Nominations are sought for the 2018 Roger Herriot Award for Innovation in Federal Statistics. The award is intended to reflect the characteristics that marked Roger Herriot’s career, including dedication to the issues of measurement, improvements in the efficiency of data collection programs, and improvements and use of statistical data for policy analysis.

The award is not limited to senior members of an organization, nor is it to be considered a culmination of a long period of service. Individuals or teams at all levels within federal statistical agencies, other government organizations, nonprofit organizations, the private sector, and the academic community may be nominated on the basis of their contributions. As innovation often requires or results from teamwork, team nominations are encouraged.

The award consists of a $1,000 honorarium and a framed citation, which will be presented at a ceremony during the Joint Statistical Meetings in August 2018. The Washington Statistical Society may also host a seminar given by the winner on a subject of his or her choosing.

The recipient of the 2018 award will be chosen by a committee comprising representatives of the ASA Social Statistics and Government Statistics sections and the Washington Statistical Society. Herriot was associated with, and strongly supportive of, these organizations during his career.

Nominations should contain the following:

• A cover letter from the nominator that includes references to specific examples of the nominee’s contributions to innovation in federal statistics. These contributions can be to methodology, procedure, organization, administration, or other areas of federal statistics and need not have been made by or while a federal employee.
• Up to six additional letters of support that demonstrate the innovativeness of each contribution.
• A current vita for the nominee with contact information. For team nominations, the vitae of all team members should be included.

The committee may consider nominations made in prior years, but it encourages resubmission of those nominations with updated information. Completed packages must be received by April 1. Electronic submissions to Mary Batcher, chair of the 2018 Roger Herriot Award Committee, as Word or PDF files are strongly encouraged.

Roger Herriot was the associate commissioner of statistical standards and methodology at the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) when he died in 1994. Prior to his service at NCES, he held several positions at the US Census Bureau, including chief of the population division.

For more information, email Batcher or call her at (202) 327-6773.