Collaborative Research: Internship Network in the Mathematical Sciences

这个项目解决了数学科学研究生教育中的一个关键挑战。虽然学术界的就业机会在减少或保持不变，但在过去二十年中，每年授予数学科学博士学位的人数显著增加。大多数数学科学博士学位获得者现在从事商业、工业或政府（BIG）工作。让学生有机会在研究生学习期间而不是之后了解潜在的大职业，将有助于更有效地部署国家的科学和智力资本。为研究生提供培训和职业经验，为他们在商业、工业和政府中有数学意义的职业道路做好准备，这是非常必要的。该项目直接针对这一未被满足的需求，同时旨在通过为参与BIG的组织提供能够应用先进数学科学技术的知识渊博的人员来加强它们的竞争力。为实现这些目标，将在两个地理区域建立中心辐射式实习网络。辐条将中心大学与节点连接起来，这些节点是附近拥有大量数学科学研究生课程的机构。这些中心将组织系统的技术和专业技能培训项目，为学生在BIG的生产性实习做好准备。学生将被仔细匹配到由中心的专业项目开发人员创建的实习项目中。该项目将对参与的BIG组织产生重大影响。实习生将创造新的研发工具，从而提高效率、生产力和盈利能力。相反，工业中产生的问题可以在数学和统计学中开创新的学术研究方向。由于实习经历使毕业生能够追求更广泛的就业机会，因此将感受到教育和生活方面的影响。来自弱势群体的学生的参与将增加BIG的多样性，并为学生打开通往高级职位的大门，在那里他们可以成为榜样。此外，大雇主将开始欣赏数学科学研究生项目所提供的人才。这种网络结构使资源和最佳实践得以共享，并为今后扩大规模奠定了基础。预期的持久影响包括：(i)建立持久的产学研合作，并提供持续的实习机会；（ii）在数学科学领域创造一种新的院系文化，在这种文化中，毕业生进入工业界和政府的职业道路是可见的、有价值的和可行的。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project addresses a key challenge in graduate education in the mathematical sciences. While employment opportunities in academia are decreasing or constant in number, the annual number of PhDs awarded in the mathematical sciences has increased significantly in the past two decades. Most mathematical sciences PhD recipients now pursue careers in business, industry, or government (BIG) jobs. Opportunities for students to learn about potential BIG careers during graduate study rather than afterward would facilitate much more efficient deployment of the nation’s scientific and intellectual capital. The need is great to provide training and career experiences to graduate students that intentionally prepare them for mathematically meaningful career paths in business, industry, and government. This project aims squarely at this unmet need, while simultaneously aiming to strengthen the competitiveness of participating BIG organizations by providing them access to highly knowledgeable people able to apply advanced techniques from the mathematical sciences. To accomplish these goals, hub-and-spoke internship networks will be created in two geographic regions. The spokes connect the hub universities to nodes, which are nearby institutions having sizable mathematical sciences graduate programs. The hubs will organize systematic training programs on technical and professional skills, to prepare students for productive internships in BIG. Students will be carefully matched with internship projects created through the efforts of specialist Project Developers based at the hubs. The impact of the project will be substantial for the participating BIG organizations. Interns will create new R&D tools that lead to greater efficiency, productivity, and profitability. Conversely, questions arising from industry can initiate new academic research directions in mathematics and statistics. Educational and life impacts will be felt as internship experiences empower graduates to pursue wider ranges of employment opportunities. Engagement of students from under-represented groups will increase diversity in BIG and open doors for the students toward high-ranking positions, where they can serve as role models. Further, BIG employers will come to appreciate the talents offered by graduate programs in the mathematical sciences. The network structure enables sharing of resources and best practices and lays the groundwork for scaling up in future. Anticipated lasting impacts include (i) the establishment of enduring industry-university collaborations with ongoing internship placements and (ii) the creation of a new departmental culture in the mathematical sciences in which graduate career paths to industry and government are visible, valued, and viable.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.