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MSOM Student Paper Competition

INSTITUTE FOR OPERATIONS RESEARCH AND

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Funding Amount

$500 (first prize), $300 (second prize), $100 (other finalists)

Deadline

July 22, 2026

92 days left

Grant Type

foundation

Overview

MSOM Student Paper Competition

Sponsor: INFORMS Manufacturing and Service Operations Management Society (MSOM)

Purpose: Awarded annually for papers judged to be the best in the field of Operations Management.

Award Structure:

  • First Prize: $500 honorarium

  • Second Prize: $300 honorarium

  • All other finalists: $100

  • Typically six finalists total (including first and second place winners)

    • Eligibility Requirements:
    1. Entrant must have been a student on or after January 1 of the year prior to submission, and research must have been conducted while entrant was a student
    2. Paper must present original research conducted primarily by the student entrant
    - Some assistance by others (e.g., faculty advisor) permitted
    - Primary research advisor must certify that student's contribution exceeds 50%
    3. Entrant must be a member of the MSOM Society on date of submission
    4. Paper must not have won a prize (1st-2nd) in a previous MSOM student paper competition
    5. Student may submit no more than one paper to the competition

    Publishing Opportunities:

  • All finalists invited to submit abstracts for publication in Manufacturing & Service Operations Management journal

  • All finalists invited to submit full-length papers to M&SOM journal

  • Acceptance decisions made after one round of review (within 6 weeks)

  • Publication of abstracts does not conflict with submission to other INFORMS or journals

    • Conference:

  • All finalists and winners awarded at MSOM business meeting at INFORMS Annual Meeting

  • All finalists invited to present paper in special MSOM-sponsored sessions at Annual Meeting

    • Contact Information:

  • Email: [email protected]

    • How to Apply

    Application Process

    Submission Requirements:

    Complete entry consists of three documents:

    1. Contact Information Document (Word or PDF)
    - Entrant's contact information
    - Contact information of primary research advisor and all co-authors
    - Paper title
    - Appropriate keywords

    2. Paper (Anonymous PDF)
    - Maximum 32 pages excluding appendix (including tables, figures, references)
    - Strictly compliant with M&SOM journal submission formatting standards
    - Must include all material necessary for judges to assess technical correctness
    - Appendix may be up to 8 pages maximum
    - File name should be short title of paper

    3. Certification Letter (PDF)
    - Electronic PDF file signed by both faculty advisor and entrant
    - Attesting that entrant and paper satisfy all eligibility conditions

    Submission Method:

  • Send all three documents as email attachments to [email protected]

  • Complete entries must be received by July 22 deadline

  • Entrant responsible for allowing appropriate time to enroll as new MSOM Society member (approximately 5 business days)

    • Formatting Standards:

  • See http://msom.pubs.informs.org/ for detailed M&SOM submission formatting standards

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