Workshops at IMSI are typically interdisciplinary in character, and up to a week in length. They need not fall within the scope of Institute themes. Workshop proposals are currently being considered for the period January 2027–July 2028. Standalone workshops are most often scheduled during the winter (January–March) or summer (June–August), but may be scheduled at other times if space is available on our workshop calendar.
What to include in a proposal
Proposals should include the following. Each section need not be long — most successful proposals are a few pages — but each should be clearly addressed.
- Title of the workshop.
- Scientific description. A description of the topic in terms accessible to a general audience of mathematical scientists, covering the workshop’s goals and why the topic is timely. This is the most important section. It should convey (1) the specific scientific question or area the workshop addresses, (2) why a gathering at IMSI is the right vehicle to advance it now, and (3) which research communities will be brought together.
- Brief description. A short description, roughly one paragraph, suitable for the workshop web page and a broader scientific audience.
- Organizing committee. A list of the proposed organizers, with a primary contact identified and contact information for all members. Please note each organizer’s institutional affiliation and area of expertise.
- Proposed speakers. A list of proposed speakers with affiliations (institutions and departments and/or areas of expertise), including any information available about willingness to participate. The list need not be complete when the proposal is considered.
- Proposed length and format. How long should the workshop be? What activities will be part of the workshop plan? Please also note whether the schedule will leave significant time for discussion or working sessions in addition to talks. If there are plans to provide access points for students, early career researchers, and/or researchers at the periphery of the field (e.g. tutorials, poster sessions, lightning talks) it is helpful to mention them in the proposal.
- Preferred timing. What preferences or constraints do the organizers have for scheduling? It is helpful to suggest at least 2-3 possible dates compatible with IMSI’s current workshop calendar. We generally try to avoid running two workshops contiguously.
- Other relevant events or proposals. Recent or planned workshops with a similar scientific focus — at IMSI, other institutes, or as part of larger meetings — and any related events that the organizers have proposed elsewhere. This helps the committee place the proposed workshop in the broader landscape.
- Additional funding sources. Any additional funding sources that might support the workshop. Co-sponsorship from professional societies, other institutes, or research grants is welcome where it does not create conflicting commitments.
What we look for in a proposal
The Directors and the Scientific Advisory Committee weigh the following when evaluating workshop proposals. Proposers are encouraged to address these considerations directly.
- A timely scientific question or area. The strongest proposals identify a specific question, method, or emerging area where the right gathering at IMSI now would meaningfully advance the field. “Why this topic, and why now?” should be answerable in a few sentences.
- A genuinely interdisciplinary character. Workshops at IMSI generally bring together researchers from communities that do not routinely interact — across mathematical subfields, between the mathematical sciences and an applied domain, or between theory and practice. Articulating which communities the workshop will connect, and what each will gain, is often what most distinguishes a successful proposal.
- Distinctiveness. We look for workshops that complement or build upon rather than duplicate recent or upcoming activities at IMSI and at peer institutes. If related events have been held recently, the proposal should make clear what is new or what is needed next.
- A strong and broad organizing committee. Effective committees combine scientific leadership in the relevant areas with breadth across career stages, institution types, and research areas. Two to four organizers is typical. The general expectation is that organizers will attend the workshop in person.
- A speaker list that reflects the field. Proposers are encouraged to think early about breadth along several axes — career stage (including postdocs and, where appropriate, advanced graduate students), institution type, and research area — and to ensure each of the communities the workshop is meant to bring together is well represented. Noting any speakers who have already expressed interest or confirmed in principle strengthens the case for the workshop.
- A good fit for IMSI’s mode of work. IMSI workshops are primarily in-person and benefit most from sustained interaction. Topics that gain specifically from concentrated time together — working sessions, problem formulation, cross-community translation — are a particularly good fit. A schedule consisting only of back-to-back talks may not be.
- Feasibility on the proposed timeline. Workshop proposals should normally be approved a year or more before the proposed dates.
While not required, we particularly welcome proposals for workshops designed to seed new collaborations or advance existing research projects.
Review and approval
Workshop proposals can be sent to [email protected]. Proposals are reviewed by the Directors and the Scientific Committee, who may approve a proposal as submitted, request revisions, defer to a future cycle, or decline. Unless there are compelling reasons, workshop proposals should be approved a year or more in advance. Once a proposal is approved, the Director and IMSI staff will work with organizers on logistics. Registration for workshops is managed through the Institute.