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Report

Teaser, summary, work performed and final results

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - MathInParis (International Doctoral Training in Mathematical Sciences in Paris)

Teaser

Summary

The international Doctoral Training in Mathematical Sciences in Paris - MathInParis â€“ Co-funded by Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions, offers 40 PhD fellowships in mathematics or theoretical computer science within the framework of the European Horizon 2020 programme.

The beneficiary of the project is the Fondation Sciences MathÃ©matiques de Paris (FSMP), a network of excellence, covering a wide scientific spectrum from fundamental mathematics to mathematical questioning arising in Computer Science, Economy, Physics, Biology, Environmental Sciences, etcâ€¦
In 2006, all mathematicians in the three federations of Universities in Paris (PSL, SU, USPC) have decided to join their efforts to build a world-class new type of mathematical sciences structure unifying all laboratories of Mathematics. Together inside FSMP, they form a research-intensive department of Mathematics with over 1800 researchers. Each year, around 175 students defend their PhD thesis in mathematics in one of the three Doctoral Schools of the perimeter: Ã‰cole Doctorale de Dauphine, Ã‰cole Doctorale de Sciences MathÃ©matiques Paris Centre and Ã‰cole Doctorale GalilÃ©e.

Research in mathematics and theoretical computer science is very important for society at all levels: economic impact and consequences in terms of technological innovation have now been well established. Companies reveal both a growing need for mathematicians and an increasing awareness of the issue of including mathematicians into their teams. Therefore, professional perspectives for PhDs in mathematics are excellent.

Cofund MathInParis programme aim to create and build upon existing networks to attract exceptional students coming from all the world, to ensure a very high standard of training and to disseminate good practice in terms of selection and mentoring throughout all its Doctoral schools by means of those implemented within this programme.

In particular, to enhance the potential and future career perspective of young researchers, the programme offers:
- an extremely attractive place: Paris is indeed the city with the highest concentration of professional mathematicians and one of the main nodes of international research with tremendous scientific opportunities both in academic and non-academic frameworks.
- a strengthened advising: MathInParis students follow the doctoral research training, participate to laboratory and thematic seminars following the PhD thesis topic decided with their advisor. Moreover, they are mentored by a tutor from the Doctoral School and an external advisor who, in particular, help in organizing the mandatory abroad internship.
- a broadened support for career development: Cofund MathInParis also structures a wide range of non-research-oriented activities as, for instance, training sessions for professional insertion.

Work performed

The first period of the programme (September 1st, 2017 - August 31st, 2019), has been mainly devoted to communication and dissemination activities to recruit the 40 PhD students through two calls.
A web page has been created (https://www.sciencesmaths-paris.fr/fr/cofund-mathinparis-842.htm) containing all the main information about the FSMP laboratories, the recruitment procedure, the working conditions and a link to the more detailed â€œGuide for Applicantsâ€.

We advertised both calls via Euraxess and the specialized website MathJobs.Org.
To disseminate the calls, we sent a short presentation, a poster and a flyer widely in our FSMP network: to all laboratory directors, to colleagues in charge of master programs, to present and former fellows in the FSMP programs, etc â€¦
We organized a network of â€œAmbassadorsâ€ by selecting all possible researchers in our laboratories who have privileged scientific contacts with one or more countries. They are in charge of spreading as much as possible information on the programme via their personal contacts worldwide. Moreover, we informed Science AttachÃ©s of French embassies around the world and we helped them to spread information with short presentations, posters and flyers.

Both calls were organised in the same way. First, the online submission of applications, when in particular help was provided to candidates looking for an advisor. After a pre-selection phase, around 45 candidates for each call were interviewed on their projects by a panel of at least five international experts and visited their potential laboratories. Then, the Scientific Committee examined the evaluation forms, the interview grades and established the list of laureates. Selected fellows were enrolled in the Doctoral School and signed a work contract with the University.

To ensure the follow-up of each student and to collect information and documents a web platform is operating under the responsibility of the MathInParis Board. In particular, fellows have to keep updated a mobility form where they indicate the ideas they have for their long-duration stays/trips abroad (at least two months).
To meet the fellows recruited on the first call and to let them know each other a presentation followed by a small cocktail was organised in November 2018. Moreover, after the first year, the Project Coordinator met each fellow one by one to discuss any possible issues.

Final results

Cofund MathInParis promotes a new generation of international mathematicians trained in Paris in order to create a new network of young innovating researchers integrated in the European Union and more generally as scientific ambassadors worldwide.
New ambitions, more mobility and more curiosity, more awareness for the impact of mathematics in the new economy, more taste for risk taking, innovation and entrepreneurship will surely emerge.

One of the major expected results of Cofund MathInParis is to promote closer relationships between laboratories in Universities and partners from the non-academic sector. Mathematics have been indeed recognized as an important vector for innovation, and it is fundamental to ensure transfer to companies. However, our relationships still lack a solid and efficient structure, and one of our aims is to use the Cofund MathInParis as a trojan horse to improve technological transfer and promote bridges to companies.

We recall that a recent study emphasizes the very strong and growing impact of mathematics for the competitiveness and growth of the French economy. Indeed, after 2015, CMI, International Business Strategy Consultancy denotes that 9% of French employments are directly impacted by mathematics, and that mathematics contribute to 15% of the total gross added value in France, by creating innovation. More than 44% of key technologies identified as such by government reports are strongly affected by progress in mathematics, among them wide ranging fields as molecular simulation, nuclear energy, smart grids, exploration and production of hydrocarbons, genetic engineering, high performance computing, etc... not to speak about the blooming studies on artificial intelligence and machine learning.