Prize Specifications

T. Brooke Benjamin (1929-1995) was a British mathematician who made contributions to the subject of nonlinear waves and coherent structures, particularly solitary waves, instabilities, new model equations, Hamiltonian structures, and the implications of the flow force. He received his PhD in 1955, was elected Fellow of the Royal Society in 1966, held positions at Cambridge, Essex, and Oxford, and held the Sedleian Professorship from 1979-1995.

Principal Guideline

The T. Brooke Benjamin Prize in Nonlinear Waves is awarded every two years to an individual for recent outstanding work on a topic in nonlinear waves, as evidenced by a body of work with at least one significant publication in English in a peer-reviewed journal within the four calendar years preceding the year of the award. The term ‘nonlinear waves’ is broadly interpreted in the spirit of the SIAG/NWCS conferences.

Prize Committee

Formation

The prize committee will consist of five members. The SIAG Chair, in consultation with the other officers, will form a list of people to serve on the prize selection committee, will designate a committee chair, and will submit the list to the SIAM Vice President at Large (SIAM VPAL) 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, gender, 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 of the prize committee will be from the date of appointment until the date of the award.

Rules of Operation

The SIAG/NWCS officers and the SIAM office will solicit nominations for the prize from the general membership of the SIAG/NWCS and from other members of the scientific community, using SIAM office resources as needed.The nomination period will close about eight months prior to the award date.

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.

The prize selection committee will follow SIAM rules for conflict of interest as posted on the SIAM website.

Selection Procedures

Eligibility

A candidate’s research work should contain a significant contribution to the field of nonlinear waves, broadly interpreted. The prize is a mid-career established researcher prize and, as such, is awarded to a researcher who has been in the profession at least 10 years and no more than 20 years preceding the award date. In most cases, years are counted since date of the highest degree, usually a PhD. Candidates who have not worked continuously in the field are also eligible if they are at an equivalent stage in their career. One or more papers may be cited as evidencing the contribution, with at least one significant publication in English in a peer-reviewed journal within the four calendar years preceding the year of the award. Current SIAG/NWCS officers and members of the prize committee are not eligible.

Nominations

A nomination consists of a letter outlining the key contributions justifying the award and highlighting at least one key paper in the eligibility period. Nominations should also include a brief CV of the candidate. Letters of support from two or three (but no more than three) referees are welcome, but are not essential. The committee may solicit additional information on candidates as required.

Recommendation of the Prize Committee

The prize committee will make a recommendation to the SIAM VPAL about six months prior to the award date. This will be done with a written justification and a citation not to exceed 25 words that can be used in a certificate and read at the award ceremony.

The SIAM VPAL will accept or reject the committee’s recommendation within one month of notification.

If the recommendation is accepted, the award presentation will be made according to the procedure below. If the recommendation is not accepted, the SIAM VP and the chair of the prize committee will select an acceptable individual at least five months prior to the award date.

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

Upon approval by the SIAM VPAL, the SIAG/NWCS Chair (or his/her designee) will notify the award winner within two weeks of approval, and no later than 5 months prior to the award date. An invitation will be extended to the recipient to attend the award ceremony to receive the award.

Description of the Award

Type

The award will consist of a cash award and a certificate containing the citation. An endowment associated with the award has been set up and the cash award is based on 50% of the interest accumulated on the prize fund in the two years prior. Funds will be available to reimburse the recipient reasonable travel expenses to attend the conference.

Award Date

The award may be given every second year, starting in 2016, at the SIAG/NWCS conference.

Award Presentation

The Chair of SIAG/NWCS (or Vice Chair if the Chair is not available) will present the award at the conference.

Prize Fund

An endowment has been set up and a list of donors is here. Half of the interest accumulated in the two years prior to each award will be used to provide a cash award to the prize winner. The other half of the interest will be re-invested to grow the endowment.

Further information on TBB

T. Brooke Benjamin (1929-1995) made seminal contributions to the subject of nonlinear waves and coherent structures throughout the latter half of the 20th century. Indeed, the Benjamin-Feir instability, Benjamin-Lighthill theory, Benjamin-Ursell theory, Benjamin-Ono equation, Benjamin-Bona-Mahony equation, proof of stability of the KdV solitary wave, Benjamin-Olver theory, and the Benjamin equation, to name a few key contributions, are central areas of study in the theory of nonlinear waves. He received his PhD in 1955, was elected Fellow of the Royal Society in 1966, held positions at Cambridge, Essex, and Oxford, and was appointed Sedleian Professor of Natural Philosophy at Oxford in 1979, a position which he held until his death in 1995. In addition to the above theories, he had significant impact on theories for solitary waves, gravity currents, waves on thin films, bubble dynamics, vortex breakdown, shallow water waves, Hamilton structures and conservation laws, impulse and flow force, and wavy vortices. A biography can be found in J. C. R. Hunt. TBB Bio, Biogr. Mem. Fellows Roy. Soc. 49 39-67 (2003).

^[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.