case of joint work) who has made fundamental, sustained contributions to theory in operations research and the management sciences. The award is given each year at the INFORMS Annual Meeting.

Nominations are now open and should be submitted by July 1, 2020. 

Named in honor of the brilliant mathematician and synthesizer, John von Neumann, the prize recognizes a body of work, the publication of which has taken place over a period of several years. While more recent work should not be excluded, the Prize typically reflects contributions that have stood the test of time. The criteria for the Prize are broad, and include significance, innovation, depth and scientific excellence.

John von Neumann is perhaps best known as the promoter of the stored program concept, whose logical design of the Institute for Advanced Studies (IAS) became the prototype of most of its successors – the von Neumann Architecture. He was invited to visit Princeton University in 1930, and when IAS was founded there in 1933, he was appointed to be one of the original six Professors of Mathematics, a position he retained for the remainder of his life. Following World War I, von Neumann concentrated on the development of the IAS computer and its copies around the world. His work with the Los Alamos group continued and he continued to develop the synergism between computer capabilities and the needs for computational solutions to nuclear problems related to the hydrogen bomb.

The John von Neumann Theory Prize award includes $5,000, a medallion and a citation.

To learn more about this, and other INFORMS awards, click here.