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Health Applications Society - Seth Bonder Scholarship for Applied Operations Research in Health Service

INFORMS Online

The Health Applications Society (HAS) of INFORMS invites applications from qualified doctoral candidates for the Bonder Scholarship for Applied Operations Research in Health Services. Doctoral candidates who have completed between 1 and 3 academic years 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 7,000 USD in funding to support the development of highly qualified individuals and to promote the exchange of health services research knowledge in conjunction with INFORMS.

The Award

The scholarship offers a research fund of $4,000 and the opportunity to apply for an additional support of $1,000 to cover expenses that will be incurred during the winner’s travel to the 2026 INFORMS Annual Conference. An additional $2,000 award is provided and funded by the Seth Bonder Foundation. Starting with the year after the award is won, the winner also becomes eligible to apply for further research funds that are offered annually by the Seth Bonder Research Foundation exclusively to former Bonder Scholars. Bonder Scholars also find the privilege to speak and disseminate their research in designated “Bonder Scholars” sessions at INFORMS Annual Meetings.

Selection Criteria

The scholarship will be granted on the basis of excellence, innovation, candidate’s preparation to undertake the proposed program of research, and likelihood of success in his/her projected plan.

AI Based Application Success Predictor

1. Strong alignment with operations research or analytics

The most competitive applications directly address:

operations research (OR)
optimization
machine learning for decision-making
data analytics
statistics
supply chain modeling
healthcare analytics
revenue management
simulation
decision science

INFORMS prioritizes work with clear relevance to OR and analytics disciplines.

2. Strong methodological rigor

A major predictor of success is a robust technical approach, such as:

mathematical modeling
optimization methods
simulation studies
statistical validity
reproducibility
computational rigor
clear analytical framework

Applications with vague methods or weak modeling rationale are typically less competitive.

3. Clear real-world impact or practical application

INFORMS strongly values work that can be applied in practice, especially in:

healthcare
logistics
transportation
finance
manufacturing
public policy
sustainability
energy systems

Projects demonstrating measurable operational or societal impact tend to score highly.

4. Innovation in analytics or decision science

Competitive applications often include:

novel algorithms
new optimization methods
AI/ML applications to OR
predictive analytics
decision-support systems
interdisciplinary quantitative innovation

Innovation combined with practical usefulness is particularly strong.

5. Strong academic record and publications

Reviewers often look for:

peer-reviewed publications
conference papers
technical reports
dissertation quality
prior OR/analytics contributions
evidence of scholarly productivity

For student awards, publication promise and research potential are heavily weighted.

6. Clear communication of technical work

Because INFORMS spans both academia and industry, successful applicants often explain:

the business or scientific problem clearly
why the method matters
expected outcomes
implementation value
who benefits from the work

Clear communication of complex analytics is a recurring differentiator.

7. Student and early-career promise

For scholarships and student awards, strong predictors include:

PhD or master's research quality
advisor support
leadership within the OR/MS community
conference participation
future contribution potential

INFORMS offers scholarships supporting attendance at its Annual Meeting, especially for students and early-career researchers.

8. Relevance to industry or decision-making challenges

High-scoring projects frequently solve practical problems such as:

resource allocation
scheduling
forecasting
uncertainty management
inventory planning
network optimization
business analytics

Projects with a direct decision-support angle tend to align strongly with INFORMS priorities.

9. Interdisciplinary collaboration

Competitive proposals often involve collaboration across:

mathematics
computer science
engineering
economics
public health
business
industrial systems

Cross-disciplinary quantitative applications are common among successful projects.

10. Strong conference engagement and visibility

INFORMS places value on:

presenting at INFORMS Annual Meetings
participation in sections/societies
networking within the INFORMS community
workshop contributions
leadership in student chapters

Professional engagement can strengthen competitiveness for scholarships and recognition programs.

Common Reasons for Rejection

Frequent reviewer concerns include:

weak OR/analytics alignment
insufficient methodological detail
low practical relevance
unclear impact
incremental rather than innovative contribution
poor communication of technical work
limited feasibility or implementation pathway

Specialties

Healthcare Delivery

Public Health

Eligibility Requirements

Doctoral students building creative work with strong academic rigor and/or practical relevance at the crossroads of operations research/operations management and health care are all encouraged to apply. Applications are due by June 30, 2026. A complete application must consist of the following documents as PDF files:

1) A detailed curriculum vitae of the applicant, which must include the applicant’s complete educational history with dates of enrollment in graduate studies (in months and years; e.g., September 2021).

2) Two letters of support: One letter is expected to be from the applicant’s main academic advisor (or dissertation committee chair) and this letter must include a statement that the applicant has completed at least one academic year but no more than three academic years in any doctoral program. Letter writers should separately send their nominations/support letters to the email address provided below. Each applicant is responsible for ensuring that letters are sent by the application deadline: June 30, 2026.

3) A one-page career goals statement describing why the candidate is interested in applying operations research/operations management to health care issues and problems.

4) A three-page summary of applicant’s proposed program of research including all graphics and technical supplements (the three-page limit does not include the references to be cited therein). Applicants should pay particular attention to delineating the completed and projected contributions of their doctoral studies within this three-page document.

Sponsor Details

Sponsor Institute/Organizations: INFORMS Online

Sponsor Type: Corporate/Non-Profit

Address: 5521 Research Park Drive, Suite 200 Catonsville, MD 21228

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