NSERC has lost its bearings, but who is responsible?

Posted on August 20, 2012 by Ghoussoub

Canada’s “Natural Science and Engineering Research Council” has grown uncomfortable with the rapidly dwindling success rate in its postdoctoral fellowship programme, the latest having clocked in at 7.8%. So, it has decided to artificially inflate these rates by limiting the number of times young Canadian scholars can apply for such awards to … once. Never mind that the pathetic $40,000 salary (see comments below for corrections) for a highly trained Canadian post-doc hasn’t changed in more than 25 years, young Canadian scientists will now be fighting tooth and nail for the privilege of living on the fringe of the poverty line while trying to jumpstart their research careers. Welcome to Canada’s new lottery system for deciding the future of the nation’s capacity for advanced study and research. Continue reading →

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R&D front: Signs that government may be starting to get it

Posted on July 30, 2012 by Ghoussoub

And no, I am not sending out a public bouquet to government à la Naylor-Toope. I am talking about a government that is starting to realize that it’s more important to tune into the dreams and aspirations of Canada’s research community than to serenade itself with congratulatory and self-serving press releases of those who can’t do otherwise. There are indeed signs that, at least on the R&D front, the Harper government is listening more and more to Canada’s frontline researchers than to its own bureaucrats, the AUCC, or to university administrators whose job descriptions seem to have written all over them, in bold font: “Keep government happy at all costs by telling them what they want to hear.” Allow me to explain. Continue reading →

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University governance: From UBC to the University of Virginia and back

Posted on July 27, 2012 by Ghoussoub

 “What’s happening at the University of Virginia is surreal, a real estate developer is now running the place,” wrote Jay Rosen, a professor of journalism at NYU. At the same time, UBC, normally at the receiving end of this kind of statement, was being commended by the editors of GlobalHigherEd on Twitter and in their magazine.  Coincidentally, the news of the Board-induced mess at the University of Virginia emerged as I was posting a –some say uncharacteristically– flattering report on the latest Board of Governors meeting at UBC. GlobalHigherEd was crediting the diversity of the representation at the UBC Board and comparing it to U. Virginia’s “patently unbalanced and inward-oriented board, drawing from a very narrow segment of society”. What really cracked open the system at UVa? and is the UBC model of shared governance an antidote to the current upheaval encountered by post-secondary institutions? Continue reading →

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Canada’s Mathematical “Dream Team”

Posted on July 18, 2012 by Ghoussoub

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 was wasted since today, I received this. Six medals for the six competitors on Canada’s national team. Three Gold medals, one silver and two Bronze. That was quite a harvest for Canada’s young “intellectual athletes” at the 53rd International Math Olympiad (IMO), which was recently held in Argentina, since it translated into a team standing of FIFTH in the world! An unprecedented achievement for Canada! Continue reading →

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The business community to the rescue of the research community

Posted on June 15, 2012 by Ghoussoub

Tuesday’s UBC Board of Governors meeting was the best I’ve witnessed in my last four years on the Board. A worthwhile agenda loaded with potentially transformational items, a great display of sound “governing” by the Governors, a magnificent presentation by the CEO of Mitacs, Arvind Gupta, on the state of Canadian innovation and the potential role of post-secondary education in its future, and much more. Each item deserves a blog post of its own, but the mathematical muses have been calling, so an abbreviated version should do for now. Continue reading →

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Obsession

Posted on May 29, 2012 by Ghoussoub

“His character is full of flaws, flittering from one obsessive behaviour to another, and he does this effortlessly.”  Mathematics is back with a vengeance, taking up all of my mental space. The same obsessive behaviour that got me to write almost 300 blog posts in a single year has reverted back to its old ways. Ever since my French economist friend enticed me into this mathematical problem, I can’t seem to be able to do anything else but mathematics. The problem has been settled by now, but it is all those potential ramifications that keep contributing to the angst. Have I seen the whole picture? Plus, what’s with my brain and its new ways? Continue reading →

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Goodyear: “This is a moratorium for one year as we seek counsel from the scientific community”

Posted on May 17, 2012 by Ghoussoub

I talked to Dr. Ted Hsu, listened to Minister Goodyear, and missed Madame Hélène LeBlanc who has been “promoted” to Industry. I liked what I heard, which reminded me of my long-held view, that it is often more rewarding to deal directly with accountable politicians than with entrenched bureaucrats. My conversation with Dr. Ted Hsu, freshman MP for Kingston and the Islands, and Liberal Party critic for Science and Technology, was delightful and heartening. I also liked most of what Gary Goodyear had to say here, especially his respectful attitude and his constructive response to the reaction of the scientific community to the termination of certain Tri-council programs. Continue reading →

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Finally, media and Parliament pick up on research funding crisis

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Ghoussoub

“Dr. Hsu has been made aware of your blog and is interested in knowing your thoughts on the federal government’s science and technology policy.” I Googled Dr. Ted Hsu, who turned out to be the MP for Kingston and the Islands, and Liberal Party critic for Science and Technology. But more importantly, the guy is a Physicist, a Princeton graduate, who knows first hand about scientific research. The only (natural) scientist in our House of Commons. Take a look at the British counterpart, which even elects mathematicians (at least seven of them scattered around the 3 parties). More on the UK later in this post, after this news round-up on Canada’s reaction to the 2012 federal  budget impact on advanced academic research. Continue reading →

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NSERC’s Discovery Program: Let it bleed?

