The Anna Valicek award recognizes original and innovative research in the application of operations research to airline and/or airline related business problems. The award honors the late Anna Valicek who served for many years as a member of the AGIFORS council. Up to two finalists will be selected and will receive air transportation, accommodations, and registration fees to attend the Annual Symposium, to present their work. The winner will be awarded a silver medal and a U.S. $2,500 prize. The other finalist will be awarded a bronze medal and a U.S. $1,000 prize.

The following criteria will be used in judging the candidate papers:

• fundamental contribution and originality of the ideas or methods
• practical importance or applicability in solving important real airline and/or airline related business problems
• methodological content and appropriateness of methods used in analysis
• clarity and excellence of the exposition

To be eligible, the applicant must:

• have written the paper while pursuing a graduate degree, specifically either a master of science, master of business administration, or doctoral degree with a research thesis in the area of operations research, engineering systems, data analysis, advanced analytics, air transportation or management science 
• be the major contributor of the paper
• have been a registered student on or after June 1, 2023
• have not already submitted the same paper at a previous Anna Valicek competition
  

To be considered, the following should be submitted:

• a paper written in English with a maximum of 25,000 words. The document format must be Microsoft Word or Acrobat PDF
• an abstract with a maximum of 300 words
• the resume of the applicant

In addition, the applicant is expected (to be likely able) to attend the coming annual symposium to present her/his work. Interacting with the AGIFORS symposium participants is considered an important part of the Anna Valicek competition, and high priority will be given in selecting finalists who are able to commit to attending the Annual Symposium.

Submissions should be sent to valicekaward@agifors.org.

Submission deadline for the 2024 Anna Valicek Award competition is 6PM EDT on June 1st, 2024.

Richard Cléaz-Savoyen

Vice President, AGIFORS

Chair, Anna Valicek Award Committee

valicekaward@agifors.org