Bonder Scholarship for Applied Operations Research in Health Services

The Health Applications Section of INFORMS invites applications from qualified doctoral candidates for the Bonder Scholarship for Applied Operations Research in Health Services. Doctoral candidates, particularly those with two to three years remaining in their programs, with an interest in the application of process modeling and OR analyses to issues in health care design, delivery, or operations are encouraged to apply.

Objectives: The purpose of the Bonder Scholarship for Applied Operations Research in Health Services is to promote the development and application of process modeling and operations research analyses to health care design, delivery and operations. The scholarship provides funding of $5,000 ($US) to support the development of highly qualified individuals and promote the interchange of health services research knowledge in conjunction with INFORMS.

The Award: The Bonder Scholarship consists of a grant of $4,000 that is intended to provide financial support for a promising new researcher. In addition, the award winner will be eligible for up to $1,000 of travel funding to support his or her participation in the activities of the Health Application Section at the annual INFORMS conference. INFORMS will waive registration fees for the awardee. The tenure of the award is one year.

Selection Criteria: The scholarship will be granted on the basis of excellence, innovation, preparation, and probability of candidate's success. Candidates should submit the following materials: a curriculum vitae, two letters of support*, a brief statement describing why they are interested in applying operations research to health care issues, and a two-page summary of their proposed program of research. Applications are to be submitted by candidates, and letters of support by their authors, electronically to the committee chair in pdf. Candidates will be evaluated on the quality of their preparation to undertake a program of applied operations research in the field of health care. The proposed program of research will be judged according to its potential for making a significant contribution to the field of applied OR in health care systems, as well as the likelihood of successful completion.

Eligibility: Students pursuing doctoral studies in health operations research or a related discipline are eligible. Applications from US and international students are welcome.

Application Procedures: Candidates are asked to forward their applications electronically in pdf format by July 1, 2007 to:

Notification: All applicants will be notified by September 15, 2007 of the results of the competition.

Background: Dr. Seth Bonder was the founder and CEO of Vector Research, Incorporated (VRI) for 31 years. VRI is recognized for its quality and innovations in applying OR/MS to public and private sector enterprises. Throughout his distinguished career, Dr. Bonder has been a leader in applying operations research to national defense planning and policy issues, and subsequently to health care delivery reengineering and disease management practices. He established this scholarship to encourage the application of scientific operations research approaches to health care delivery systems, processes, and enterprises.

Dr. Bonder has made major contributions to the operations research profession. He has served as president of the Operations Research Society of America and the Military Operations Research Society, and as vice president of the International Federation of Operational Research Societies. He has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the Patriotic Service Award from the US Secretary of the Army, the George E. Kimball Medal, and the INFORMS President's Award He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering.

*In a few cases, when it is needed in order to fully represent the academic and practical strengths of an application, a third letter may be appropriate.

Questions and Comments about this web site should be directed to the Health Application Section's WebPerson