by Matthias Winkenbach | Jan 12, 2021 | Challenge FAQ & Details
Participants will have the opportunity to work on a realistic and very challenging problem with large, real-world data sets provided by Amazon that are currently not publicly available to the research community. The problem tackled in the Last Mile Routing Research Challenge is applicable to any company and industry which has last-mile operations.
Prizes
The winning team will receive an award of US$100,000. The team with second highest score will receive an award of US$50,000, and the team with the third highest score will receive an award of US$25,000. All awards will be divided equally among all team members.
Recognition
All participants will receive a certificate of participation in the Last Mile Routing Research Challenge signed by the Amazon Logistics VP and the Director of the MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics.
Career Development
In addition, the top 3 teams may be invited to interview with Amazon for research positions in the last mile organization and may be invited to present their work to students and faculty members at MIT.
Publications
All participants in the Last Mile Routing Research Challenge will be invited to submit an extended academic paper on their work for potential publication in a peer-reviewed proceedings document, and if possible, a special issue of an appropriate academic journal.
The most academically compelling submissions to the Last Mile Routing Research Challenge will be featured in a scientific review paper that MIT CTL intends to publish in order to raise the awareness of the academic community to the topic and to the contributions proposed by the participants in the challenge.
Similarly, the most promising solutions to the Last Mile Routing Research Challenge will be featured on a more applied level in a special report on state-of-the-art route sequencing methods, which will be targeting practitioners and will be published online by MIT CTL.
Lastly, MIT CTL will pick out individual contributions by interested participants in the Last Mile Routing Research Challenge and feature their work in practitioner-oriented media outlets, social media, or blog posts, targeting a broad public audience.
by Matthias Winkenbach | Jan 12, 2021 | Challenge FAQ & Details
Eligible Participants
The Last Mile Routing Research Challenge will be open to senior undergraduate students, graduate students and university-affiliated researchers from all over the world.
Participants can compete individually, or in teams of up to three members
All participants will be required to provide proof of full-time enrollment or employment at an accredited college or university during the 2021 spring semester.
Students and researchers affiliated with MIT but not engaged in supporting the Last Mile Routing Research Challenge may participate, but are not allowed to receive assistance from any members of the MIT community involved in the technical and scientific support of the Last Mile Routing Research Challenge.
Ineligible (prohibited) Participants
Individuals who are (a) a paid employee of a private or government entity (other than an accredited academic institution); (b) under US export controls or sanctions; (c) have been a director, officer, employee, intern or contractor of Amazon or its affiliates within the 12 months preceding their application to the Last Mile Routing Research Challenge (“Ineligible Personnel”); or (d) are a member of the immediate family or household of Ineligible Personnel are not allowed to compete in this challenge. Further, the Last Mile Routing Research Challenge will be void in Cuba, Iran, Syria, North Korea, Sudan, the region of Crimea, and where otherwise prohibited by law.
MIT faculty members, research groups and students that are directly involved in supporting the Last Mile Routing Research Challenge are not eligible to compete in the challenge themselves.
To determine whether you and your team members are eligible to participate in the Last Mile Routing Research Challenge, please refer to the detailed participation rules that Amazon will require participants to agree to upon registration for the Last Mile Routing Research Challenge:
If you are still unsure, feel free to e-mail us at routing-challenge-info@mit.edu
Rules of Participation
For a detailed and comprehensive description of the rules that participants will need to adhere to, please refer to the detailed participant agreement that Amazon will require participants to sign upon registration for the Last Mile Routing Research Challenge.
