On 27 January 2020, the government announced additional funding for the mathematical sciences, to be delivered through EPSRC. The Council for the Mathematical Sciences (CMS) commissioned reports on the impact of the additional £124m that was committed following this announcement. We are delighted to share these reports….
The Academy for the Mathematical Sciences has been a direct beneficiary of this injection of funds: the Isaac Newton Institute for Mathematical Sciences invested some of its “Additional Money” grant to incubate AcadMathSci, appointing Executive Director Dr Christie Marr and Policy Unit members Dr Vinesh Maguire Rajpaul and Chi Wah (Thomas) Law.
These CMS commissioned reports (links below) were produced by mathematical sciences knowledge exchange professional Dr Joanna Jordan. Her analysis identified and focussed on 3 strands:
- Impact on the mathematical sciences infrastructure
- Impact of the small grants scheme
- Impact on the people pipeline
Jo summarised: “This flagship investment in the UK’s world-leading mathematical sciences community focuses on enabling adventurous new ideas, training and nurturing the next generation of researchers, and increasing participation by supporting more research projects, fellowships and doctoral awards.” Indeed, AcadMathSci has been a direct beneficiary of this injection of funds: the Isaac Newton Institute invested some of its “Additional Money” grant to incubate both the Academy for the Mathematical Sciences and the KE Hub, appointing AcadMathSci Executive Director Dr Christie Marr and Policy Unit members Dr Vinesh Maguire Rajpaul and Thomas Law, and KE Hub Manager Rachael Harris.
Professor Alison Etheridge, Chair of CMS said: “It is fantastic to see how UK Mathematical Sciences has made full use of the £124m additional funding, from nurturing early-career talent to investing in its national infrastructure. [These articles give] a taste of the exciting science, new initiatives, and impact across the discipline, and I look forward to seeing the full extent of the benefits of this investment in the years to come.”
Dr Katie Blaney, Head of Mathematical Sciences at UKRI EPSRC echoed “Research in mathematical sciences is key for the advancement of all areas of science and technology, and plays a central role in solving real-world problems,
as well as being a vital area of science in itself. The Additional Funding for Mathematical Sciences programme has enabled a significant increase in investment within this field of research across the breadth of the discipline. The funding has benefitted researchers across career stages at a wide range of different size institutions across the UK and has supported equality, diversity, and inclusion activities.”
