The Committee supports three types of activities:
Durham Symposia
LMS Research Workshops
Short Courses
The EPSRC-LMS Durham Research Symposia began in 1974, and have now become an established series of international research meetings, with over 90 symposia to date. They provide an excellent opportunity to explore an area of research in depth, to learn of new developments, and to instigate links between different branches of mathematics. The format is designed to allow substantial time for interaction and research. The meetings are held in July, usually lasting for 10 days, with up to around 70 participants, at least half of whom will come from the UK. Lectures and seminars take place in the Department of Mathematical Sciences, Durham University, and participants are housed in en-suite accommodation at nearby Grey College.
Preliminary proposals are made approximately two years in advance. Prospective organisers should read the notes below and then consult the Chair of the Research Meetings Committee, Professor Nick Manton (manton@lms.ac.uk), to discuss the proposed symposium and the form the proposal should take. The Committee asks experts for their opinions of the proposal, which may lead to a request for revisions, before deciding whether to support the proposal. Each symposium is funded by a substantial EPSRC research grant, covering FEC, the subsistence costs of participants, and some travel costs. Organisers are required to submit an academic report to the Committee within six months of the end of the meeting.
More information and a list of forthcoming Symposia is available at www.maths.dur.ac.uk/lms/
As well as the successful series of Durham Research Symposia and the LMS/EPSRC Instructional Short Courses the Research Meetings Committee supports research workshops. These may be held anywhere in the
There is no prescribed format for an LMS workshop, but it is expected that the number of participants will be usually no more than 40, and could be as low as 10, meeting for a period of a week or more. All participants should be actively involved in the programme, and should be identified in the proposal; the participation of appropriate postdocs and graduate students is encouraged. Applications to support development of research in an area not ready for a larger-scale application (either to LMS or EPSRC) are welcomed. All proposals are refereed, and the Committee will only offer support if it believes that the benefits to
Requests for support (for travel and subsistence of participants, and reasonable associated costs) in the range £4k - £12k will be considered by the Committee. Applications for partial support for larger events will only exceptionally be supported. The primary purpose of the scheme is to support new research initiatives, and the Committee may take this into account in considering support for meetings which form part of an established series. Grant requests for conferences should be made to the Society's Programme Committee instead, which has funds for this purpose.
Applications can be made to the Chair of the Research Meetings Committee, Professor Nick Manton, at any time. There is no application form. Proposals should contain a description of the research area, the aims and format of the workshop, a list of participants and a budget, as well as details of proposed location and timing. Applicants are advised to consult Professor Nick Manton (manton@lms.ac.uk) informally about their proposed programme and timescale before making a application.
The principal aim of the programme is to provide training for postgraduate students in core areas of mathematics. The programme is intended to provide high quality courses for graduate students from around the country in an effective and efficient manner. Part of their success is the opportunity for students to meet other students working in related areas as well as the chance to meet a number of leading experts in the topic.
The short courses are seen to be complementary to the new Integrated Taught Course Centres which have been set up by EPSRC. The centres are primarily offering broadening courses for students at the start of their doctoral training whilst the LMS courses are seen more as providing depth and breadth for students. Both are intended to increase the international academic competitiveness of the UK as identified in the International Review of Mathematics.
Normally a course will cover a topic of benefit to at least 25 UK research students; however the topic might be one of central importance in which the UK is under-represented and would appeal to students in related areas. We would expect the courses to be accessible to first year research students not least to accommodate students from related areas.
The notes below are intended to provide a prospective organiser with an idea of what is expected from a Short Instructional Course, guidance in preparing a proposal, and information about the practicalities of running a course. We welcome proposals which have academic validity but vary from this template, either in style or number of attendees.
Anyone who is interested in organising a short course should read the notes for organisers (below) and consult the Short Course Facilitator Dr Riaz Ahmad (facilitator@lms.ac.uk) in the first instance.
Information on EPSRC studentships
Forthcoming Short Courses:
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