Travel Support for the Math in Moscow Program

莫斯科数学项目的旅行支持

• 批准号: 1112903
• 负责人: T. Christine Stevens
• 金额: $ 30.69万
• 依托单位: American Mathematical Society
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2011
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2011-08-15 至 2015-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1112903&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Travel; Support; Math; Moscow; Program

With this grant, the American Mathematical Society (AMS) is requesting funding for three years to be used primarily to provide ten scholarships ($9,000 each) per academic year to mathematically talented U.S. undergraduates for a semester of study at the Math in Moscow program of the Independent University of Moscow (IUM). The IUM is a small, elite institution of higher learning that focuses primarily on mathematics. It was founded in 1991 at the initiative of a group of well-known Russian research mathematicians, who now comprise the Academic Council of the University. Over the past several years, the National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded three continuing grants to the AMS with funds to be used to support these scholarships. The scholarship will cover a substantial part of the typical cost for a semester of study in the Math in Moscow program. The remaining funds will cover the costs of increased administrative support for the program, which includes a plan to perform a longitudinal survey of scholarship recipients that will follow each student for eight years to measure outcomes of the program with regard to students going on to obtain M.A. and PhD degrees.The Math in Moscow program provides a unique, intensive research experience for mathematically talented students, taught in English. This program consists primarily of courses in mathematics and theoretical computer science, and provides both an academically enriching experience because it allows mathematically talented students to meet and work with other students who share an intense interest in mathematics, as well as the chance to work with some of the world's leading mathematicians. The program provides an experience of mathematics that the students would not find in the U.S. This is because students experience the field of mathematics as it is practiced in the Russian tradition, the main feature of which has always been the development of a creative approach to mathematics, with the emphasis being on problem solving rather than memorizing theorems. Indeed, at the IUM, discovering mathematics under the guidance of an experienced teacher is the central principle of its program, and the Math in Moscow program emphasizes in-depth understanding of carefully selected material rather than broad surveys of large quantities of material. Many of the students who have received the previous NSF-funded scholarships to attend the Math in Moscow program have gone on to study mathematics in highly competitive graduate programs in the U.S. In addition to providing an academically enriching experience, the Math in Moscow program fills a gap in study abroad opportunities for mathematically talented undergraduates interested in studying research-level mathematics, and the scholarship program provides vital support for such students to take advantage of this unique opportunity. Finally, there is another strong rationale for supporting such a program. It is a way to build vital scholarly connections between the Russian and U.S. mathematics communities, which are certainly in the best interest for the future scientific research of both countries. Creating ties between mathematicians in our two communities, both young and old, will promote scientific cooperation far into the future.

利用这笔赠款，美国数学学会(AMS)要求提供为期三年的资金，主要用于每学年向具有数学天赋的美国本科生提供10个奖学金(每个奖学金9000美元)，让他们在莫斯科独立大学(IUM)的莫斯科数学项目学习一个学期。该学院是一所规模较小的精英高等教育机构，主要专注于数学。它是在一群著名的俄罗斯研究数学家的倡议下于1991年建立的，他们现在组成了该大学的学术委员会。在过去的几年里，国家科学基金会(NSF)已经向AMS授予了三项持续资助，资金将用于支持这些奖学金。这笔奖学金将支付莫斯科数学项目一个学期的典型学习费用的很大一部分。剩余的资金将用于增加对该项目的行政支持，其中包括一项对奖学金获得者进行纵向调查的计划，该调查将对每名学生进行八年的跟踪调查，以衡量该项目在继续获得硕士和博士学位方面的结果。莫斯科数学项目为有数学天赋的学生提供了一种独特的密集研究体验，用英语授课。该项目主要由数学和理论计算机科学课程组成，它既提供了丰富的学术经验，因为它允许有数学天赋的学生与其他对数学有浓厚兴趣的学生见面并合作，也提供了与一些世界顶尖数学家合作的机会。该项目提供了学生在美国找不到的数学体验。这是因为学生体验了俄罗斯传统中的数学领域，其主要特点一直是发展一种创造性的数学方法，强调解决问题而不是记忆定理。事实上，在该学院，在经验丰富的老师的指导下发现数学是其项目的核心原则，莫斯科的数学项目强调对精心挑选的材料的深入理解，而不是对大量材料的广泛调查。许多之前获得NSF资助的奖学金来参加莫斯科数学项目的学生都在美国竞争激烈的研究生项目中学习数学。除了提供丰富的学术经历外，莫斯科数学项目还填补了有数学天赋的本科生对研究水平数学感兴趣的海外学习机会的空白，该奖学金项目为这些学生利用这一独特的机会提供了至关重要的支持。最后，支持这样一项计划还有另一个强有力的理由。这是在俄罗斯和美国数学界之间建立重要学术联系的一种方式，这肯定符合两国未来科学研究的最佳利益。在我们两个社区的数学家之间建立联系，无论是年轻人还是老年人，将促进遥远的未来的科学合作。