Deadline: 20th December 2019
The London Mathematical Society (LMS) and the International Mathematical Union (IMU) in association with the African Mathematics Millennium Science Initiative (AMMSI) are seeking applications for grants to support mathematics and its teaching in universities in Africa. Four mentoring partnerships are to be awarded. These will be for a duration of one year, with the possibility of extension for a further year.
In addition, applications for MARM partnerships are welcome from individuals with an existing source of funding, for example as part of grants or ODA initiatives of universities. In these cases, the established partnerships should follow the rules and objectives of the MARM grant scheme. The partnerships would be established by the MARM Board.
Background
The project is designed to counter the mathematics ‘brain-drain’ by supporting qualified mathematics professionals in situ. Continuing professional links to a centre in the developed world, professional mentoring and opportunities for periodic research travel will contribute to the possibility and relative attractiveness of contributing one’s mathematical expertise at home rather than moving permanently to the developed world.
The MARM awards will focus on building infrastructure and networking in mathematics in Africa. They offer postgraduate scholarships, visiting lectureships and conference support for the benefit of advanced students and young researchers in the mathematical sciences, helping to improve research and graduate education in the longer term.
The MARM programme will support mentoring relationships between mathematicians in countries with a strong mathematical infrastructure and their African colleagues, together with their students. Its sharpest focus is on cultivating longer-term mentoring relations between individual mathematicians and students.
21 mentoring relationships have previously been supported through a MARM project (13 of these were funded by the Nuffield Foundation and Leverhulme Trust and 8 by the LMS and IMU) in Cameroon, Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda. This further initiative aims to build on these successes and to continue to support mathematics in Africa.
We are looking for mathematicians interested in being part of these mentoring collaborations. We welcome applications from those with no prior experience of collaborating with research workers in Africa, as well as from those with existing links with African research.
We will expect a willingness to make at least one short visit to Africa and to host a short visit from Africa, as well as a commitment to a continuing mentoring responsibility.
The success of the collaborations will be evaluated by asking whether the research collaboration has:
- resulted in a mathematical publication in a research mathematics journal of international standing?
- produced an MSc or PhD thesis?
- formed the basis of an on-going research group? or
- resulted in programmatic improvements in or outside support for advanced mathematics at the host institution?
Applications
Download an application form here. Prospective mentors are asked to consider the list of African Departments included with the application form and to indicate which they would like to collaborate with.
To discuss potential partnerships please contact:
Frank Neumann
Email: fn8@leicester.ac.uk
Application forms should be sent to:
Katherine Wright
Society and Research Officer
The London Mathematical Society
De Morgan House
57-58 Russell Square
London
WC1B 4HS
United Kingdom
Email: marm@lms.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0)20 7927 0801