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Call for Practical Application Essays

Overview

The North American Actuarial Journal (NAAJ) is a rich source of deep academic research relevant to the actuarial profession. Most busy practicing actuaries have limited capacity to transform the NAAJ research into a practical application that they can use in their current work. With this call for essays, the SOA provides enterprising actuaries the opportunity to highlight practical applications of one or more research papers to be published in an upcoming edition of the NAAJ.

Essays should focus on an application of the research paper that practicing actuaries can use to improve their work processes or products in the current legal and business environment. Multiple applications of a single research paper are typically better handled in multiple, short essays, rather than a single, longer essay.

The SOA will pay authors of selected essays $500, subject to the requirements under Publication and Presentation below.

Essay Topics and Guidelines

Each essay should provide a practical actuarial application of the material covered in one of the following research papers. Essays should focus on an application of the research paper that practicing actuaries can use to improve their work processes or products in the current legal and business environment. Multiple applications of a single research paper are typically better handled in multiple, short essays, rather than a single, longer essay. Each of the following papers has been published individually online by the publisher that the Society of Actuaries uses for the NAAJ:

Timeline

  • February 21, 2020: Call for essays issued
  • March 29, 2020: Deadline for submission of essays
  • March 29–April 10, 2020: Review and selection of essays for publication
  • April 17, 2020: Estimated approximate publication date

Length and Instructions for Submission

Essays should meet the following general guidelines:

  • Written in English
  • No more than approximately 2,000 words, or about 3 pages in length. In the event that an essay significantly exceeds 2,000 words, the essay may be declined or returned to the author with a request for further editing and resubmission.
  • Examples can be helpful to demonstrate concepts but are not required.
  • The focus of an essay can be for actuaries practicing in either public or private sectors.
  • Applications of research topics to be used outside of north America are acceptable and encouraged.
  • Essays promoting specific products or tools that will not be made publicly available to all actuaries via the SOA’s website are outside the scope of this call for essays.
  • Author information must be submitted with the essay and include name; credentials or designations (if appropriate); title; organization/company; e-mail address; and phone number. Please provide all author information at the beginning of the essay.
  • Essays that contain any overt political statements, commercial content, and other inappropriate material will not be accepted. Articles must comply the SOA’s antitrust guidelines.

Please submit your essay via email by 11:59 pm Central Standard Time, March 29, 2020 to:

Research Division
Society of Actuaries
Email: research@soa.org

Publication and Presentation

The SOA, at its discretion, may publish the selected essays on its website, that it deems to be publish worthy, in conjunction with or shortly after publication of the printed version of the release of the related paper in the NAAJ. In addition, essays may be presented at an SOA meeting, webcast or other professional development event. The review committee will select the essays, and the review committee’s decisions will be final. Consideration will be given to creativity, originality, practicality and the extent to which an idea could improve practicing actuaries’ work products or processes. Selected authors will be required to assign all copyrights in their essays to the Society of Actuaries, for which the Society of Actuaries will pay the author five hundred (500) U.S. dollars.

Rights Granted

By submitting an essay for consideration, the essay author(s) is granting to the Society of Actuaries an unlimited license to print or republish their essay, with proper attribution given to the author.

Questions

Please direct any questions regarding this call for essays to:
Lisa Schilling
Society of Actuaries
email: lschilling@soa.org
ph: +1-847-273-8837