The $2,500 prize was given by the Industrial Organization Society at its annual conference held at Northeastern University in Boston April 3-5. Kim's paper Net Neutrality and Investment Incentives (with Jay Pil Choi, Professor at Michigan State) "analyzes the effects of net neutrality regulation on investment incentives for Internet service providers (ISPs) and content providers (CPs), and their implications for social welfare."

Net neutrality means that all the packets of information sent through the Internet by CPs are treated equally by ISPs, rather than a fee-based approach. Kim's paper was recognized for its important implications for regulatory policy, and also the Internet industry and users who must be eventually be affected by changes in current laws about net neutrality.