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Category Archives: Banff International Research Station
Nicole Tomczak-Jaegermann 1945-2022
My friend and fellow mathematician, Nicole Tomczak-Jaegermann, passed away peacefully on the 17th of June. She had been suffering from Parkinson disease since 2007. Nicole received her Master’s (1968) and Ph.D. (1974) degrees from Warsaw University, where she held … Continue reading
Posted in Banff International Research Station, Honouring friends
Tagged Mathematics
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NSERC corrects a mistake, but many remain unaddressed
No, I am not talking about the sudden and probably more consequential recent change in NSERC’s leadership, but about an accounting mistake. Yes, it looks minor, but it speaks volume. As I mentioned in a previous post, I resigned last … Continue reading
Posted in Banff International Research Station, R&D Policy, Uncategorized
Tagged AARMS, BIRS, CRM, CTRMS, EG, Fields, LRP, Mathematics, MSLC, NSERC Discovery, PIMS, research, science, Statistics
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Is the BIRS programme multiple disciplinary enough for NSERC?
The programs of the Banff International Research Station (BIRS) in Banff and Oaxaca are supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), Canada’s Natural Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), Mexico’s Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACyT), and the … Continue reading
Posted in Banff International Research Station, R&D Policy
Tagged Alberta, Conacyt, CRCC, NSERC, NSF, Oberwolfach, research, Tom Brzustowski
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Interview with a mathematician: Nassif Ghoussoub
Originally posted on The Intrepid Mathematician:
Nassif Ghoussoub is the founder and current director of the Banff International Research Station, the founding director of the Pacific Institute of Mathematics, and the co-founder of MITACS NCE. On top of all that,…
Posted in Banff International Research Station, Honouring friends, R&D Policy
Tagged Arvind Gupta, Beit Chebab, BIRS, CFREF, CMO, Conacyt, Mathematics, Mitacs, Nigel Lloyd, NSERC, NSF, Oaxaca, Ono, Order of Canada, PIMS, Riemann Hypothesis, science, Tom Brzustowski, UBC
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About Naylor’s panel roundtable regarding Big Science in a Canadian Context
For those not paying attention, David Naylor is leading “Canada’s Fundamental Science Review Panel” which is looking at the state of fundamental science in Canada. Last week, I had a chance to participate at a roundtable of experts in Calgary, … Continue reading
Posted in Banff International Research Station, R&D Policy
Tagged Art Carty, Art MacDonald, BIRS, Canadian Light Source, CERC, CFI, CFREF, Chief Science Advisor, Compute Canada, Jenkins, NRC, SNOLAB, Triumf
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The Submission of BIRS and Canada’s Mathematical Sciences Institutes to Canada’s Fundamental Science Review
The Mathematical Sciences are the foundation of any advanced research ecosystem, and Canada’s mathematical sciences institutes have been instrumental in supporting this ecosystem. They do so by providing scientific leadership, by developing coherent national strategies for mathematical and statistical discovery … Continue reading
Posted in Banff International Research Station, R&D Policy
Tagged AARMS, BIRS, CANSSI, CRM, Fields, Mathematical Sciences Institutes, Naylor Panel, PIMS
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Humbled and Proud
All I could think of when the phone call from the Governor General office came was the friendly face of the immigration officer who signed my residence papers more than 36 years ago. I hadn’t applied for a refugee’s visa, … Continue reading
Posted in Banff International Research Station, Honouring friends
Tagged BIRS, Mitacs, Order of Canada, PIMS
7 Comments
A few words at a happy event
Thank you, Mme. Chancellor. Thank You, Mr. President, and Thank you, University of Victoria, for this tremendous honour. I obviously have many connections to UVic, but I should start by mentioning a very special one.
Posted in Banff International Research Station, Honouring friends
Tagged Alan Turing, Alex McCauley, Ed Perkins, Emmy Noether, G.H. Hardy, Honorary Doctor of Science, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, John Nash, Martin Taylor, Ramanujan, Reinhard Illner, Sophie Germain, The University of Victoria
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Four lessons from an amazing site visit
A joint site visit to the Banff International Research Station (BIRS) by four granting agencies representing four different governments, happened on April 16 and 17. Eight officials from the US National Science Foundation (NSF), Canada’s Natural Science and Engineering Research … Continue reading
Posted in Banff International Research Station
Tagged Alberta Innovation, BIRS, Conacyt, Doug Mitchell, Janice Price, NSERC, NSF, Peer review, Rita Colwell
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UBC appoints a doer as its 13th President
Once again, UBC has steered clear of appointing a career university administrator for its top position. Unlike UofT and UVic, who opted for the ultimate insiders, and McGill, who went for a consummate bureaucrat, UBC has chosen to appoint a … Continue reading
Artists, Philanthropists, Politicians join mathematicians in celebrating BIRS-affiliate research facility in Oaxaca
Today, I am in Oaxaca, Mexico, partying (literally) with the Director General of the National Council for Science and Technology (CONACyT), Dr. Enrique Cabrero Mendoza, the Governor of the State of Oaxaca, Gabino Cué Monteagudo, Billionaire Philanthropist Harp Helú, several senior representatives of … Continue reading
Posted in Banff International Research Station
Tagged Banff, BIRS, Conacyt, Mathematics, Mexico, Oaxaca, UNAM
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Oaxaca to join Banff as a hotbed for the mathematical sciences
The Banff International Research Station for Mathematical Innovation and Discovery (BIRS) is now accepting proposals for its 2015 program. BIRS will again be hosting a 48-week scientific program at its station in Banff. There is also a possibility (to be … Continue reading
Tell me about El CASA
Once again, I had to perform the unpleasant annual task of writing to more than 120 colleagues and their co-applicants all over the world to inform them that their proposals to run a research workshop at the Banff International Research … Continue reading
Posted in Banff International Research Station
Tagged Banff, BIRS, CASA, Conacyt, El Centro de las Artes San Agustín Etla, Francisco Toledo, NSERC, NSF, Oaxaca
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Why do I have the best job in the world
Just imagine if you receive a Valentine’s card every day of every week of every one of the last 10 years. OK! not the loving and lusting kind, but the feel good and appreciative type. “Dear BIRS Director, The attached paper, `Byzantine … Continue reading
Will BIRS bring CIFAR and the mathematical sciences together?
My inbox started filling up at an unusual speed. The Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR) had just announced a partnership with The Banff Centre (TBC). “The two institutions are teaming up to create a physical home for CIFAR, with the … Continue reading
Posted in Banff International Research Station, R&D Policy
Tagged Alan Bernstein, BIRS, CalgaryHerald, CIFAR, Darwin, Mathematics, TBC
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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
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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
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
Canada’s Mathematical “Dream Team”
Back on July 2nd, I received a report that four members of Canada’s International Math Olympiad team were stuck for more than an hour in the elevator, while training at the Banff International Research Station. Well, it doesn’t look like this time … Continue reading
Piece of Mind 