ENVR Encourages Students to Submit Papers for Competition

Margaret Short, ENVR Publications Chair

    The ASA Section on Statistics and the Environment (ENVR) is sponsoring a student paper competition on the topic of environmental statistics. We encourage students to submit papers about their research in this area. The paper may consist of novel approaches to the analysis of environmental data, new methodology with a clear application to an environmental statistical issue, or application of statistics to environmental problems. The selected winner will present his/her paper in a contributed session at the Joint Statistical Meetings in August of 2012. The winner will receive a $1,000 stipend toward reimbursing expenses accrued while attending JSM. Anyone who is a student in the fall of 2011 is eligible to participate.

    Applicants must be the first author of the paper. In addition, a letter must be submitted that verifies the applicant’s student status from a faculty member familiar with the student’s work and, in the case of joint authorship, indicates what fraction of the contribution is attributable to the applicant. The applicant also must submit an abstract by February 1, 2012, to the ASA and request a presentation in an ENVR session. Applicants must follow all rules required for paper submission and attendance at JSM.

    The paper must be entirely double-spaced (abstract, main body, references, footnotes, and appendices), using at least 11-point type with at least one-inch margins all around and no longer than 26 pages (inclusive of all figures, tables, and bibliography). Materials must be submitted electronically in PDF format. All materials must be in English.

    Materials must be submitted by December 15 at 5 p.m. EST to Andrew B. Lawson at lawsonab@musc.edu. The result of the competition will be made known to participants by January 15, 2012.

    Papers will be reviewed by members of the Student Paper Competition Award Committee of the Section on Statistics and the Environment. Selection will be based primarily on statistical innovation and significance of contribution to environmental science. The decision of the selection committee will be final. This award will recognize an environmental statistics contribution with a certificate and recognition at the ASA ENVR section meeting during JSM.

    More information is available on the ASA website.