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Author Archives: Ghoussoub
Mathematical Instruments
Originally posted on Mathblogging.org — the Blog:
This post is part of the series Mathematical Instruments in which we introduce you to some of the math bloggers listed on our site. Today: via Wikimedia Commons Nassif Ghoussoub — Piece…
Posted in Uncategorized
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Ted Odell
Originally posted on Gowers's Weblog:
I was shocked and saddened to hear about a week ago that Ted Odell, a mathematician to whom I owe a lot, died suddenly on January 9th of a heart attack while he was…
Posted in Honouring friends
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Re-allocation among disciplines at NSERC: Bibliometrics or a deliberative process?
Five years ago, NSERC’s officials rightly challenged the status quo by upholding, “that the level of a grant should be commensurate with merit, regardless of the applicant’s granting history with NSERC.” They don’t however seem to be in a hurry to tackle the equally … Continue reading
Posted in R&D Policy
3 Comments
The “Canada Excellence Research Chairs” program is a bad idea
“Perhaps some of the new boutique programs or politicized one-offs so beloved by governments will enable importation of a current or soon-to-be Nobel laureate. One can dimly imagine the cacophony of misguided self-congratulation that would accompany that ersatz milestone. In reality, the generation of a succession of … Continue reading
Posted in R&D Policy
Tagged Canada Research Chairs, Canadian universities, CERC, Jim Flaherty, R&D policy
7 Comments
In memory of Hugh C. Morris
“It is with great sadness that I write to inform you that in the early morning of December 23, my beloved father, and a man whom I know you knew very well, passed away.” That was Sue informing me yesterday … Continue reading
NSERC, Math, Stats, Innovation and all that jazz
Last weekend, representatives of Canada’s mathematical and statistical sciences community presented NSERC’s President, Suzanne Fortier, with a “Long Range Plan.” Entitled Solutions for a Complex Age, the report – commissioned by NSERC – is the result of two years of consultations and deliberations under … Continue reading
Posted in Banff International Research Station, R&D Policy
Tagged BIRS, CRM, discovery grants, Fields, Long Range Plan, Mitacs, Mprime, Nancy Reid, NSERC, PIMS
4 Comments
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to salute the “Mathematics of Planet Earth Initiative”
Marc Garneau, our astronaut MP, who saw from outer space how beautiful, fragile and precious our planet was, didn’t do it. Ted Hsu, our Physicist MP, who witnessed its launch last week-end in Montreal, didn’t talk about it. Kennedy Stewart, Official … Continue reading
After the students’ riots: “Nous, chercheurs et techniciens québécois …”
What do you expect the mood to be when you are sharing a banquet table with the Rector of UQAM, the President of Bishop, the former Rector of U. Montréal, a director of the Fonds de recherche du Québec (FRQNT), and the President … Continue reading
“Stock options” in the business of building research capacity
A highlight of my latest visit to Ottawa was a reunion with my friends and former brothers-in-arms, Don Dawson and Luc Vinet, at the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal Ceremony. Our role in founding the MITACS network back in another millennium … Continue reading
“Embedded” in Ottawa
I am getting to understand the risks (and rewards) of “embedded journalism.” Less than 24 hours into my trip to Ottawa, I started to feel uncharacteristically mollified, dangerously neutralized, and ridiculously guilty. Ever since I met with Gary Goodyear, Minister … Continue reading
Sixty already?!
For some, it is hard to believe: It is the hair! exclaimed once Shing-Tung Yau. I cannot believe it either, though for different reasons. And now that super-natural and sub-natural forces have failed to stop me from (almost) getting there, I am … Continue reading
Blame it on BIRS!
Where have you been? How come you haven’t been blogging lately, wrote a “Piece of Mind” loyalist. Why weren’t you at the PDE seminar, a colleague inquired. “On attend ton papier avec impatience,” wrote the editor of a special volume three … Continue reading
“We, the researchers in Europe … “
41,432 European researchers have already signed the following petition for the attention of the EU heads of state or government –1616 of them in the last hour alone. This follows the open letter of 42 European Nobel Laureates and 5 Fields … Continue reading
NSERC president explains recent program decisions and agency’s evolution
We are grateful to “RE$EARCH MONEY” for granting “Piece of Mind” the permission to post the following exclusive interview they have recently conducted with the President of NSERC, Suzanne Fortier. The original article is accessible to “RE$EARCH MONEY” subscribers on the … Continue reading
Posted in R&D Policy
1 Comment
Canada’s young scholars to contend with NSERC’s new dirigisme
NSERC has finally responded to the multiple articles, blogs and editorials criticizing the declining success rate in its postdoctoral fellowship program. It is unfortunate that they chose to do so through a media outlet that is sitting behind a pay … Continue reading
Posted in Op-eds, R&D Policy
Tagged CREATE, Dirigisme, discovery grants, NSERC, postdoctoral fellowships
5 Comments
“You hit the jackpot!”
That’s what I am told lately, over and over again. That the Banff International Research Station (BIRS) has hit the jackpot, because the man who has just accepted to chair its Board of Directors is no ordinary man. To have … Continue reading
Posted in Honouring friends, Op-eds
Tagged Banff International Research Station, Doug Mitchell, Karen Prentice
2 Comments
A historic institutional housing action plan at UBC
Cambridge and Oxford Universities have one. The Weizmann Institute has one, and so does Harvard, Princeton, NYU, Columbia, Stanford, UCLA and UC-Irvine. And in a Canadian first, in a move that will differentiate UBC from any other university in Canada, UBC has now … Continue reading
Posted in Board of Governors, UBC Housing Action Plan
Tagged Housing Action Plan, Recruitment, Retention, UBC
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Quite unusual for an Ottawa Monday morning dump
As always, politicians were crowding the Monday morning issue of the Hill Times newspaper. But today’s was different from any other day. No less than four politicians were either making “major” statements about federal plans for funding R&D, or taking … Continue reading
Posted in Op-eds, R&D Policy
Tagged Christian Paradis, Elizabeth May, Gary Goodyear, Hill Times, Kennedy Stewart, Life sciences, NSERC
1 Comment
The puck stops where?
“NSERC makes decisions on how to best utilize the resources allocated to them by the government.” That was Gary Goodyear, the federal minister responsible for science and technology. He was not responding to our post of last week in which … Continue reading
Posted in R&D Policy
6 Comments
Piece of Mind 