INITITIATIVE FOR THE ENHANCEMENT OF MATHEMATICAL RESEARCH AND EDUCATION AT CORNELL

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Abstract The purpose of the VIGRE project at Cornell University is to foster working relationships among undergraduates, graduates, postdoctoral faculty and permanent faculty; to promote the transfer of skills and knowledge between mathematicians inside the Mathematics Department and scientists, engineers and mathematicians outside the Mathematics Department; and to enhance and expand communications and contacts among teachers of mathematics at all levels. This project consists of four main components: 1. Postdoctoral positions with a one course per semester teaching load will bring top young mathematicians to Cornell to participate in our mathematical research and teaching community. Each postdoctoral fellow will be assigned a faculty mentor and will be exposed to a wide variety of the possible applications of mathematics at Cornell, but they will be completely free to choose the topics of their research. 2. Beginning in the fall of 2000, several new VIGRE trainees each year will receive two years of fellowship support over the first three years of their graduate career. The program will engage the students in mathematical research as early as possible and will allow them to learn about the applications of mathematics in biology, physical sciences, or engineering. Some one-semester trainee awards will be available to other students in the middle to late stages of their academic career. These awards will allow them to pursue applied research or simply to have a free semester to get their thesis research in order. 3. Undergraduates will be supported by a variety of mechanisms. VIGRE funds will make it possible to support Cornell undergraduate math majors during the summer before their senior years in order to facilitate their pursuit of honors programs and writing senior theses in mathematics. A second new opportunity for the undergraduate math major is to do work in collaboration with scientists at a variety of labs on campus. A third benefit of VIGRE funds is that it will allow more Cornell students to participate in the successful REU Program and conversely, it will bring the benefits of the summer REU Program to Cornell math majors during the school year. 4. We will support outreach activities in the local schools in order to expose talented students to the excitement of mathematics and the career opportunities that further study would open for them. This program is being jointly funded by the Division of Mathematical Sciences and the Office of Multidisciplinary Programs from the Directorate of Physical and Mathematical Sciences.