The Fields Institute is currently accepting proposals for the next competition here. Please note that due to budgetary constraints, we may not be able to review applicaitons for funding that are less than nine months from the next competition date.

Deadlines

Deadlines for general scientific activity proposal applications are February 15, June 15, and October 15 of each year. A lead time of at least nine (9) months is requested between the proposal application deadline and the date of the event. Applications are reviewed after each deadline.

Proposals requesting funding of up to \$50,000 are considered by the Institute's Directorate and decisions are normally announced within six (6) weeks of each deadline. Proposals requesting over \$50,000 will be considered by the Institute's Scientific Advisory Panel (SAP) and should be submitted by the February 15 and October 15 deadlines only, with decisions normally announced by early June or December of each year.

Proposals for General Scientific Activities

General scientific activities (GSA) generally consist of a period of one day to one month of concentrated activity in topics of current research interest in the mathematical sciences and should include opportunities for the involvement of young scientists and graduate students. A large number of general scientific activities are scheduled for each academic year. Topics supported through general scientific activities are often newly emerging areas in the mathematical sciences in Canada and add breadth to the range of research supported by the Fields Institute. The activities may be in the form of workshops, seminars, conferences and/or summer schools.

The GSA program is the principal method by which Fields engages a wider community to input into its scientific programs and an important way for Fields to stay connected to Principal Sponsoring and Affiliate Universities. Our proposal mechanism was devised to invite these activities. The Directorate, consulting with referees and members of the SAP, makes decisions about support following a rigorous selection process. Applicants may apply for financial and/or logistical support from Fields. Logistical support options are described here.

Proposals for GSAs should be submitted by a member (or members) of the Canadian mathematical sciences community, on behalf of the proposed program committee, and address the items below.

Sample GSA Proposal

Below is an example of a successful GSA proposal to help you in the process of preparing your own request for support.

• Graduate Summer School in Algebraic Group Actions, 2017

This sample proposal contains each of the GSA proposal sections described below.

Tips

• You should not repeat / duplicate information already provided in other sections of the proposal, but may refer to them.
• The form includes a "Save & Continue" option for applicants to enter their email address to receive a link to return to their form later. The Save & Continue bar will be added to all pages after the first page of your proposal submission.

Proposal sections

Proposed dates and location

General scientific activities can take place either at the Fields Institute or at partner institutions, including, but not restricted to, Principal Sponsoring and Affiliate Universities. Proposals should specify a range of possible dates and the preferred location for the activity.

Organizing Committee

Organizing committees for general scientific activities should include Canadian and, whenever possible, international members. We encourage the inclusion of members of our partner institutions. The proposal should contain the names and affiliations of the organizing committee members, with full contact information.

Summary, scientific background, and expected impact

A description of the proposed activity, presented in lay terms, including an overview of the subject, recent achievements, future directions, and expected impact of the activity. This should be followed by a more detailed description of the topic, aimed at experts, including the scientific background/history of the subject, major developments, and relevance to mathematical sciences. Proposals should also contain a justification for the intended activity, including, whenever possible, comparisons with similar activities held at Fields or elsewhere.

Activity Structure

An outline of the proposed structure, including the format of a typical day and a preliminary schedule indicating the number and types of talks (e.g. invited, contributed, mini-courses), and additional events (e.g. panel discussions, prize ceremonies, social events).

Diversity

Part of the mandate of the Institute is to broaden and enlarge the community. We particularly encourage the participation of women and members of underrepresented groups. Proposals should include details of their involvement as participants and organizers.

Potential Participants

Names and affiliations of proposed short- and long-term participants (including tentative agreement to participate, if available) should be provided in the proposal. Organizers should encourage the participation of women, early career researchers (up to 10 years after Ph.D.), postdoctoral fellows, and graduate students.

Proposed Budget

The maximum funding provided by the Fields Institute is currently \$5,000 per day of activity and should be used primarily towards partial reimbursement of travel and local expenses of speakers and other invited participants. Typical participant costs are a maximum of \$80 per diem, plus a maximum of \$250/day up to \$3750/month for accommodation. Estimates of travel costs should be based on economy travel. Other costs, such as catering (coffee breaks, receptions, banquets), proceedings, and excursions should be covered by other sources, such as registration fees or external grants. The proposed budget should specify, in Canadian dollars, all expected sources of income and expense for the activity. A sample budget is available here.

Reviewers

Provide names, affiliation and email addresses of three or more suggested reviewers. The reviewers should be at arm's length from members of the organizing committee but can include potential participants in the activity.

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NSF Supplementary Application

The Fields Institute is one of the few international mathematics institutes that receive direct funding from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF). Organizers of proposed on-site activities (i.e. hosted at the Fields Institute) can apply for additional funds to support the participation of U.S.-based mathematical scientists by submitting a supplementary application directly to Fields.

NSF funds should be used for travel and local expenses for U.S-based participants, with priority given to early career researchers (up to 10 years after PhD), postdocs, students, and underrepresented groups. The supplementary application should include:

• previous NSF support granted to program organizers for this event, or for similar events within the past five (5) years;
• a summarized budget (in CAD) indicating how the funds would be used (e.g., estimated numbers in each of the priority categories above);
• anticipated impact of the activity.

Supplementary applications can only be submitted in conjunction with the GSA proposal for the activity. 

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Acknowledging Fields Institute Funding

If you’ve received funding from the Fields Institute, we want you to share this news. An acknowledgement of our support is a testament to the calibre of your work, and helps us demonstrate the value of mathematics research to the scientific community, funding agencies, and the general public. Acknowledgement guidelines can be found here.

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