Prize Specifications

Principal Guideline

The SIAM Activity Group on Control and Systems Theory (SIAG/CST) Prize is awarded every two years to an early career researcher for outstanding research contributions, as determined by the prize committee, to mathematical control or systems theory. The contributions must be contained in a paper or papers published in English in peer-reviewed journals.

Prize Committee

Formation

The prize committee will consist of a panel of five members of the SIAG/CST. The Vice Chairperson of the SIAG/CST during the last year of the award period will serve as chairperson of the committee. The SIAG Chair, in consultation with the other officers, will form a list of people to serve in the remaining four places and will submit the list to the SIAM Vice President at Large (SIAM VP) for approval prior to inviting the committee members to serve. The SIAG officers will seek to ensure a diverse composition of the prize committee in research area, geography, employment sector (industry, national laboratories, universities), and under-represented groups. The appointments will be made at least twelve months in advance of the prize award date.

Tenure

The term of office will be from the date of appointment until the date of the prize award.

Rules of Operation

The SIAG/CST officers and the SIAM office will solicit nominations for the prize from the general membership of the SIAG/CST and from other members of the scientific community, using SIAM office resources as needed. If a committee member is nominated for the award, the SIAM President will appoint a replacement upon notification by the committee chairperson.

The prize committee will follow the ‘best practices’ set out in the SIAM document for Selection Committees. The prize committee will follow the SIAM rules for conflict of interest as posted on the SIAM web site.

Selection Procedures

Eligibility

The awardee's work must be a significant research contribution to the mathematical theory of systems and control, as commonly defined in the mathematical and engineering literature. At least one of the papers containing this work must be published in English in a peer-reviewed journal, bearing a publication date within the three (3) calendar years prior to the year of the award. Moreover, either the recipient must be a student or the paper’s publication date must be no more than three (3) calendar years later than the year in which the author received the PhD or equivalent degree. The committee may consider exceptions to the three-years-from PhD rule, for career interruptions or delays occurring, e.g., for child bearing, child rearing, or elder care.

Recommendation of the Prize Committee

The prize committee will notify the SIAM VP of its selection at least five months prior to the award date. The prize committee must select a specific research contribution that determines the prize winner and a published paper or papers where this contribution is contained. The notification must be accompanied by a written justification and a citation not exceeding 25 words that can be used for a certificate and read at award time.

The recommendation is subject to approval by the SIAM VP, to be completed at least four months prior to the expected award date. In the event that the recommendation is vetoed by the VP, the Prize Committee may present one other candidate and seek the SIAM VP's approval by the date three months prior to the expected award date. In the event that no candidate is approved three months prior to the expected award date, the award for the given two year period will not be given.

The Selection Committee has the authority to choose to abstain from giving the award if there is no acceptable individual. If the award is not given for this reason, a new selection committee will be selected for the next award cycle.[1] 

Notification of Award

The Chairperson of the Prize Committee will notify the recipient of the award at least three months in advance of the award date. An invitation will also be extended to the recipient to attend the award ceremony to receive the award and to present his or her work.

Description of Award

Type

The award will consist of a certificate containing the citation.

Award Date and Period

The prize is awarded every other year at the biennial SIAM Conference on Control Theory, the only all SIAG/CST meeting. The award period is the three calendar years preceding the meeting. In the event that the SIAM Conference on Control Theory is not held, the award will be presented in another public forum to be determined by the SIAG officers in conjunction with the SIAM President.

Obligations of Recipient

The awardee is expected to attend the award ceremony and to present the award-winning work at the meeting, and will be reimbursed for reasonable expenses incurred in attending the award ceremony.

Award Presentation

The Chairperson of the SIAG/CST will announce the award at the chosen meeting and present the award to the recipient.

An announcement of the award recipient(s) will appear in SIAM News and the SIAG/CST Newsletter.

^[1] An award decision will also be postponed to the next cycle if the number of nominations does not meet the required number to forward to the selection committee. See SIAM Prize Policy for more information.