Posted on May 10, 2012 by Ghoussoub

Is the NSERC leadership bleeding its Discovery program even more than what the government is asking them to? Some say that the termination of the Major Resources Support (MRS) and the Research Tools and Instrument (RTI) programs alone translate into a 20% hit on the Discovery program envelope. Others point to a 60% decline in the numbers of academic NSERC postgraduate scholarships in the past 2 years as another re-allocation away from basic research and advanced academic training. The published figures do show a trend, but what is the true extent of the policy shift, and why is it never clearly spelled out in official press releases? The next step is to figure out what the Tri-council presidents will be doing with the reallocated cash. But whatever they do, we surely hope that they will at least level with the research community. Continue reading →

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“To promote a deeper understanding of our world”, Canada may need a Jim Simons

Posted on May 8, 2012 by Ghoussoub

The news may come as a shock to the Dean of U. Toronto’s Rotman School of Management, Roger Martin, and all those who have been preaching to the Canadian government that “what makes a country prosperous is not investment in science and technology,” but “businesses having unique products and processes that a customer needs.” Jim Simons has done it again, and has donated $60 million for the establishment of an Institute for the Theory of Computing at UC-Berkeley. And guess what! Google, IBM, Yahoo and Microsoft have all expressed interest in collaborating. Neither the donation, nor the interest of these corporate leaders come as a surprise to the world’s mathematical sciences community. Indeed, these corporations never hid their addiction to mathematical advances nor their dependence on mathematical talent, and the donation is but a drop in the bucket of what Jim Simons had already contributed intellectually and financially to advanced basic research. Continue reading →

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Elsevier: The beginning of the end?

Posted on May 5, 2012 by Ghoussoub

I’ll admit, I got some satisfaction out of telling the editor of the “Journal of Functional Analysis” last week that I will not referee the paper he had sent me because I am boycotting everything Elsevier. I was less thrilled by his non-reaction. Actually, very few editors of Elsevier-exploited math journals have resigned their editorial positions so far. Their argument as to why they haven’t is well rehearsed, but their invariably defensive attitude betrays an acute awareness of this historical juncture. “BTW, 66 faculty members from UBC have already signed the boycott at the Cost of Knowledge page,” wrote our head librarian for Science & Engineering. Yes, and only six from Math, I noted to myself, disappointed. But all this may not matter anymore, since things are starting to unravel at an astonishing speed. Continue reading →

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First reactions to the NSERC cuts

Posted on May 2, 2012 by Ghoussoub

On the heels of the cheery press releases of the presidents of NSERC and CIHR regarding the 2012 federal budget, announcements about the fate of various programs are now coming out. They all start with, “As part of the Government of Canada’s efforts to return to balanced budgets, NSERC’s …  Program will not be accepting new applications.” These –less cheery– measures illustrate the true impact of the budget decisions on the Tri-council. They could explain the silence of SSHRC’s president on their implications for his council, which is somewhat appreciated. The jubilant media releases from various university administrators are not. But their constituents are starting to show signs of  life. Last week, I was forwarded the following letter, which is being signed by the leaders of various research facilities and labs. We are told that the “letter will also be sent to appropriate members of government and members of parliament.” It wouldn’t hurt if it also lands on the desks of Canada’s university presidents and VP-Rs. Continue reading →

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Joram Lindenstrauss 1936-2012

Posted on April 29, 2012 by Ghoussoub

“I am very sad to tell you that my father Joram died this morning, the 29th of April, in his home”, wrote Elon. I knew that Joram had been seriously ill for some time now, but the cryptic email brought more than its share of extreme sadness. Both my professional and my personal lives had been deeply touched by Joram Lindenstrauss and his family. I am still wondering, even as I write this, whether I will be able to explain.

I will not elaborate here on Joram’s mathematical contributions. They are numerous and will surely be described by many, hopefully also by myself, in the next few months. You can already read Gilles Pisier’s account in the latest Bulletin of the AMS, on Joram’s defining role (with Alexander Pelczynski) in uncovering the true impact and depth of Grothendick’s “Résumé”. I have also worked with Joram on several projects, and hearing that he is also gone only a few months after another friend and co-author, William J. Davis, passed away, could only be a bad dream. Continue reading →

Posted in Honouring friends | 3 Comments

Anyone for a Canadian “Golden Goose Award”?

