The International Association for Official Statistics (IAOS) is pleased to announce the launch of the 2024 IAOS Young Statisticians Prize. This international prize encourages young statisticians to take an active interest in official statistics and is awarded for the best paper in the field of official statistics written by a young statistician.

In addition to the monetary prizes, the first-place winner(s) receive travel funds to present their paper at an international conference. Details of the conference will be decided in conjunction with the winner and may include the 2024 IAOS-ISI Regional Conference to be held in Mexico City, Mexico in May 2024. The winning papers will also be published in the Statistical Journal of the IAOS.

Submissions should address and propose solutions to pressing methodological or strategic issues in the area of official statistics at the regional, national or international level, be no more than 4,000 words, be submitted in English, and should not have been previously presented in a public forum or published. A maximum of three co-authors is allowed for each submission and an author can participate in only one submission.

An international panel will judge submissions based on the following criteria:

• Scientific and/or strategic merit
• Originality
• Applicability of the ideas in the practice of statistical organizations, and
• Quality of the exposition

See also: https://www.iaos-isi.org/index.php/statistics-prize

The author(s) of the best paper will be awarded:

• A cash prize valued at €1,500 (divided among co-authors if applicable)
• An opportunity to present the paper at a mutually agreed international statistical conference, with
  airfare and hotel accommodation provided (for only one author in situations of co-authorship)
• Two years of IAOS membership
• A certificate of award from the IAOS acknowledging success in this competition.

Prizes may also be awarded to those in second and third place:

• 2nd  Place – A cash prize valued at €1000, 2 years of IAOS membership, and a certificate
• 3rd  Place – A cash prize valued at €500, 2 years of IAOS membership, and a certificate

A prize will also be awarded to the best paper from a developing country:

• Best paper – honorable mention, 2 years of IAOS membership, and a certificate.

Prize winning papers will be considered for publication in the Statistical Journal of the IAOS (SJIAOS).

To be eligible, authors (and co-authors) must:

• Be under the age of 35 on 10 February 2024 and
• Be employed[1] by an official statistical organization[2] as at 10 February 2024

Submissions must comprise a maximum of 4,000 words (including abstract, titles and references) plus the filled-in submission template plus a cover page that must include:

• A line that it is a “Submission for the 2024 IAOS Prize for Young Statisticians”
• The title of the paper
• The name(s), prefix(s), job title(s), full date(s) of birth, age(s) and e-mail addresses of the author(s)
• The name(s) of the employing official statistical agency(ies)
• An abstract of no more than 15 lines.

Any material beyond the core text of the paper, such as table of contents, references, appendices, tables, and graphs, must be contained within the maximum of 4,000 words. Any submission exceeding 4,000 words plus cover page will be disqualified.

Please submit papers, in MS Word or compatible format[3] to iaosysp2024@gmail.com

You may also submit questions you have about the competition to this e-mail address.

[1] Full-time, part-time, or contractual employees or interns are eligible and employees or interns who also teach or study on a part-time basis are eligible. Professional consultants or members of the teaching profession carrying out a contract with the NSO agency are not eligible.

[2] A National or International Statistical Organization or the Statistics Department of a Central Bank, Ministry or Regional or Local Government in a decentralized National Statistical System or non-statistical international organization.

[3] In Times New Roman (size 12) font, with side, top, and bottom margins of 1 inch (25.4 millimeters).