Annually, up to three participants of the Young Scientists Summer Program are given an award for outstanding work produced during the program. The award provides financial support for the winners to return to IIASA in the following year for an additional three months of research.
The selection procedure
The following criteria will be taken into account by external reviewers and the Awards Selection Committee when reviewing the papers:
- Quality of the research: For example, is the problem/issue clearly framed and described?; the methodology well executed?; the study grounded in literature?; the derived conclusions justifiable?
- Originality of the research: For example, is the problem framed in a unique way?; the chosen methodology/approach innovative?
- Effectiveness of the approach: For example, are the research objectives effectively met?, the problem/ issue effectively approached/solved?; the research appropriately interdisciplinary?
- Relevance/impact of the research: For example, does the study advance science or methodology?; is it policy relevant?
- Memos from supervisors supporting their candidate: The Selection Committee is usually made up of the IIASA director, the YSSP dean, and scientific representatives from IIASA programs.
2023 Winners
Levien Award
Lucas Vivier from the Centre International Recherche sur l'Environnement et le Développement (CIRED) near Paris won the Levien Award for his research: “Decarbonizing the EU Residential Sector: A Modelling Assessment of Current Policies and Future Strategies”.
IIASA program: Energy, Climate, and Environment (ECE)
YSSP Mentor: Alessio Mastrucci
Mikhalevich Award
Huiying Ye from the Beijing Institute of Technology (BIT), China won the Mikhalevich Award for her research: “Linking R&D Investment to Emission Reduction Cooperation: Overcoming Free-Riding While Achieving Deep De-Carbonization ”.
IIASA Program: Advancing Systems Analysis (ASA)
YSSP Mentors: Nikolay Khabarov, Michael Kuhn, Michael Freiberger
Peccei Award
Gaurav Ganti from the Humboldt University of Berlin won the Peccei Award for his research: “Pathways to Inform the Equitable Implementation of the Paris Agreement”.
IIASA program: Energy, Climate, and Environment (ECE)
YSSP Mentors: Setu Pelz, Matthew Gidden
Honorable mentions:
© Yuanhui Wang
Yuanhui Wang
An honorable mention goes to Yuanhui Wang from the Beijing Normal University, China received an honorable mention for her study on “National Strategy Analysis Towards Mutual Achievement of the SDGs: A Method Coupling Dynamical Model and Network Hierarchy Analysis Based on SDG Interactions”.
IIASA Program: Advancing Systems Analysis (ASA)
YSSP Mentors: Nikita Strelkovskii, Rotem Zelingher
The Peccei Award was established in 1984 in recognition of Dr. Aurelio Peccei's contribution to the understanding of global problems and his efforts to promote multi-national collaborative research.
The Mikhalevich Award was established in 1995 following the death of Academician Vladimir S. Mikhalevich, a pioneer in cybernetics and mathematical problems, who at that time was Chairman of the IIASA Council.
The Levien Award was established by the IIASA Council in 2022 as part of the celebration of IIASA’s 50th Anniversary, to honor Dr. Roger Levien’s lifelong dedication to the Institute. Roger served as IIASA’s 2nd Director, during which he founded the Young Scientists Summer Program in 1977.
© IIASA
Dr. Aurelio Peccei
Dr. Aurelio Peccei (1908-1984), perhaps best known as the President of the Club of Rome, enjoyed a distinguished career in industry, conservation and international affairs. His hallmark was a humanistic approach to the problems confronting the modern world, be they economic, technological, managerial, or political.
Dr. Peccei was a consistent and devoted friend of IIASA, a member of the small group of individuals who inspired the original concept of the Institute and contributed actively to its realization. In his later years, his overwhelming concern was the challenge of finding creative opportunities for young people to influence a shared future. In 1984, the Peccei Award was established in an effort to meet this charge, as well as to recognize Peccei's contribution to multinational collaborative research.
© IIASA
Academician Vladimir S. Mikhalevich
Academician Vladimir S. Mikhalevich (1930-1994) was the Council Member of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences at the time of his death. He was associated with the Institute for many years, in a scientific capacity as a member of the System and Decision Sciences Advisory Committee, and administratively, as Chairman of the Governing Council from 1987 to 1992.
Perhaps less known, but equally important, was Academician Mikhalevich's role in the academic world of the former Soviet Union. At a time when it was not popular he ventured into cybernetics and employed computers for mathematical problems. He not only conducted his own pioneer work, but unfailingly supported young researchers who came to work with him even when they followed new directions of enquiry, diverging from his own.
© IIASA
Dr. Roger Levien
Dr. Roger Levien became Director of IIASA in 1975, after establishing the Handbook of Applied Systems Analysis project in 1974. During his tenure, IIASA undertook influential global system analyses on Energy Supply and Demand and on Global Food and Agriculture, both using international, interdisciplinary teams at IIASA and collaborating with research organizations from both sides of the Cold War divide. In 1977, he established the Young Scientist Summer Program (YSSP), which has over 2200 alumni worldwide.
Dr. Levien began his career in 1960 at The RAND Corporation, where he served as head of the System Sciences Department, Deputy Vice President, and Head of RAND’s Washington Domestic Program Office. He led major studies of computer technology and educational policy, co- authoring two books: The Emerging Technology and Research and Development Management.
Dr. Levien holds a Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics (Computer Science) from Harvard University and a BS in Engineering from Swarthmore College. He is a member of the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering.