IISE Modeling & Simulation (M&S) Division BEST Student PAPER Competition

Sponsored by Simio, LLC

This award recognizes the achievements of both undergraduate and graduate student researchers in Modeling & Simulation. It is presented each year at the IISE Annual Conference.

Eligibility Requirements

The primary student must:

  • be a member of IISE and the Modeling & Simulation Division.
  • be a full-time student at the time of submission.
  • have carried out a substantial part of the research reported in the paper.
  • have conducted the research while a student.
  • be the first author and must present the paper
  • identify that the paper is a student paper during the submission of the abstract.

Also, the paper must not have won or been considered for an award in another competition for the same work.

Application process

All accepted students' papers in the M&S track for the annual conference are eligible for this award. The top 20% of submissions, up to 10 papers, will automatically be considered. The top papers are determined based on the combined reviewers' scores. Each score is the weighted average of criteria or by any other method that the award committee deems appropriate.

A submitted paper is also eligible if it is nominated by a peer reviewer during the normal paper review process or if the track chair nominates it.

No paper rejected by the normal review process may be considered for this award.

Evaluation process

An award committee is formed each year, typically in early February, and is chaired by the Director of Awards. The Division’s Board of Directors appoints the committee and consists of at least three members, either previous award winners or other Board members. A committee member may not judge their paper or their student’s paper.

Each eligible paper must be reviewed by two members of the award committee. Each reviewer assigns a numerical score between 1 and 5 (1 = min, 5 = max) to each of the following five criteria. The paper’s overall score is the weighted average based on the weights for each criterion.

  • Contribution to modeling and simulation research (25%)
  • Significance of the problem (25%)
  • Content is technically correct and substantive (25%)
  • Conclusions are reasonable and supported (12.5%)
  • Organization and quality of exposition (12.5%)

All eligible papers are ranked by the sum of the two reviewer scores; i.e., the maximum possible score is 10. The committee selects the winner(s) based on the ranking of the final scores and discussions. The Director of Awards will notify the Division President of the winner(s), typically by mid-March.

Recognition

  • First prize winner(s) will receive $750 and a certificate with a hardback cover at the M&S townhall meeting at the 2024 Annual Conference.
  • Second and Third prize winners will receive a digital certificate and be recognized at the M&S townhall meeting at the 2024 Annual Conference
  • First, second, and third prize winners will be recognized on the M&S webpage and in the M&S newsletter
  • First, second, and third prize winners will be recognized in ISE magazine.
  • If the award has a sponsor, then a monetary prize may also be presented. If a monetary award is made, the donor will be recognized.

Deadlines

  • Submission Deadline: February 18, 2024 
  • Winner notification: March 24, 2024 

2024 Winner

Cole Zanni, Bernard Zeigle, James Nutaro, and Sang Won Yoon
Binghamton University
"Tree-Based Recursive Modeling for Optimizing Baseball Lineups Using Expected Runs Metric"

2023 Winner

Yuxin Yang and Mohammad Sa'eed AlAftar
Binghamton University
"Multi-Objective Surgery Scheduling Optimization Based on Simulation Modeling and Heuristic Algorithm"

Past Winners

Modeling & Simulation Division page

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