AUUG instituted the John Lions award to recognize the leading role that John Lions played in bringing UNIX to Australia, in the formation of AUUG, and in the promotion of the values held by the open systems community.

In May 1974, Ken Thompson and Dennis Ritchie published their landmark paper, The Unix Time-Sharing System, which greatly impressed John Lions. As a result, he decided to base his Operating Systems course around understanding source code, in the process creating a piece of computer history with the famous Lions Book, an in-depth analysis of the function of the UNIX kernel. Round the same time, he founded AUUG as a group of computer scientists who had a common interest in the UNIX Operating System.

Today AUUG has members throughout Australia from industry, commerce, and education and works to promote the benefits of open architectures and standards compliance in languages, operating systems, networks and applications. AUUG focuses on the latest developments in open systems by the exchange of ideas and solutions through local chapters, the annual conference, local chapter conferences, and its journal AUUGN.

The prize consists of:

• A cash prize of $1000.
• One year's membership of AUUG.
• Announcement of the prize at the main AUUG conference and in AUUGN.
• A framed certificate.
• The winner's name inscribed on a permanent awards board, displayed in the AUUG office and at the main conference.

Requirements

The John Lions Award is awarded to a full time student of an Australian University for an in-progress or recently completed honours or postgraduate thesis in the area of Open Systems.

The award is judged on the basis of an approximately one page or 500 word description of the work. The evaluation committee may wish to interview students on the short list for the prize and possibly see a demonstration of the work so far completed.

The decision of the evaluation committee is final and the committee reserves the right to not award the prize if a suitable entry has not been submitted.

Date for Entries

Entries for the 2003 Lions Award must be received by 2 May 2003. More details on how to enter will be posted here in January 2003.

What sort of work might qualify?

Appropriate topics are interesting uses of open systems technology, contribution to understanding of open systems, programs, tools or knowledge about UNIX and open systems, including computer communications, networks and operating systems. If you are not sure whether your work may qualify, mail: Lions_Award@auug.org.au.

Entries may be submitted by email to Lions_Award@auug.org.au or by post to John Lions Student Award, AUUG Incorporated, PO Box 7071, Baulkham Hills BC, NSW, 2153

Read about John Lions