BALTIMORE, Oct. 19, 2026 — INFORMS, the leading international association for operations research and analytics, announced that Aharon Ben-Tal of Technion – Israel Institute of Technology has been awarded the 2026 John von Neumann Theory Prize, one of the organization’s highest honors.
The John von Neumann Theory Prize is awarded annually to a scholar (or scholars in the case of joint work) who has made fundamental, sustained contributions to theory in operations research and the management sciences.
The prize is awarded for a body of work, typically published over a period of several years, reflecting contributions that have stood the test of time. The criteria for the prize include significance, innovation, depth, and scientific excellence.
Ben-Tal is an internationally recognized expert in continuous optimization who has made fundamental, lasting contributions to the field over five decades. His most influential achievement is his pioneering research on robust optimization.
Through a long series of papers and a monograph with co-authors Arkadi Nemirovski and Laurent El Ghaoui, Ben-Tal helped create a new and rapidly developing area of robust optimization. His work spans core theory, such as tractability, and extends robust optimization from static linear problems to multistage decision-making. More recently, he has contributed to its applications in machine learning.
Ben-Tal has also done foundational work in convexity theory, duality and optimal decision-making under uncertainty. He has done influential work in structural design using semidefinite and conic optimization, for which he helped develop the theory and computational toolbox. Beyond research, he has shown sustained dedication to the operations research field through teaching, student supervision, editorial work and professional service.
“Aharon Ben-Tal’s work on robust optimization is among the most consequential contributions our field has produced,” said INFORMS CEO and Executive Director Elena Gerstmann. “It gave operations research a rigorous framework for making sound decisions when the data are uncertain. He didn’t just advance an area of research. He helped create one, and the field has been building on it ever since. That is exactly the kind of lasting contribution this prize exists to honor.”
The John von Neumann Theory Prize will be presented at the 2026 INFORMS Annual Meeting in San Francisco, Nov. 1-4, 2026. The award includes a $5,000 cash prize, a medal, and a formal citation.
About INFORMS
INFORMS is the world’s largest association for professionals and students in operations research, AI, analytics, data science and related disciplines, serving as a global authority in advancing cutting-edge practices and fostering an interdisciplinary community of innovation.
With a network of more than 12,000 members spanning academia, industry and government, INFORMS connects thought leaders, experts and emerging professionals who advance and apply AI, mathematics, analytics and other sciences and technologies to solve complex challenges and drive impactful decision-making.
Through its prestigious peer-reviewed journals, world-class conferences, industry-leading certification programs and a suite of professional resources, INFORMS empowers its community to enhance operational efficiency, elevate organizational performance and promote smarter decisions for a better world.
Discover more at www.informs.org
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