Best Paper & Best Invention Awards
Each year, the Laboratory recognizes a paper accepted for publication in a major journal and an invention awarded a patent or technology disclosure. The papers are chosen for their technical depth and original thinking, and the inventions are selected for their ingenuity and impact on a real-world problem.
2022 Best Paper Award Recipient
Adversary Safety by Construction in a Language of Cryptographic Protocols, written by Dr. Timothy M. Braje, Dr. Martine M. Kalke, Alice R. Lee (Technische Universität Wien), Andrew Wagner (Northeastern University), Benjamin Kaiser (Princeton University), Daniel Park (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute), Dr. Robert K. Cunningham (University of Pittsburgh), and Prof. Adam Chlipala (MIT), and published in Proceedings of the 2022 IEEE 35th Computer Security Foundations Symposium, August 2022.
This paper was chosen for describing significant advances toward correctly implementing cryptographic protocols, a notoriously difficult and error-prone task. Because of the ever-growing reliance on cryptography in critical systems, new approaches are urgently needed to evaluate the soundness of cryptographic mechanisms in the face of strong, unpredictable attackers. Several state-of-the-art verification tools have been developed but are too difficult to use effectively. The authors propose a new language for building provably secure protocols that could lay the foundation for user-friendly tools to help developers without formal verification experience apply protocols and automatically maintain proof-assisted security guarantees.
Previous Best Paper Award Recipients
2021
Cavity-enhanced microwave readout of a solid-state spin sensor, written by Erik R. Eisenach, Dr. John F. Barry, Dr. Michael O’Keeffe, Dr. Jennifer M. Schloss, Dr. Matthew H. Steinecker, MIT Prof. Dirk R. Englund, and Dr. Danielle A. Braje, and published in Nature Communications, Volume 12, March 2021.
2020
Operation of an Optical Atomic Clock with a Brillouin Laser Subsystem, written by William Loh, Jules Stuart, David Reens, Colin Bruzewicz, Danielle Braje, John Chiaverini, Paul Juodawlkis, Jeremy Sage, and Robert McConnell, and published in Nature, Volume 588, December 2020.
2019
Discovering the Smallest Observed Near-Earth Objects with the Space Surveillance Telescope, Dr. Arthur Lue, Jessica D. Ruprecht, Jacob D. Varey, Dr. Herbert E. M. Viggh, and Dr. Mark G. Czerwinski, published in Icarus, Volume 325, June 2019.
2018
Creating Synthetic Radar Imagery Using Convolutional Neural Networks, by Dr. Mark S. Veillette, Eric P. Hassey, Christopher J. Mattioli, Dr. Haig Iskenderian, and Patrick M. Lamey, published in the Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology, vol. 35, no. 12, December 2018.
2017
Large-Format Geiger-Mode Avalanche Photodiode Arrays and Readout Circuits, by Dr. Brian F. Aull, Dr. Erik K. Duerr, Jonathan P. Frechette, K. Alexander McIntosh, Dr. Daniel R. Schuette, and Richard D. Younger, published in the IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics, March/April 2018.
2016
Microhydraulic Electrowetting Actuators by Dr. Jakub T. Kedzierski, Kevin Meng, Prof. Todd A. Thorsen, Dr. Rafmag Cabrera, and Dr. Shaun R. Berry, published in Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems, vol. 25, no. 2, April 2016.
2015
Broadband Magnetometry and Temperature Sensing with a Light-Trapping Diamond Waveguide, by Hannah A. Clevenson, Matthew E. Trusheim, Carson A. Teale, Dr. Danielle A. Braje, Dr. Tim Schröder, and Prof. Dirk R. Englund, published in Nature Physics Letters, vol. 11, 6 April 2015.
Multi-Aperture Digital Coherent Combining for Next-Generation Optical Communication Receivers, by Dr. Timothy M. Yarnall, Dr. David J. Geisler, Mark L. Stevens, Dr. Curt M. Schieler, Dr. Bryan S. Robinson, and Dr. Scott A. Hamilton, published in Proceedings of the IEEE International Conference on Space Optical Systems, 2015.
2014
A Neural Network Retrieval Technique for High-Resolution Profiling of Cloudy Atmospheres, by Dr. William J. Blackwell and Dr. Adam B. Milstein, published in the IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Applied Earth Observations and Remote Sensing, vol. 7, no. 4, 2014.
2013
Reciprocity-Enhanced Optical Communication Through Atmospheric Turbulence — Part I: Reciprocity Proofs and Far-Field Power Transfer Optimization and Part II: Communication Architectures and Performance, by Dr. Andrew L. Puryear, Prof. Jeffrey H. Shapiro (MIT), and Dr. Ronald R. Parenti, published in December 2012 and August 2013 in the IEEE/OSA Journal of Optical Communications and Networking.
2012
Enhancing Large Urban Photo Collections with 3D Ladar and GIS Data, by Dr. Peter L. Cho and Prof. Noah Snavely (Cornell University), published in the International Journal of Remote Sensing Applications, vol. 3, no. 1, 2013.
