The ASA Section on Risk Analysis is soliciting entries for its student/young researcher paper competition. Each year, the section offers at least one student/young researcher travel award of $1,000 to defray costs for attending and presenting at the Joint Statistical Meetings (July 28 to August 2, 2012).

This competition is open to all graduate and undergraduate students, full or part time, attending an accredited academic program. The student must be a member of the Section on Risk Analysis or join the section when submitting their paper. Young researchers who have earned their PhD within the last three years are also eligible to apply.

The work may be the development of new methodology in risk analysis; an application of existing risk methods in a novel way; a theoretical development; or an application of risk analysis, including environmental risk, financial risk, risk to engineering structures, health risks, and risks to defense and national security.

Papers submitted to JSM must select the Risk Analysis Section as the primary sponsor of the paper. Visit the ASA’s student paper awards web page for detailed application instructions.

Entrants should submit a completed manuscript by midnight on December 15 to Murali Haran, chair of the award committee, at mharan@stat.psu.edu. The email should include the completed manuscript as an attachment in PDF format. (Word format will be accepted, but PDF is preferred.) In the email, specify the entrant’s current affiliation, whether he/she is a graduate student, and, if not, the year in which the entrant earned his/her PhD. Include “Student/Young Researcher Paper Award” in the subject line of the email.

There are no requirements concerning the minimum or maximum length of the manuscript, but conciseness is encouraged. Manuscripts will be judged based on relevance and interest of the subject matter, quality of writing, and quality of the research. The winner will be announced by January 15, 2012, and the abstract(s) must be submitted to JSM by midnight on February 1, 2012.