Preproposal for Annual Program - Guidelines

Annual programs involve on the order of 1,000 participants including around 10 key senior visitors of three to ten months, six to eight postdocs, and around 40 other visitors of a month or more. They are typically divided into a small number of periods of concentration in specific areas under the general theme, and include between five and nine workshops and regular seminar series when workshops are not in progress. Tutorial lectures are an important part of most annual programs, and public lectures, panel discussions, and other activities may be as well. Preproposals for annual programs should be submitted at least four years before the starting date of the program, September 1.

The preproposal should contain

1. title of program
2. names and affiliation of organizers
3. program vision and structure (roughly 2 pages)
4. tentative list of workshops and tutorials, and potential organizers of these
5. list of potential key longterm visitors with affiliations (10-50)
6. references or links to relevant supporting material
7. discussion of related programs at the IMA and elsewhere

The organizers must have agreed to be involved in the organization of an annual program. Scientific leadership and level of commitment are two important factors in the evaluation of a proposal. The team of organizers may consist of 4 or more leaders in the field. Please do mark one of the organizers as a primary contact person for questions concerning the preproposal.

The program vision should provide a compelling argument for the impact such a program will have in mathematical sciences and the application areas the program seeks to address. The organizers should also lay out how the year is subdivided into scientific activities during quarters or semesters, including tutorials and workshops during the academic year. Please also consult the list of past, current, and future programs and relate your proposal to and differentiate it from other IMA activities. You may also provide references to other, non-IMA activities in the field.

The IMA is committed to actively seeking diversity among its participants in both gender and ethnicity. The list of participants should reflect these priorities. Members of underrepresented groups should be flagged in the participant list.

Preproposals should be submitted (electronic only, PDF preferred) to the director

Douglas N. Arnold, Director
director@ima.umn.edu
Institute for Mathematics and its Applications
University of Minnesota

Submissions will be evaluated by the IMA Board of Governors. Proposers of the successful preproposal will be asked to develop a full proposal to be submitted to the IMA within a year. Decision on proposals involves the IMA advisory boards and outside experts. Final consideration of the proposal will take place at the IMA Board of Governors' meeting. Recommendations and suggestions will be communicated to the proposers shortly after that.