Collaborative Research: Internship Network in the Mathematical Sciences

合作研究：数学科学实习网络

• 批准号: 2015441
• 负责人: Fadil Santosa
• 金额: $ 206.7万
• 依托单位: University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2020-08-15 至 2020-11-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2015441&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Internship; Network; Mathematical

This project addresses a key challenge in graduate education in the mathematical sciences. While employment opportunities in academia are decreasing or constant in number, the annual number of PhDs awarded in the mathematical sciences has increased significantly in the past two decades. Most mathematical sciences PhD recipients now pursue careers in business, industry, or government (BIG) jobs. Opportunities for students to learn about potential BIG careers during graduate study rather than afterward would facilitate much more efficient deployment of the nation’s scientific and intellectual capital. The need is great to provide training and career experiences to graduate students that intentionally prepare them for mathematically meaningful career paths in business, industry, and government. This project aims squarely at this unmet need, while simultaneously aiming to strengthen the competitiveness of participating BIG organizations by providing them access to highly knowledgeable people able to apply advanced techniques from the mathematical sciences. To accomplish these goals, hub-and-spoke internship networks will be created in two geographic regions. The spokes connect the hub universities to nodes, which are nearby institutions having sizable mathematical sciences graduate programs. The hubs will organize systematic training programs on technical and professional skills, to prepare students for productive internships in BIG. Students will be carefully matched with internship projects created through the efforts of specialist Project Developers based at the hubs. The impact of the project will be substantial for the participating BIG organizations. Interns will create new R&D tools that lead to greater efficiency, productivity, and profitability. Conversely, questions arising from industry can initiate new academic research directions in mathematics and statistics. Educational and life impacts will be felt as internship experiences empower graduates to pursue wider ranges of employment opportunities. Engagement of students from under-represented groups will increase diversity in BIG and open doors for the students toward high-ranking positions, where they can serve as role models. Further, BIG employers will come to appreciate the talents offered by graduate programs in the mathematical sciences. The network structure enables sharing of resources and best practices and lays the groundwork for scaling up in future. Anticipated lasting impacts include (i) the establishment of enduring industry-university collaborations with ongoing internship placements and (ii) the creation of a new departmental culture in the mathematical sciences in which graduate career paths to industry and government are visible, valued, and viable.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

该项目解决了数学科学研究生教育的一个关键挑战，尽管学术界的就业机会正在减少或数量保持不变，但在过去二十年中，数学科学领域每年授予的博士学位数量却显着增加。现在，学生有机会在研究生学习期间而不是毕业后了解潜在的大职业，这将有助于更有效地部署国家的科学和智力资本。迫切需要为研究生提供培训和职业经验，有意为他们在商业、工业和政府领域的数学上有意义的职业道路做好准备。该项目正是针对这一未满足的需求，同时旨在通过以下方式增强参与的大型组织的竞争力。为了实现这些目标，将在两个地理区域创建轮辐实习网络，将中心大学与附近的机构连接起来。拥有大量数学科学毕业生这些中心将组织有关技术和专业技能的系统培训计划，为学生在 BIG 进行富有成效的实习做好准备。学生将与中心的专业项目开发人员努力创建的实习项目进行仔细匹配。对于参与的 BIG 组织来说，实习生将创造新的研发工具，从而提高效率、生产力和盈利能力，并且将感受到工业界提出的数学和统计学新学术研究方向的影响。因为实习经历使毕业生能够寻求更广泛的就业机会，而来自代表性不足群体的学生的参与将增加 BIG 的多样性，并为学生打开通往高级职位的大门，让他们成为 BIG 雇主的榜样。将会欣赏数学科学研究生课程所提供的人才，该网络结构可以实现资源和最佳实践的共享，并为未来的扩大规模奠定基础，包括（i）建立持久的工业大学。与正在进行的实习实习合作，以及（ii）在数学科学领域创建一种新的部门文化，在这种文化中，毕业生通往工业界和政府的职业道路是可见的、有价值的和可行的。该奖项是 NSF 的法定使命，并被认为值得通过以下方式获得支持：使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估。