[cmath] News from BIRS

[Nassif Ghoussoub]

A bit mangled story but better than nothing. This appeared today in  
several North american press outlets,
including the CBC
http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2010/09/27/banff-math-centre.html

You will be able to see later today the video of the announcements  
ceremony at http://www.birs.ca/
The first hour is a fascinating and hugely inspiring public lecture by  
Rita Colwell.

.... and don't forget that tonight (midnight) is the deadline for BIRS  
submissions for the 2012 program.

Nassif

****************************************************************


North American governments kick in over $10 million for math centre in  
Banff
Canadian Press
Sun Sep 26 2010
Section: National general news
BANFF, Alta. _ Tucked in among artists, performers and writers at the  
Banff Centre in the Alberta Rockies, a building run by mathematicians  
was the scene this weekend of an international funding announcement  
worth millions of dollars for math and statistical research.

When it's added up, which guests at the Banff International Research  
Station are very, very good at doing, it totals more than $10 million  
over five years from the United States, Canadian, Alberta, and Mexican  
governments.

``It's the first time we have the National Science Foundation of the  
United States investing so much money in Canadian infrastructure in  
Alberta. And it's the first time the Mexican government invested in  
(research) outside Mexico,'' explained Nassif Ghoussoub, who is the  
scientific director and founder of the research station.

Every year, the station hosts over 2,000 researchers from around the  
world for week-long brainstorming sessions. If formulas are needed to  
simulate testing for fuel cells, the station invites 40 experts to  
spend a week in Banff to work on a solution. And if statistical  
methods for surveying a population's spending habits is required, the  
station knows who to call.

It has been operating since 2003. In 2005 it received $10 million over  
five years from its partnering agencies.

This weekend's announcement allows the station to continue operating  
and includes $3.25 million from the Natural Sciences and Engineering  
Research Council of Canada, $3.4 million from Alberta Advanced  
Education and Technology, and $3.68 million from the U.S. National  
Science Foundation.

It also includes $250,000 from the Mexican government.

``(It) represents the only serious joint educational and scientific  
research program in the NAFTA space,'' Jose Antonio de la Pena of  
Mexico's national council on science, said in a news release.

Cora Marrett, acting director of the U.S. National Science Foundation,  
said the station is important for providing solutions to  
environmental, health, security and sustainability issues.

``Mathematical sciences are a key to innovation and for advancing the  
frontiers of scientific discovery,'' Marrett noted in the release.

Ghoussoub, who is also a professor at the University of British  
Columbia, said the station is modelled on similar European facilities.  
No such facility existed in North America, so he and other organizers  
approached a few governments almost 10 years ago.

He said the Alberta government offered the Banff Centre, saying it  
could get the project moving quickly if he could bring the Canadian  
and U.S. governments on-board.

Guests at the facility sleep and eat on-site, set in the beauty of a  
national park.

``It's a think tank. It's really about getting the best people in the  
world to come to Banff and spend some time together day and night  
essentially and working in isolation and solve problems jointly or  
develop research programs jointly,'' Ghoussoub said, adding the  
setting is inspiring and the mathematicians get to mingle with the  
artists who also inhabit the Banff Centre.

``Mathematicians are also very interested in music, in the arts, and  
we have workshops on scientific writing, the connection between  
mathematics and the visual arts. We try to develop synergies between  
the two groups,'' he said.

Copyright © 2010 The Canadian Press



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