The School of Mathematics of the University of Edinburgh and Public Health Scotland invite you to participate in the Edinburgh Undergraduate Operational Research Challenge. The challenge is to design a solution for a practical problem using operational research. If you are interested in using numerate techniques to solve practical problems and enable decision-makers to execute better decisions and make a difference for society, then this challenge is for you!
What is Operational Research? Operational Research, or OR for short, is about using mathematics to help decision makers to find better solutions for complex real-world problems. OR is used extensively in the public and private sectors to make better decisions. Its techniques are applied every day to problems in healthcare, transportation, energy, and many other areas. For example, OR was used during the Covid-19 pandemic to accelerate the development of vaccines. OR is also used to find the best ways to decarbonise our energy supplies and to design optimal radiation therapy treatments for cancer. These are only examples; the possible applications of OR are endless! This challenge is about applying OR to a real-world a data-driven optimisation strategy for Public Health Scotland to determine the optimal allocation of patients to public hospitals.
How to participate in the challenge:
1. Register as a team of one or two students.
2. Each participating student must be enrolled in the last two years of an undergraduate degree program at a UK university.
Prizes:
• Each member of the winning team will receive a £400 prize and a paid follow up consultancy project with Public Health Scotland*.
• Each member of the runner-up teams will receive a £300 prize.
• Each member of the third place team will receive a £50 prize.
*Some eligibility criteria may apply
Evaluation criteria: We are looking for • An inventive and optimal solution • A well-presented idea • A detailed analysis • The correct use of optimization techniques and tools • The overall approach adopted in terms of modelling and analysis The decision of the judging panel is final and cannot be appealed.
Registration closes at 23:59 on 8 November 2024. More information about the challenge, important dates and registration instructions are at https://www.maths.ed.ac.uk/school-of-mathematics/events/operational-research-challenge