The IMA Lighthill Thwaites Prize will be awarded for the ninth time in 2027. The prize was established by the IMA in recognition of its first two Presidents Professors Sir James Lighthill and Sir Bryan Thwaites. The prize is designed to encourage early career researchers. More information about the prize can be found on the IMA Lighthill Thwaites prize information page, as well as profiles of some of the previous winners.
Eligibility
Submissions will be accepted from any candidates who, on the deadline submission date, have spent no more than five years in further study or full-time equivalent work since commencing their (first) PhD, including applicants who may not already have enrolled for a PhD. Suitable allowance for any career breaks will be taken into account. The prize is also open to undergraduate-level students.
The recipient can be of any nationality.
Submissions
Entries should be submitted using the form linked below. Each candidate should include a brief CV and indicate that they would be available to present their paper at BAMC 2027, which will be held at Keele. Any joint paper must be accompanied by a statement from the co-authors agreeing to the submission and detailing the contributions of each author to the paper. The award is based on a submitted piece of work that describes an aspect of the candidate’s original research in any area of the application of mathematics and is suitable for presentation at the BAMC. Papers submitted for consideration can be on any subject covered within the scope of the IMA Journal of Applied Mathematics.
All works including those that have been published, submitted for publication (either to an IMA journal or elsewhere), or which have not yet been submitted will be eligible so long as the work is an original piece of research. No person may submit more than one paper. Candidates from previous competitions, except the winner, are also permitted to enter.
A joint paper may be submitted by a candidate if accompanied by a statement from the co-authors agreeing to the submission and detailing the contribution of the candidate to the paper. It is anticipated that candidates will have made the major contribution to any joint work submitted.
Finalists will be expected to submit an article for publication in the IMA Journal of Applied Mathematics, which should be related in some way to the paper submitted for the prize.
The deadline for entries is Midnight on 15th October 2026. Finalists will be announced by 1st December 2026.
