Frederick W. Lanchester Prize - Application Process

Nominations are invited for the 2024 Lanchester Prize. This prize is awarded for the best contribution to operations research and the management sciences published in English in the past five years. The award will be given at the Annual Meeting.

To be eligible, a book, a paper, or a group of books or papers must meet the following requirements:

  • It must be on an operations research/management science subject.
  • It must have been published in one of the preceding five years or, in the case of a group, at least one member of the group must have been published in one of those years.
  • It must be written in the English language, and
  • It must have appeared in the open literature.

Books or papers may be case histories, reports of research representing new results, or primarily synthesis. For any nominated set (group of either articles or books) published over more than one year, it is expected that each element in the set is part of one continuous effort, such as a multi-year project or a continuously written, multi-volume book.

Anyone may make nominations. The Committee will use the following criteria in making judgments:

  • The extent to which the contribution advances the state of the art of operations research and the management sciences.
  • The originality of the ideas or methods.
  • The new areas of application it opens up.
  • The degree to which existing theory or method is unified or simplified.
  • The clarity and excellence of the exposition.
  • The degree to which the contribution provides value for future applications, or enables improved practice.

Nominations are submitted through the INFORMS Awards program; a nomination consists of:

  • A nominating letter specifying the work being nominated and explaining why it is deserving of the Lanchester Prize. Nominating letters must include the titles of paper(s) or book(s), author(s), and the place and date of publication.
  • Supporting letters, if desired. Supporting statements bearing on the worth of the publication in terms of the six criteria above will be very helpful, but are not required.
  • Six (6) copies of the work (or electronic version of work).

Note:  All nomination materials must be submitted by the deadline.

The prize is $5,000 and a commemorative medallion. If there are multiple winners, a medallion is struck for each and the monetary award is shared equally. Each author of an Honorable Mention receives a certificate, but no monetary award.

The deadline is June 15, 2024.

Click here to submit your nomination 

If you choose to send hard copies of the nominated work, six copies must be sent to the INFORMS office address by the submission deadline and will not be returned.

INFORMS Awards
5521 Research Park Drive, Suite 200
Catonsville, MD 21228

2024 Committee Chair:

Sasa Pekec
Duke University

Click here for Committee information.