Call for Proposals: MATRIX-BIRS Tandem Workshop in 2026

Posted on Sun, Jun 01 2025 14:47:00

Program Overview

The Banff International Research Station (BIRS) in Banff, Canada and the Australian Mathematical Research Institute (MATRIX) invite proposals for a tandem workshop taking place simultaneously at MATRIX and BIRS in the week of November 22 - 27, 2026.

This joint initiative is designed to foster international collaboration in the mathematical sciences through coordinated, hybrid-format programming. The workshop will run concurrently at both sites, with each location hosting approximately 10–21 participants. Joint activities such as lectures or discussions will be scheduled to accommodate time zone differences (e.g., morning at MATRIX corresponds to afternoon the prior day at BIRS in Banff). Talks outside these time windows may be recorded and shared asynchronously across the two sites.

All proposal submissions must be submitted to BIRS and MATRIX separately to be considered eligible, using individual portals:

BIRS proposals platform: https://proposals.birs.ca

MATRIX application form: https://www.matrix-inst.org.au/call-for-programs/

prior to the deadline of 1 September, 2025.

MATRIX-BIRS Tandem Workshop 2026 Proposal Guidelines

Workshop name:
State the title of your tandem workshop in the format “MATRIX-BIRS Tandem Workshop 2026: TITLE“

Workshop organizers:
• A proposal should contain at least two suggested organizers at each center (up to three at BIRS) who act as a common team of organizers for the tandem workshop and are commonly in charge of the proposal. Applicants should aim for gender balance among the organizers.

• The BIRS organizing sub-committee can contain at most one member per institution.

• The BIRS organizing committee must contain at least one organizer who self-identifies as a member of an under-represented group in STEM disciplines, and at least one organizer who is an early-career researcher (within ten years of their Ph.D. at the time of application).

• For a successful proposal, organizers are required to submit a joint post-event report, which will be made publicly accessible.

Dates of the workshop
Must be the week of 22-27 November, 2026.

Format of the proposal(4-6 pages):
• Description of the topic, timeliness, novelty, recent results, references, special lectures.

• The proposed provisional program of the tandem workshop should take into account the different time zones. For example, schedule main talks with real-time transmissions in morning time slots at MATRIX and afternoon slots at BIRS (Banff, Alberta, Canada). More technical talks, longer talks etc. can be recorded via zoom for availability at the other center.

A competitive proposal should make a convincing case for the tandem structure of the proposed activity.

Participant list:
• The proposals should contain two lists of intended invitees(10-20 suggested participants at MATRIX and 10-21 participants at BIRS) with explicit indication of the diversity and selection criteria, according to the centers’ rules.

• The BIRS proposal should include expressions of interest from perspective participants, recorded through the BIRS portal. This helps organizers gauge the interest of the scientific community in the proposed event and signals its appeal to the selection panel. All the invitees who express interest in the proposed event will automatically be invited as physical workshop participants if the proposal is successful. BIRS recommends sending no more than 15 invitations, including organizers, to potential participants at the proposal stage, to allow for additions in case revisions are requested. The number of invitations should not exceed 21, the on-site capacity.

• List of 10-20 suggested participants at MATRIX should be provided under the 'Additional Comment' section.

BIRS Support
Full board (breakfast, lunch and dinner) will be provided for the invited on-site participants, along with dedicated social space and breakout rooms. BIRS cannot provide travel support for participants or honorarium for speakers.

BIRS can facilitate travel support for eligible participants through existing partnerships, as detailed here: https://www.birs.ca/participants/travel-support/

Other External Funding

Please include a list of external funding if you have applied for and/or received for this workshop.

Review and Outcome

Workshop proposals will be reviewed by a MATRIX-BIRS joint-committee comprised of members of the institutes’ respective Scientific Committees. The outcome of your workshop proposal will be communicated to you by BIRS and MATRIX Programs Coordinator in November 2025.

Contact

If you have any questions about the submission process on the BIRS side, please contact the BIRS Office via email at [email protected].

Announcing the OneMath World School

Posted on Wed, May 28 2025 15:28:00

A Global Initiative to Foster Mathematical Talent and Collaboration

BIRS is thrilled to announce the launch of the OneMath World School, a first-of-its-kind global program designed to connect young mathematical talent with leading experts in emerging fields.

This initiative brings together advanced undergraduates, graduate students, and early-career researchers from around the world to collaborate with established leaders and explore cutting-edge topics at the intersection of theory and application.

Program Overview

The OneMath World School will host 100 early-career participants in 2026.
Participants will take part in 4 week-long thematic schools held across 3 continents.
Curriculum will blend research, communication, and cross-cultural exchange.

First School
Theme: Topological Data Analysis and Applications
Hosted by: Chennai Mathematical Institute (CMI), India & Casa Matemática Oaxaca (CMO), Mexico
Timeline: 20 – 28 February, 2026 (CMI), 28 June – 3 July, 2026 (CMO)
Capacity: 40 students per site + instructors

Second School
Theme: Topics in Mathematical Biology
Hosted by: Brin Mathematics Research Center (BMRC), USA & Institute for Mathematics in Granada (IMAG), Spain
Timeline: 22 – 26 June, 2026 (BMRC), 15 – 19 June, 2026 (IMAG)
Capacity: 40 students per site + instructors

Partner Institutions

The OneMath World School is hosted by a rotating global consortium of research institutes, including:

Eligibility & Logistics

The program is open to advanced undergraduate students, graduate students, and early-career researchers with strong mathematical backgrounds.

