Eight Annual INFORMS Case Competition

INFORMS is pleased to announce its Eighth Annual Peer-Reviewed Case Competition. This competition is jointly sponsored by INFORMS Education Committee, INFORMS Case and Teaching Materials Initiative, and INFORM-ED. It is designed to encourage the creation, dissemination, and use of new, unpublished cases in operations research and the management sciences.  All submissions and supporting documentation are due by September 3, 2007.  All cases will be reviewed in September of 2007 by a panel of judges familiar with the case method. 

Up to four finalists will be selected and notified by the Chair of the Case Competition by the beginning of October 2007. Finalists will give thirty-minute presentations of their entries at a special open session of the 2007 INFORMS Annual Meeting in Seattle, WA. The panel of judges will select the winning entry from these finalists based on these presentations. Finalists must present their cases at the Fall 2007 INFORMS Meeting in Seattle to be eligible to win.

Guidelines for submitted cases are:

(1) No more than 10 pages (8.5" x 11.0") single-spaced (maximum of approx. 3000 words); shorter cases are acceptable.

(2) Exhibits are in addition to page limit.

(3) Teaching Notes of length as necessary to meet content expected.

(4) A 12-point proportional font (such as Times New Roman) with 1-inch margins.

(5) All submitted cases must be previously unpublished.  Cases should be essentially new in their entirety.  If the case contains material drafted originally by individuals or groups other than the author(s) submitting the case, then the intellectual history and ownership of these portions should be made absolutely clear. Contestants are responsible for assuring that this guideline is strictly met.

A complete submission package will consist of the following:

(1) One electronic copy of a short (250 - 500 words) abstract, the case and teaching notes sent in a zipped file. The abstract should appear by itself on the second page and identify the industry, business issues, technical issues, pedagogical objectives, and suggested uses of the case. The case, any exhibits, and then the teaching notes should follow.

(2) A completed Case Competition Submission Form.

Prizes include:

(1) $500 and plaque to the best case

(2) $100 and plaque for up to three runners-up