Rising Star Award | Canadian Operational Research Society

By Erla_editor, 19 February, 2026

Title (field)

Rising Star Award

Description

As a leading society in the field of Operational Research, CORS/SCRO plays an important role in influencing, recognizing, and rewarding its members for their research accomplishments and impact on the OR community. The CORS/SCRO Rising Star Award recognizes members in the early stage of their career who have demonstrated exceptional promise and impact in the field of Operational Research (OR). The award aims to acknowledge emerging leaders whose work contributes significantly to the advancement, visibility, and application of OR in academia, industry, government, or not-for-profit sectors.

The award will be presented during the CORS Annual Conference. For this award, there will be at most two winners. The first-place winner gets a prize of $500, and the runner‐up gets a prize of $250. If there is a tie for first place, each winner will get a prize of $500. Awards will not be given if the nominees do not meet the standards. A certificate and a cheque for the appropriate amount will be presented to the winner(s) at the awards banquet during the CORS Annual Conference.

Nomination instructions

Eligibility Criteria

The applicant has obtained a doctoral degree (or an equivalent degree).
The applicant is within five years of the date of their first independent research-related appointment, defined as a position in which the individual has the autonomy to conduct their own research. For the 2026 CORS Conference, appointments commencing in 2021 or later are eligible. Career interruptions (e.g., parental leave, medical leave) will be considered at the time of nomination.
The applicant must hold a non-tenured, research-related appointment at a university or organization within Canada at the time of nomination.
Previous winners of this award are not eligible to apply again. Applicants who were unsuccessful with a previous nomination may reapply, provided they continue to meet the career stage eligibility requirement.
The applicant must be a CORS/SCRO member in good standing at the time of nomination.

Award Criteria

Nominees will be evaluated based on evidence of excellence and promise in one or more of the following areas:

Research and Scholarship: Innovative contributions to OR theory, methodology, or interdisciplinary research through journal publications and conference presentations.
Practice and Impact: Application of OR methods to real-world problems with demonstrable impact.
Leadership and Service: Contributions to the OR community, including mentoring, outreach, or professional service.
Innovation and Visibility: Advancement of OR through novel applications, tools, or engagement beyond the OR community.

The judges will evaluate the impact of the body of work in terms of its ability to broaden, extend, and alter the way that Operational Research is conceptualized, practiced, and viewed. The judges are not required to give awards if applicants do not meet the standards they establish.

Procedure for Submissions

By April 15, 2026, please email copies of the materials listed below to the committee chair, Prof. Houra Mahmoudzadeh (vicepresident@cors.ca). The committee chair will acknowledge receipt and distribute copies to the judges. Additions to the portfolio cannot be made after the April 15, 2026, deadline. The portfolio should include the following:

A cover letter of no more than two pages that highlights the major contributions of the applicant's entire body of research.
A copy of the applicant's resume.
Copies of one to three key papers.
A maximum of two letters of recommendation for the award from senior faculty describing the applicant's contribution to research or practitioners confirming the successful application of research findings.

The applicant must submit the materials of the first three items as one single PDF document. The letters of recommendation should be sent directly to the committee chair.