The INFORMS Minority Issues Forum (MIF) invites submissions for the 2026 MIF Summer Webinar Competition.
This competition provides an opportunity for student MIF members enrolled in PhD programs to present original research in a virtual forum organized by MIF outside the INFORMS Annual Meeting. The competition is intended to highlight high-quality research in operations research, analytics, management science, and related areas, including work with social-impact or equity-related relevance where appropriate. Selected participants will have the opportunity to present their research to the MIF community and the broader INFORMS audience and to receive feedback from the judging panel.
Eligibility
Applicants must be student members of the INFORMS Minority Issues Forum (MIF) and be enrolled in a PhD program. The submitted work must be based on the student's original research. Advisors and collaborators may be co-authors, but the student must be the primary presenter and principal contributor to the work.
Abstract Requirements
Applicants must submit a structured abstract in English using the following headings:
- Purpose
- Methods
- Results
- Conclusions
Abstracts must:
- not exceed 400 words;
- describe original research for which the student is the primary contributor; and
- be submitted through the official submission form. Submissions sent by email will not be considered.
Competition Format
Selected applicants will be invited to participate in a live virtual webinar hosted through INFORMS. Each presenter will be allotted 5 minutes for the presentation and approximately 2 minutes for Q&A.
Presentation time limits will be enforced strictly. Depending on the number of selected presenters and scheduling constraints, the competition may be held as a single session or across multiple sessions. The webinar may be recorded for judging, participant feedback, and related MIF or INFORMS purposes, subject to consent and applicable policies.
Review Criteria
Abstracts will be evaluated based on:
- relevance to operations research, analytics, management science, or related fields;
- clarity and significance of the research question;
- appropriateness and rigor of the methodology;
- quality and significance of the results; and
- overall contribution and potential impact.
Important Dates
- May 11, 2026 (11:59 p.m. Eastern) - Abstract submission deadline
- Later in May 2026 - Notification of decisions
- June 2026 - Webinar competition date to be determined based on presenter and judge availability
Awards
The winner of the competition will receive an honorarium. All participants will receive a certificate of participation. The award will be presented at the 2026 INFORMS Annual Meeting. Judges' comments may also be compiled and shared with participants as formative feedback.
Submission
Please submit your abstract using the following form: https://forms.gle/swea1PZsQmNjf6r37
Questions
For questions regarding the competition or the submission process, please contact:
Himadri Gupta (himadri.gupta@csupueblo.edu)
Arda Yenipazarli (ayenipazarli@georgiasouthern.edu)
We encourage eligible student MIF members enrolled in PhD programs to submit their work and to share this announcement with interested students and colleagues.
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Arda Yenipazarli
Professor of Operations Management
Georgia Southern University
Statesboro GA
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