<p>Finally a good initiative. I heard our project made it to the “final” and NSF will be on campus these weeks.
JFYI</p>
<p>Can I get a little more information? Is this just generally creating an institute for math on campus which will bring in additional federal dollars for research money?</p>
<p>I don’t yet know all the details, more info will probably come next week, after NSF interviews the math department.</p>
<p>It is indeed about creating a NSF sponsored institute in all its right, like the other only 6 or 7 presently in the US. Like the others it will probably also host summer research programs and classes for undergrads and stuff like that. Might be combined with the SUMS we currently have going on.</p>
<p>The project was submitted by Brown in February, and we passed the initial stage.</p>
<p>I’ll add updates as I learn more.</p>
<p>Apparently we’re one of two finalists, and the decision will be made in december.</p>
<p>December is over. What was the result? Are we talking about a pure math institute or another applied math thing?</p>
<p>Brown had a famous (pure) math department for a couple of years around 1981-82, becoming one of the top three or four places in the USA due to incredible success in filling postdoc and associate positions with world-class young talent. Then these geniuses all left, at the height of their powers, when the administration alienated the department. This reduced the pure math department to rubble, and eventually led to the dismissal of the administrative higher-ups held responsible for the debacle. The math department has been rebuilding ever since and acquisition of a major research institute would be a big coup and a sign of external confidence in the reconstruction.</p>
<p>Man I’d like to know now too. Brown’s math department is the department I hear the worst things about, so it seems like most our top math students get sucked into an applied-math or econ or CS track, rather than pure math. And if it led to us being a math powerhouse, that would be really cool.</p>
<p>My experiences so far with the pure math department have not been exceptional…I’m continuing in spite of the professors rather than because of them. With that said, Brown does have some good math professors, I’ve heard…hoping to be taught by them in the future and that, if this happens, there will be more opportunities.</p>