The National Science Foundation (NSF) has named materials scientist Jennifer Dionne and computer scientist Mark Braverman the recipients of this year’s Alan T. Waterman Award.

The Waterman Award annually recognizes an outstanding young researcher in any field of science or engineering supported by NSF. Researchers 40 years of age or younger, or up to 10 years post Ph.D., are eligible. This year, two outstanding researchers are recognized.

Mark Braverman is a Professor of Computer Science from Princeton University. He studies complexity theory, algorithms and the limits of what’s possible computationally.

Braverman’s research focuses on complexity, including looking at algorithms for optimization, which, when applied, might mean planning a route — how to get from point A to point B in the most efficient way possible. Braverman examines randomness in the motion of objects, down to the erratic movement of particles in a fluid. His work is also tied to algorithms required for learning, which serve as building blocks to artificial intelligence, and has even had implications for the foundations of quantum computing. Braverman’s work includes mechanism design with applications in health care. His multidisciplinary approach is developing algorithms to address issues such as a new way to match medical residents to U.S. hospitals, and ways to implement new incentive structures in health insurance.

Braverman has solved two puzzles that eluded researchers for decades: the Grothendieck constant and the Linial-Nisan conjecture. The results earned him several accolades in his field, including the 2016 Presburger Award, the 2014 Stephen Smale Prize, a 2013 Packard fellowship, and now the Waterman Award. Like Dionne, Braverman also received an NSF CAREER award in 2012.

Each awardee will receive $1 million, distributed over five years. The Waterman Award will be presented to both recipients at a ceremony held in Washington, D.C., on May 14, 2019.

See the full press release for more information.