Author Archives: Ghoussoub

NSERC’s scholarships and fellowships: Policy shift or collateral damage?

Posted on July 20, 2011 by Ghoussoub

The following comment to this blog got my attention:  “I’m wondering if anyone else has noticed the most recent NSERC PGS (Post-Graduate Scholarships) and PDF (Post-Doctoral Fellowships) numbers: Across all disciplines from 2010 to 2011, Master’s awards are down 36%, … Continue reading →

Posted in R&D Policy | 12 Comments

“You cannot avoid the impression that science is for sale”

Posted on July 18, 2011 by Ghoussoub

That was Michael Hartmer, director of the German Association of University Professors, commenting to Der Spiegel on the latest “textbook example of how not to manage the relationship between private industry and the academy”. A far cry from what was … Continue reading →

Posted in Op-eds, R&D Policy | 2 Comments

When an Ottawa bureaucrat calls!

Posted on July 13, 2011 by Ghoussoub

“Just so you know, I fund your organization, so when I tell you to do something, I expect you to do it”. No, this was not an elected official. Politicians normally know better than to say such things. That was … Continue reading →

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Sleepless in Taiwan

Posted on July 10, 2011 by Ghoussoub

I am in Taipei for a mathematics conference in celebration of the 60th birthday of a great colleague, a superior scholar, an enriching scientific collaborator, and a dear friend,  Chang-Shou Lin. What a treat it is to be here –notwithstanding … Continue reading →

Posted in Honouring friends | 1 Comment

“Decision-based evidence making” and the future of Canada’s scientific research

Posted on June 30, 2011 by Ghoussoub

It’s official! “Our highest rated Discovery Grant researchers have a higher incidence of working with industry than their colleagues”. Thus spoke NSERC’s president Suzanne Fortier in her reply  to the open letter by 331 mathematical scientists, including 27 Canada Research … Continue reading →

Posted in R&D Policy | 16 Comments

UBC to incentivize its own to live on the university land

Posted on June 20, 2011 by Ghoussoub

In the next five days, I and a few other UBC governors and senior staff will be visiting NYU, Columbia, Harvard, UCLA, UC-Irvine and Stanford. Just like UBC, these universities are located in areas where housing prices are prohibitive. And … Continue reading →

Posted in Board of Governors, UBC Housing Action Plan | 8 Comments

Where is Discovery’s money going?

Posted on June 19, 2011 by Ghoussoub

Treasury Board’s main estimates for 2011-12 were put out this week. On page 219 you will find the estimates for NSERC. Discover grants are scheduled to go up by $2M (less than 0.5% increase) while infrastructure will go down by … Continue reading →

Posted in R&D Policy | 2 Comments

A senior scholar reports on S. Fortier’s presentation at the CMS meeting

Posted on June 18, 2011 by Ghoussoub

First there was the open letter to the industry minister by 327 mathematical scientists, including 27 Canada Research Chairs and 35 fellows of the Royal Society of Canada. Then came the public letter by 16 members of the Evaluation Group … Continue reading →

Posted in Op-eds, R&D Policy | 5 Comments

When leaders disappoint … there is always poetry

Posted on June 7, 2011 by Ghoussoub

“You should have been there to hear and counter the rhetoric about our self-inflicted failures”, one of several disappointed callers said after the presentation of NSERC’s President in Edmonton.  Madame Fortier’s take-home message? It was the mathematicians problem: That $700K … Continue reading →

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Canucks last supper

Posted on June 3, 2011 by Ghoussoub
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Time to clean up the mess at the Discovery Grants program

Posted on May 31, 2011 by Ghoussoub

NSERC’s President Suzanne Fortier will be making a presentation on June 03 at the Edmonton meeting of the Canadian Mathematical Society. The unexpected visit is undoubtedly related to the public letter by 16 members of the Evaluation Group 1508, which … Continue reading →

Posted in Op-eds, R&D Policy | 1 Comment

Top 40 …pieces of mind

Posted on May 23, 2011 by Ghoussoub

… in case you are wondering how many are following this blog and what are its most popular topics. It is somewhat depressing but understandable to see that our posts on NSERC’s new ways have been  the most viewed (The most … Continue reading →

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16 NSERC panelists write to Suzanne Fortier about the 2011 Discovery Grants Competition

Posted on May 19, 2011 by Ghoussoub

16 out of the 28 members of Evaluation Group 1508  (for Mathematics and Statistics) wrote the following letter to NSERC’s President Suzanne Fortier to “draw (her) attention to the distressing results of the 2011 Discovery Grants Program”.  It is a … Continue reading →

Posted in Op-eds, R&D Policy | 11 Comments

Why is the 2011 data on NSERC’s Discovery Grants so radioactive?

Posted on May 17, 2011 by Ghoussoub

Two months after the end of the 2011 competition for Discovery Grants, NSERC is yet to release the full data on its outcome. The reason given is that there is a gov’t-wide hold on releasing data/making announcements. However, colleagues who … Continue reading →

Posted in Op-eds, R&D Policy | 4 Comments

From MITACS to Mprime: Where do we go from here?

Posted on May 12, 2011 by Ghoussoub

Canada’s mathematical sciences community currently faces many challenges. One that stands out particularly is the imminent elapse of the federal funding (about $5.4-million per year) for the MITACS Network of Centres of Excellence. This NCE currently supports 377 Canadian academic … Continue reading →

Posted in Op-eds, R&D Policy | 4 Comments

A “Successful” NSERC Discovery Grant applicant replies to Isabelle Blain

Posted on May 6, 2011 by Ghoussoub

Here is the reply of fellow mathematician, Greg Martin, to Isabelle Blain’s letter to the 2011 Discovery Grants applicants in mathematics and statistics (See below). There is also the open letter of Frithjof Lutscher.

Posted in Op-eds | 4 Comments

How Alzheimer’s stole the things he loved: Mathematics and Music

Posted on May 2, 2011 by Ghoussoub

Fields medalist Daniel Quillen died yesterday at the age of 70. Known for his role in developing higher algebraic K-theory, Quillen was, until 2006, a Professor of Pure Mathematics at Oxford. His wife of 50 years, Jean Quillen, sent this … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

NSERC should stick with linear thinking…and own principles

Posted on April 28, 2011 by Ghoussoub

Dozens of mathematical and statistical scientists are currently signing an open letter to Tony Clement (Minister of Industry) and Suzanne Fortier (NSERC’s President). You can sign it here if you wish. No, this petition is not about the long-form census, … Continue reading →

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NSERC Discovery Grants: What do we know about the 2011 Math/Stats competition?

Posted on April 24, 2011 by Ghoussoub

We are not used to see the normally confident scientists at the University of Toronto so agitated and angry at NSERC. Some of their mathematicians are screaming from the rooftops that the “NSERC Peer Review System is Broken for Mathematics“. … Continue reading →

Posted in Op-eds, R&D Policy | 5 Comments

The good, the bad and the ugly in Tories Research Policy

Posted on April 18, 2011 by Ghoussoub

Unlike the other parties, the Conservatives have now a 5-year track record on research policy. Their proposed 2011 budget may also be considered as their platform, at least for the short term. Their research policies are de-facto more detailed, hence … Continue reading →

Posted in Op-eds, R&D Policy | 4 Comments