Research Activities

At the ORC, we believe that research can change the world. Correspondingly, research is the key  component of our program.  The ORC  provides students with exciting opportunities to explore a diverse array of applications and methodologies in operations research and analytics. Our students start working in research from day one, a distinguishing chracteristic of the ORC education. 

Recent research topics include:

  • approximation algorithms
  • discrete, continuous, convex, robust, stochastic optimization
  • ground and air transportation
  • health care
  • health care analytics
  • machine learning and its interface with optimization
  • online algorithms
  • personalized medicine
  • pricing and revenue management
  • social networks
  • stochastic modeling
  • supply chain management

Research activities range from one-on-one projects involving a single faculty member and student, to much larger programs involving teams of faculty and students. Regardless of their scope, all of our projects aim to have real-world impact.

Fields that our research contributes to include:

  • energy
  • engineering
  • finance
  • health care
  • marketing
  • service industry
  • transportation

Whether working in the ORC’s newly renovated, open workspace or one of MIT’s world-class research labs, you’ll be equipped with the latest technology and collaborative spirit you need to succeed—and to make valuable contributions to our field and the world..

Additional Research Activities

In order to inspire and challenge the research of our members, the ORC continually engages with the national and international OR community through the following:

  • participation in the Sloan School of Management Operations Management Workshop, which invites faculty and students to present their current research each week throughout the academic year
  • reading seminars, in which MIT students and faculty review and present summaries of current research papers on advanced study topics not covered in other courses
  • seminar presentations by faculty and scientists from public and private institutions as well as other universities
  • seminar series, in which prominent OR professionals from around the world present topics in operations research
  • the appointment of visiting scientists