Long Range Plan for Mathematical and Statistical Sciences

In June 2010 NSERC requested that the mathematical and statistical sciences community prepare a long range plan for a five- to ten-year horizon. The exercise will be funded by NSERC, and draws on the expertise of the Canadian Mathematical Society, the Statistical Society of Canada, and the Canadian Industrial and Applied Mathematics Society, the Fields Institute, the Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences, the Centre de Recherches Mathématiques, the Banff International Research Station and the communities of researchers in applied mathematics, pure mathematics and statistics.

A steering committee has been established to oversee the development of the long range plan. The membership of the steering committee is:
Alejandro Adem (PIMS), Edward Bierstone (Fields), Eddy Campbell (UNB) Charmaine Dean (SFU), Christian Genest (McGill), Niky Kamran (McGill), Rachel Kuske (UBC), Mark Lewis (U Alberta), Nancy Reid (U of T; Chair), Gail Ivanoff (NSERC Group Chair, ex-officio), Anne-Marie Thompson (NSERC, ex-officio).

The terms of reference for the long range plan have been posted to the Long Range Plan website (www.longrangeplan.ca), which will be the primary source of information about the process, and one of the most important means of communicating with the various communities.  Links to this website have been added at the websites of the societies, institutes, and BIRS, and many academic departments.  All relevant documents will be available there; please feel free to forward additional suggestions to Nancy Reid.

Consultation with the communities will include presentations at society meetings, town hall meetings, regular written updates, email notifications using society mailing lists, and the discussion forum available on the web site. The goal is to complete the exercise by January, 2012.  To this end, we are aiming to present a detailed outline at the summer 2011 meetings of the societies, and to have a draft plan for circulation to the communities by September, 2011. Comments and ideas are welcome at any time, and may most easily be submitted via the website, but may also be sent to any member of the steering committee.

This is an important and exciting opportunity for the community to set out its goals and aspirations, and to influence policy for mathematical sciences research in Canada. It can only succeed with wide participation and creativity, and we urge you to take part in the process.

Nancy Reid

(On behalf of the Long-range Plan Steering Committee).

Please visit the Long Range Plan website at http://www.longrangeplan.ca/