Posted on April 27, 2012 by Ghoussoub

Are you old enough to remember the heyday of the late Senator William Proxmire “Golden Fleece awards” given to so called “wasteful” science in the US system? Well, luckily my science policy soulmate, Paul Dufour, claims that he is, and he has written us to share some heartening news. “An alliance that includes members of Congress and science and university groups wants to turn Proxmire’s gimmick on its head. Today, they announced plans to award a new “Golden Goose Award” to research projects that might sound funny, but have produced serious health or economic benefits.” Paul also suggests that we consider a similar award in Canada. What a great idea, though I don’t agree with the name he is suggesting. A “Midas touch prize?” Nah! Continue reading →

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Computer Science in the world of Gatorade and Disney

Posted on April 24, 2012 by Ghoussoub

“Math and computer science are hard. Why bother?” read the caption, which appeared in the latest Forbes Magazine. The article entitled, “University of Florida Eliminates Computer Science Department, Increases Athletic Budgets. Hmm,” describes Dean Abernathy’s restructuring plan for the College of Engineering. “Any faculty member who wishes to stay in CISE (Computer & Information Science and Engineering Dept.) may do so, but with a revised assignment focused on teaching and advising.” For mathematicians, this was a déjà-vu story. It is Rochester all over again!  But this time, in this digital age, the bad joke is on Computer science, which makes you wonder whether the  administrators who prepared the plan had more than gatorade in their drinks. Continue reading →

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Tri-council: Beyond the press releases of their presidents

Posted on April 20, 2012 by Ghoussoub

The press releases of the presidents of CIHR and NSERC regarding their 2012 budget allocations are out. They are almost identical. Are they also trying to save on communication? NSERC’s is entitled “Economic action plan 2012”, yet  the meeting of Friday the 13th was about the unfolding of a “deficit reduction action plan” for 2012 and 2013. Both releases start by enumerating the goodies that the federal budget assigned: the $15 million “increase” to their respective base budgets, of course, but also the funding for their sister organizations: CFI, Medical isotopes, IRDI aka MITACS, Genomics. They mercifully spare us the amounts that have gone to the NRC. The releases gave no hint whatsoever of any resulting stress on the granting system. But, the tri-council presidents did level with the VP-Rs, so here are the few things that transpired. Continue reading →

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US republicans more supportive of science than …

Posted on April 19, 2012 by Ghoussoub

…. their counterparts in the democratic party! I know, I know, you have all been eagerly awaiting “the deficit reduction action plan” of Canada’s three research councils. You will surely not get it from the “rosy” picture portrayed in the messages of at least two of their Presidents (not here, not here, while the silence here is more telling). I can confirm however that serious “re-allocations” will be happening and that certain programs will be totally eliminated. I can also vouch for the collective angst, at least in the academic ranks, vis-a-vis the so-called “concierge” service to help businesses with their R&D needs. But all this will have to wait till tomorrow. Today’s story is coming from south of the border. Continue reading →

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Call your VP-Research before Friday the 13th at the Tri-council!

Posted on April 12, 2012 by Ghoussoub

“My Mathematics” is going well lately. It is not always the case, so blogging has taken the backseat. It is unfortunate because much needs to be communicated before tomorrow’s meeting in Ottawa between the VPs-Research of Canada’s universities and Tri-council officials. No agenda has been distributed, and those in the know are being unusually tight-lipped about the content. It may be a sign of the times, but Canada’s frontline researchers should be entitled to weigh-in at least on the agenda of these discussions. So don’t shy away from telling your VP-Rs what you think, and to urge them to speak up about your concerns. Tell them to –at least– stop drinking the Kool-Aid and get over the current state of denial induced by self-congratulatory press releases.    Continue reading →

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Turmoil at the Tri-council?

Posted on April 5, 2012 by Ghoussoub

The VPs-Research of all universities across Canada have been invited to a Tri-Council meeting “around Research and Innovation” in Ottawa. Officials are being very tight-lipped about the content of the meeting, which is scheduled for April 13th. What is it about? What should be done now that Government has asked the Tri-council to move $37-million to industry-academic research partnership initiatives in their 2012-13 budgets? What should the cuts be, when another $37-million is gone from their next year’s budgets? Is it about the imminent consolidation of business partnership programs that the Jenkins report recommended and that Gary Goodyear keeps alluding to? The answer may be all of the above, because the 2012 federal budget has/should indeed be causing major headaches to university officials all over Canada as much as to the Presidents of the three research councils. Continue reading →

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Another milestone in scientific communication

Posted on April 3, 2012 by Ghoussoub

The Banff International Research Station (BIRS) has announced that its new physical meeting space at the beautiful TransCanada Pipelines Pavilion in Banff Canada,  is now accessible to the scientific community in virtual space, via live video streaming and high quality video recordings, produced by a state-of-the-art automated video production system. This is a first step in our collaborative effort with the “Mprime network” and the other mathematical sciences institutes, towards building and coordinating a national Internet infrastructure supporting mathematical research and education, including a unified video capture, video streaming, video archiving, and video storage service for the world’s mathematical science community. Continue reading →

Posted in Banff International Research Station | 3 Comments