Prize Specifications

Principal Guideline

The SIAM Activity Group on Data Science (SIAG/DATA) Career Prize, established in 2021, is awarded to an outstanding senior researcher who has made broad and influential contributions to the Mathematical, Statistical or Computational foundations of Data Science. The prize recognizes a research career in the Mathematics of Data Science at the highest level of achievement.

Eligibility

The award may be given to any individual scientist who has held a PhD or equivalent degree for at least fifteen (15) years. The award can be received only once in a lifetime.

Submissions

A nomination consists of a letter of nomination outlining the major achievements of the candidate, a CV of the candidate, and letters of support from two or three (but no more than three) experts.

Prize Committee

Formation

The recipient will be selected by the SIAG/DATA Prize Committee on the Career Prize. This committee will consist of a panel of at least five SIAG/DATA members. The SIAG Chair, in consultation with the other officers, will form a list of at least five SIAG/DATA members to serve on the prize selection committee, will designate the chair, 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, gender, geography, employment sector (industry, national laboratories, universities), and under-represented groups.

Tenure

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

Rules of Operation

The SIAG/DATA officers and SIAM office will solicit nominations for the prize from the general membership of the SIAG/DATA, using SIAM office resources as needed.

The prize committee will follow the best practices set out in the SIAM Guidelines for Selection Committees.  The prize committee will follow the SIAM rules for conflict of interest as posted in the guidelines.

Selection Procedure

Prize Committee's Recommendation

The Prize Committee will notify the SIAM VP of its selection at least six months prior to the award date. 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 SIAM VP 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 Prize Committee will select an acceptable individual at least four 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

The Chair of the Prize Committee will notify the recipient of the award at least four months in advance of the award date. As part of the notification, an invitation will also be extended to the recipient to attend the award ceremony at the SIAM Conference on Mathematics of Data Science to receive the award. The recipient will be offered the opportunity to give a plenary lecture at this conference about the work for which the award is given.

Description of Award

Award Type

The award will consist of a certificate containing the citation. As part of the award, the recipient will be invited to give a plenary lecture at the SIAM Conference on Mathematics of Data Science. SIAM will make travel funds available to reimburse the recipient for reasonable travel expenses incurred in attending the award ceremony and giving the talk.

Award Date

The prize is awarded every two years at the SIAM Conference on Mathematics of Data Science.

The Prize Fund

Since there is no cash award and minimal expenses are associated with the prize, there will be no prize fund.

Award Presentation

The SIAG/DATA Chair and the Chair of the Prize Committee will announce the award at the SIAM Conference on Mathematics of Data Science and present the award to the recipient. An announcement of the award will appear in SIAM News, on the SIAG website, and in the SIAG Newsletter.