Nominations invited for 2018 Needham Award

19 Oct 2017 02:29 PM

BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, has started its annual hunt for today’s academics and industrialists who deserve to be recognised for their contribution to computer science and engineering.

The Institute is inviting nominations for its annual academic award; the Roger Needham* Award (sponsored by Microsoft Research), for those at mid-career. Nominations for the 2018 Needham Award are now open and will close on 15 January 2018.

The Roger Needham Award, sponsored by Microsoft Research, is presented for a distinguished research contribution in computer science by a UK based researcher within ten years of their PhD. The selected nominee will be invited to give the annual Roger Needham lecture and will receive £5000 in prize money. Previous winners of the Needham Award include: Dr Alastair Donaldson, Dr Sharon Goldwater, Professor Niloy J. Mitra, Dr Natasa Przulj, Dr Boris Motik, Dr Dino Distefano, Prof Maja Pantic, Dr Joel Ouaknine, Dr Byron Cook, Professor Wenfei Fan, Professor Mark Handley and the 2017 winner - Dr Alastair Donaldson.

Abigail Sellen, Microsoft Research Cambridge Deputy Lab Director, says: “We are very proud to continue our support for the Roger Needham Award. Encouraging young, talented researchers is essential if the UK is to remain a world leader in computer science and the Award plays an important part in fulfilling that mission.”

Bill Mitchell, Director of Education at the Institute says: “This prestigious award is highly regarded by academia and IT professionals alike. Over the years we’ve been able to recognise many high profile individuals whose work makes an outstanding contribution to computing research and the IT industry.”

Nominations are considered by BCS Academy Awards Committee which makes the final selection.

Full details of the nomination criteria and process

*The Roger Needham Award was established in memory of Roger Needham, 1935-2003, Professor of Computer Systems, Head of the Computer Laboratory and Pro-Vice Chancellor at the University of Cambridge. In 1997, he became first director of Microsoft Research in Cambridge. His work in computer science was wide ranging: in the 1950s he worked on information retrieval and cluster analysis; in the 1960s on design automation and operating systems (during which time he invented the practice of storing passwords under one way functions); in the 1970s on protection, local area networks and distributed computing; and thereafter on authentication protocols and logics for analysing them.

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