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Prizes
The following prizes are presented at each annual ATRF Conference:
The prizes are adjudged by a panel of between 3 and 5 suitably qualified and appropriate members of the Scientific Committee endorsed by the Executive Committee (in consultation with the prize sponsor as appropriate).

The prizes comprise a certificate and (in some cases) a cash prize as determined by the Executive Committee.

John Taplin Prize

ATRF John Taplin
The Australasian Transport Research Forum (ATRF) was conceived in 1975 by John Knox (then Director-General of Transport, WA), Dr Derek Scrafton (then Director-General of Transport, SA) and Dr John Taplin (then Director, Bureau of Transport Economics) with Dr Taplin as the Founding Chairman.
The John H. Taplin prize is for the best paper delivered at each ATRF . It recognises John’s major contribution to the ATRF since its inception as Founding Chairman and his significant contribution to academia and government as a leading transport economist. It was first awarded at the 1990 Sydney ATRF following a proposal by Dr David Hensher (who subsequently became the Professor and Founding Director of the Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies, University of Sydney).
Professor John Harold Eaton Taplin had a distinguished career spanning more than 40 years as a transport economist in senior leadership roles as Senior Economist, Bureau of Agricultural Economics; Director, Bureau of Transport Economics (1972–1975); Deputy Secretary, Commonwealth Department of Transport (1975–1978); Professor of Transport Economics, University of Tasmania (1979–1982) (and Visiting Professor of Transportation, University of British Columbia); Director-General of Transport, WA (1982–1990); Professor of Transport and Logistics, University of WA (1991–2010) and Emeritus Professor, University of WA (2010–2019).
Professor Taplin was awarded the Order of Australia (AM), in recognition of his public service, in 1993.
Professor Taplin had a PhD from Cornell University (1969) and Master of Agricultural Economics and Bachelor of Arts (Economics) degrees from the University of New England.

David Willis Memorial Prize

ATRF David Willis
The David Willis memorial prize is presented at each ATRF to the author(s) adjudged to have delivered the best paper and presentation by a young researcher at the conference . The prize was established in 1998 and originated from a proposal by Dr Graham Currie and Ray Kinnear.
The prize honours the life of David Willis, a Queenslander by birth who did his Master’s degree at the University of Sydney and worked in Government as a highly respected transport economist in both Adelaide and Melbourne. He specialised in the planning and economics of the bus industry and was highly regarded by the leaders of that industry. David was committed to a vibrant research sector in Australia and presented several papers at ATRF. He was a particular supporter of young researchers around the country. David’s premature death was a great shock to his family and colleagues. The prize is to honour his significant contribution to transport research by encouraging young researchers.

David A Hensher Prize

ATRF-David-Hensher1
The David A. Hensher prize is presented at each ATRF to the author(s) adjudged to have delivered the best paper and presentation in transport demand modelling . The prize was established in 2021 and first awarded at the 2021 ATRF in Brisbane.
The prize recognises both David’s outstanding global contribution to transport modelling and his ongoing support of ATRF.
Papers will be judged on theoretical rigour, methodological application and practical contribution, all key characteristics of David’s work.
Professor David Hensher has a distinguished academic career spanning over 50 years. As Founding Director of the world-acclaimed Institute of Transport & Logistics Studies at the University of Sydney, David has overseen quantum shifts in transportation education and research.
David is the recipient of several international awards that recognise both his contribution to academia (e.g. IATBR life-time achievement award in 2014) and industry (e.g. 2019 John Shaw Medal). David has over 60,000 (and counting) Google citations, in 2019 was ranked as third in the world for economists in the field of discrete choice models, and in 2020 was formally recognised as Australia’s leading transport researcher.
David hopes the prize in his name will encourage researchers across Australasia and internationally to submit quality papers in transport demand modelling to ATRF.
There is the added incentive that David will provide assistance to achieve the publication of the winning paper in a leading transportation journal.