Infrastructural support will be provided by Banff International Research Station (BIRS), including:

Publicizing the schools
Hosting of virtual sessions
Archiving of course materials
Facilitating cross-site interactions

How to Apply

Registration and selection will be managed by the individual hosting institutes. Please visit the program websites below for up-to-date timelines, eligibility criteria, and application details:

-- Download the flyer in PDF format: Click here --

We look forward to welcoming the next generation of mathematical pioneers to the OneMath World School.

Deputy Director Search, BIRS

Posted on Tue, Apr 08 2025 11:21:00

Deputy Director, Banff International Research Station (BIRS)

The Banff International Research Station (BIRS) invites applications for the position of Deputy Director (DD). This is a key leadership role within BIRS, contributing to the strategic vision and operational management of one of the world’s premier mathematical research institutions.

About BIRS

BIRS is a globally recognized research institute that hosts and supports high-impact mathematical sciences programs, facilitating collaboration among researchers from across the world. With a commitment to excellence and innovation, BIRS provides a dynamic environment for advancing mathematical research.

Role and Responsibilities

The Deputy Director will work closely with the BIRS Director, BIRS Administrative and Programming Team to oversee the station’s scientific programming and strategic initiatives. Specific responsibilities include:

Supporting the development and implementation of BIRS’s scientific programs.
Assisting in the review and selection of program proposals.
Liasing actively with funding agencies and in fundraising efforts.
Engaging with researchers and institutional partners to foster collaboration.
Representing BIRS in regional and national outreach efforts.
Contributing to the operational and strategic planning of the institute.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate will have:

A strong research record in the mathematical sciences.
Excellent organizational and communication skills.
A demonstrated commitment to fostering collaborative research environments.
Experience with academic program administration or research leadership would be considered an asset.

Location and Term

The position is open to candidates who are tenured faculty members at a major university in British Columbia (BC) or Alberta (AB), given the practical considerations for the role.
The role will be an add-on to the candidate's responsibilities as a faculty member at their own institution. A compensation package will be negotiated. Applicants should be prepared to negotiate a teaching release with their academic institution.

Application Process

Applicants should submit a CV and a statement of interest and vision outlining their relevant experience and vision for the role. References are optional at the initial stages, but will be required for short listed candidates.

Applications are open until June 30, 2025, with a planned start date of September 1, 2025.

For inquiries or to submit an application, please contact [email protected].

PIMS/BIRS Team Up! Pathways to Inclusive Research

Posted on Tue, Apr 01 2025 16:27:00

The PIMS/BIRS Team Up! program provides opportunities for in-person collaboration to teams of mathematical scientists, targeting researchers whose research program may have been disproportionately affected by various obstacles like family obligations, professional isolation, access to funding, and the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes, but need not be limited to, women, gender-expansive, and minoritized groups, Indigenous scholars, individuals with visible/invisible challenges and early-career researchers with limited resources.

Successful applicants will receive lodging and meals (subject to availability) at either the Banff or Kelowna BIRS site, as well as reasonable reimbursement for travel expenses. A key goal of this program is for researchers with caregiving responsibilities to participate fully in its scientific activities. To this end, support may also be offered in the form of lodging and reimbursement of travel expenses for children accompanying the member, as well as lodging and travel expenses for a caregiver. Successful applicants of the TeamUp program who will be accompanied by children and/or a caregiver during their residency should submit their requests to PIMS ([email protected]) at least one month prior to the event.

Program Details and Eligibility

To participate in Team Up! Applicants should meet the following criteria:

Groups of two to six mathematicians with partial results on an established project or a clear plan for a proposed project.
Each member of the group must have a Ph.D. in mathematics or a related area or advanced graduate standing.
At least one team member with a Ph.D. must be based at a PIMS Member or PIMS Affiliated institution.
Each group must apply to be in residence at a designated BIRS venue (Banff or Kelowna) for two weeks.
All members of the group must be in residence for the full duration of the visit.
Applicants may only apply as a member of one research group.

Application Process

One person from each group should complete the application form linked below. That form will ask for details of your existing collaboration, including:

A brief history of the collaboration
The context, description, and goals of the research problems to be addressed
Timeliness and novelty of the proposed research
Partial results obtained (if any)
A timeline for the project, describing how the group plans to pursue this project before, during and after the residence
A selection of preferred (and impossible) dates for your residence

In addition to these project details, you will be asked to provide contact details for the members of the collaboration. All members will be contacted (automatically, by email) and asked to complete a second form to capture their demographic and biographical information. Specifically, we will be asking for:

A statement summarizing the applicants' current challenges and their request for resources to address these.
A list of all members on the research team, including home institution, citizenship, year of Ph.D., current position, as well as demographic details
A brief biographical sketch for each of the team members
The Anticipated impact of the proposed collaboration on the applicants' career
Details of any existing support from PIMS or BIRS provided to the applicant.

Completion of the second survey by all members of your collaboration is required for the application to be considered complete.

Applications

We are currently accepting applications for residences in the period September 1, 2025-August 31, 2026. Complete applications (including demographic information for all collaboration members) must be received by April 15, 2025. Successful applicants will be notified early the following June. If you have any questions about this program or your application, please contact [email protected].