Call for PhD Student Online Research Symposia – Guidelines

 

Please prepare your Expression of Interest (EOI) in line with the format outlined below and attach/submit here.

Applications for this round close on Friday, 9 October 2020.

MATRIX

MATRIX is a residential research institute where mathematical scientists from Australia and around the world can collaborate in a unique Australian landscape or online.

Design your own Online Symposium

MATRIX invites PhD students in the mathematical sciences around Australia to design and run your own online research symposium. The focus is on exchanging ideas, collaborating and building relationships with your peers.

Your online symposium may:

  • be discipline specific or cross-disciplinary; and
  • include short talks, collaboration time on set problems, a poster session, social activities, etc.

You and your symposium organisers choose!

MATRIX will provide:

  • formal endorsement from our Scientific Committee
  • assessment and guidance on symposia design 
  • promotion via the MATRIX website, email subscriber list and twitter
  • video conferencing advice and guidance (if required)
  • collaboration awards through competitive application to our MATRIX PhD Student Research Collaboration scheme to support ongoing post-symposium research collaboration between students.

EOI Format

Symposium name:
  • State the title of your program

Organisers:
  • Include each organiser’s details (affiliated university and email address).
  • Aim for gender diversity amongst the organising group. Please comment on reasons for any imbalance.

Proposed dates for your symposium:
  • Indicate your preferred dates.
  • It is advisable that organisers be “online” for the duration of the symposium.

Abstract:

(Word limit: 200 words)

  • Provide a brief summary of what the symposium is about and the scientific discipline/s involved.
  • Applicants who submit EOIs in similar areas may be requested to merge EOIs and/or to explore cross-collaboration between the two communities

Symposium goals:
  • Outline the goals and expected outcomes of the symposium.

Key Speakers (if known):

(Word limit: 300 words)

  • Include full name and a biography of each key speaker (if known at this stage).

Structure of symposium:

(Word limit: 400 words)

  • Provide detail on the format of your symposium.
    • You choose what you want to include. It could be short talks, collaboration time on set problems, a poster session, social activities, etc.
  • Provide a schedule for your symposium. Design to optimise for achieving your goals in an online environment. Examples include (but not limited to):
    • 12-24 hour intensive
    • x hours per day over 1 week
    • Split schedule (example: Day 1, Week 1 – Talks; Days 2-7, Week 1 – Offline thinking & prep time on pre-determined open problems; Week 2 – online research collaboration)
    • Monthly meet-ups (2hrs) with group focussed on discussing an open problem together.

Final Checklist for Program Organisers:
  • Essential items of a proposal as described above include, but are not limited to:
    • Organisers, including their affiliations
    • Proposed dates of symposium.
    • Abstract.
    • Outline, goals, and objectives of the symposium.
    • A draft of the symposium structure, including total length, and embedded events such as talks, research collaboration, poster sessions, social activity, etc.
    • Prizes – including a brief description of prizes you would like to offer and a request for funding sponsorship from MATRIX (if required).

EOI Review by the MATRIX Scientific Committee

All symposium EOIs will be reviewed by the MATRIX Scientific Committee. The outcome of your proposed symposium will be communicated to you by the MATRIX Research Program Co-ordinator following assessment.

MATRIX PhD Student Research Collaboration Scheme

Students who participated in a MATRIX sponsored PhD Student Online Research Symposium, will be able to apply for funding, through a competitive application process,  through the MATRIX PhD Student Research Collaboration scheme.

The scheme supports ongoing post-symposium research collaboration between students.

Further details on the guidelines and the application process will be available soon.

MATRIX Contacts

If you have any questions, please contact The MATRIX Office via email at office@matrix-inst.org.au