2011
Broad-Spectrum Antiviral Therapeutics, by Dr. Todd H. Rider, Christina E. Zook, Tara L. Boettcher, Scott T. Wick, Jennifer S. Pancoast, and Benjamin D. Zusman, published in PLoS ONE, July 2011.
2010
High-Pitch Formant Estimation by Exploiting Temporal Change of Pitch, by Dr. Thomas F. Quatieri and Tianyu T. Wang, published in IEEE Transactions on Audio, Speech, and Language Processing, vol. 18, no. 1, 2010.
2009
Airspace Encounter Models for Estimating Collision Risk, by Dr. Mykel J. Kochenderfer, Matthew W. M. Edwards, Leo P. Espindle, Dr. James K. Kuchar, and J. Daniel Griffith, published in the AIAA Journal of Guidance, Control, and Dynamics, vol. 33, no. 2, 2010.
2022 Best Invention Award Recipients
System and Technique for Influence Estimation on Social Media Networks Using Causal Inference, invented by Dr. Steven T. Smith, Dr. Edward K. Kao, Dr. Danelle C. Shah, and Dr. Olga Simek. The team also includes co-inventor Professor Donald Rubin from Harvard University.
Stretchable Knitted Cell Scaffolds, invented by Dr. Steven R. Gillmer, Erin Doran, Emily Holtzman, and Ariel M. Sandberg. The team also includes co-inventor Professor Ming Guo from MIT.
Previous Best Invention Award Recipients
2021
AI-Guided Ultrasound Intervention Device (AI-GUIDE), invented by Dr. Laura J. Brattain; Dr. Lars A. Gjesteby; Matthew R. Johnson; Dr. Brian A. Telfer; Nancy D. DeLosa; Joshua S. Werblin; Dr. Theodore Pierce, MD; and Dr. Anthony Samir, MD
Ferrimagnetic Oscillator Magnetometer, invented by Dr. John F. Barry, Reed A. Irion, Dr. Daniel K. Freeman, Dr. Matthew H. Steinecker, Jessica J. Kedziora, and Dr. Danielle A. Braje
2020
Electrospray Device and Fabrication Methods, invented by Melissa Smith, Donna-Ruth Yost, Noah Siegel, Daniel Freeman, and Paulo Lozano
2019
Noncontact Laser Ultrasound for Medical Imaging and Elastography, invented by Robert W. Haupt and Dr. Charles M. Wynn.
Timely Randomization Applied to Commodity Executables at Runtime, invented by Dr. Hamed Okhravi.
2018
Advanced DNA Forensics System, invented by Dr. Darrell O. Ricke, Tara L. Boettcher, Philip D. Fremont-Smith, Adam M. Michaleas, Dr. Martha S. Petrovick, Dr. Eric D. Schwoebel, and James G. Watkins.
2017
Field-Programmable Imaging Array, invented by Dr. Peter J. Grossmann, Jonathan P. Frechette, Brian M. Tyrrell, Matthew S. Stamplis, and Kate E. Thurmer.
Toroidal Propeller, invented by Dr. Thomas Sebastian and Christopher Strem.
2016
Photonic Integrated Resonant Accelerometer, invented by Dr. Suraj Bramhavar and Dr. Paul W. Juodawlkis.
Substrate Containing Latent Vaporization Reagents, invented by Dr. Jude A. Kelley, Dr. Richard P. Kingsborough, Alla Ostrinskaya, and Dr. Roderick R. Kunz.
2015
Rapid and Precise Optically Multiplexed Imaging, invented by Dr. Yaron Rachlin, Dr. Tina Shih, Dr. R. Hamilton Shepard, and Vinay N. Shah.
2014
Offshore Precipitation Capability, invented by Dr. Mark S. Veillette, Dr. Haig Iskenderian, Dr. Marilyn M. Wolfson, Christopher J. Mattioli, Earle R. Williams, Eric P. Hassey, and Patrick M. Lamey.
2013
Digital Readout Method and Apparatus (better known as the Digital-Pixel Focal Plane Array), invented by Dr. Michael W. Kelly, Dr. Daniel L. Mooney, Curtis B. Colonero, Dr. Robert Berger, and Lawrence M. Candell.
2012
SHAMROCK: Self-Contained High-Assurance MicRO Crypto and Key-Management Processor, invented by Dr. Roger I. Khazan, Dr. Joshua I. Kramer, Daniil M. Utin, Dr. M. Michael Vai, and Dr. David J. Whelihan.
2011
External-Cavity One-Dimensional Multi-wavelength Beam Combining of Two-Dimensional Laser Elements, invented by Dr. Bien Chann, Dr. Tso Yee Fan, and Dr. Antonio Sanchez-Rubio.
2010
Liquid Crystal Thermal Imagers, invented by Dr. Robert K. Reich and Harry R. Clark Jr.
2009
Multi-element Optical Detectors with Sub-wavelength Gaps, invented by Dr. Eric A. Dauler and Dr. Andrew J. Kerman of MIT Lincoln Laboratory, and Prof. Karl K. Berggren, Dr. Joel Yang, and Dr. Vikas Anant of MIT.