Professor Jeff Griffiths with Elizabeth Beale		Professor Jeff Griffiths with The OR Society President, Sue Merchant

Jeff Griffiths is Professor of Operational Research in the School of Mathematics at Cardiff University.  He has been a member of staff at Cardiff University since 1964 and was Head of the School of Mathematics for most of the period from 1983 to 2007, was appointed Dean of the Science Faculty in 1991, and is head of the Operational Research and Statistics Group. Jeff is widely known internationally for his contributions in queueing theory, transportation problems and healthcare modelling.  His PhD was in Stochastic Processes, and he first became interested in Epidemiology and Healthcare when investigating the world-wide eradication of smallpox in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Since that time Jeff has undertaken a large number of consultancies and contracts with government establishments and with a variety of public and private companies, including GlaxoSmithKline, University Hospital of Wales, National Health Service, and the Welsh Assembly Government. He has also worked extensively in the field of transport, with particular reference to congestion problems, and has held consultancies with BP Oil Ltd, Department of Transport, British Steel, Welsh Office, Maunsell Consultancy Services, Suez Canal Authority and Transport Research Laboratory.  He has been an invited speaker at a large number of conferences both in the UK and overseas, and has organised several international conferences. The author of over 130 publications and reports, Jeff has also appeared in expert capacity in several television and radio programmes, as well as an expert witness in High Court actions. He has been awarded a number of Research Council grants during his academic career, and recently was instrumental in the successful application for EPSRC Science and Innovation funding to OR.  From 1987 to 1997 he was the UK representative on the EU Concerted Action to investigate the control and spread of HIV/AIDS in Europe, funded by the European Union and World Health Organisation.

Jeff has made a major contribution to the work of the Operational Research Society. He was President from 2006 to 2007, having previously served as Vice-President from 1998 to 2001.  He is currently the UK representative on the International Federation of Operational Research Societies (IFORS). Jeff was elected a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians in 2005. This is the highest honour awarded by the medical profession to non-medically qualified people, and is reserved for people who have made outstanding contributions in medicine and healthcare. Furthermore, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine in 2007, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in 2005 for his contributions to the Public Understanding of Science. He was an RAE Panel member (Statistics and Operational Research) for the 2008 exercise, and was a specialist advisor for the 2001 exercise.

In summary, Jeff has made an outstanding and sustained contribution to Operational Research.  Although he passed retirement age a few years ago, Jeff continues to be highly active in both research and practice.  Indeed after 45 years of service to Cardiff University and OR, one cannot imagine Jeff ever wishing to stay away from the University!  He is an outstanding candidate for the Beale medal.

• 2008 - L Thomas (citation available)
• 2007 - C Eden (citation available)
• 2006 - P Checkland
• 2005 - R C Tomlinson (citation available)
• 1999 - H P Williams
• 1998 - G H Mitchell
• 1995 - A H Christer
• 1993 - D J White
• 1992 - J V Rosenhead

1 Introduction

This award is named in memory of E M L Beale. It is designed to give formal recognition to a sustained contribution by one person to Operational Research in the United Kingdom.

The President Elect's / Past President's Committee (PEC/PPC) takes responsibility for this award.

2 Eligibility

All persons other than members of the President Elect / Past President’s committee (PE/PPC) who, at the time of application, have at least ten years’ working experience, based in the United Kingdom, of Operational Research in industry, commerce, government, or in a University teaching or research post, are eligible for consideration. Existing holders of the Beale Medal may be considered, provided that the contribution forming the subject of the entry is in a different area or is substantially differentiated from the basis of the previous award in some other manner.

3 Award

The award shall consist of a medal cast in bronze and appropriately inscribed, together with an appropriate citation. No more than one Beale Medal may be awarded in any year.

4 Entry

Candidates may nominate themselves, be nominated by a member of the Operational Research Society, or be nominated by the President Elect's / Past President's Committee. In respect of each nominee the required submission is a statement describing the sustained contribution made by the candidate to Operational Research, which must have extended over a period of at least five years. The contribution may be to the philosophy, theory or practice of Operational Research, or to some combination of those areas. The contribution must be such as to have advanced significantly the knowledge, understanding or practice of the subject. The statement must be endorsed by at least six independent sponsors, who shall be members of the Operational Research Society and shall have appended their names and signatures to it.

5 Selection

In any year, the award will be made to the individual who, in the opinion of the PE/PPC, has made the most outstanding sustained contribution to Operational Research. The committee may, if necessary, take advice from outside specialists in the field, who are independent of the nominee. The decision remains the responsibility of the committee alone. The committee may decline to make an award if it considers that none of the entries is of sufficient merit.

6 Independence of Committee Members

During their term of office, members of the President Elect / Past President’s committee may make nominations, but they may NOT sponsor nominees.

7 Procedures

The whole process is the responsibility of the President Elect / Past President’s committee.

A call for nominations shall be published in February issue of Inside OR, distributed to members at the end of January.

The President Elect / Past President will make an announcement at the March / April meeting of General Council, asking for nominations (in the strictest confidence). PE/PPC may use this occasion as an opportunity to meet to discuss nominations and to seek proposers where not already suggested.

PE/PPC may request suggestions from appropriate quarters which might include the committees of Regional Societies and Special Interest Groups. The PEC/PPC will also itself generate the names of possible medalists. The entire above procedure should be on terms of strictest confidentiality. No-one (including possible medalists) outside the committee should be informed of what names were under consideration.

Suggested names should be accompanied by the supporting statement and the sponsors’ endorsements. The closing date for receipt of nominations shall be 30th April to allow the PEC/PPC to discuss them at Board/General Council/Committee meetings.

PE/PPC should remove any ineligible nominations and create a shortlist for the award, ensuring that all the necessary paperwork has been submitted. The shortlists should be emailed to Board members to ensure there are no unforeseen ‘issues’ with the candidates, and for comments which might help the committee prioritise the shortlist. Again, these comments must be given in the strictest confidence.

The committee shall convey its decision and supply a citation to the Secretary & General Manager no later than 10th October.

The Secretary & General Manager shall then inform the candidate(s) of the outcome and arrange for the award to be announced in Inside OR and for the certificate(s) to be made. The presentation shall normally take place at the Blackett Lecture.

It is current practice that announcements relating to the Beale Medal shall be published on the Society’s website as well as in Inside OR.