MATRIX-AMSI Call for PhD Student Research Symposia (2023 & 2024) – 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 Thursday, 31 August 2023.

MATRIX and AMSI

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

AMSI champions the mathematical sciences for Australia's advancement. AMSI provides infrastructure for national and international initiatives in mathematical sciences across research and higher education, school education, and engagement with industry and commercial enterprises.

Design your own Research Symposium

MATRIX-AMSI invites PhD students in the mathematical sciences around Australia to design and run your own research symposium in 2023 and 2024. The focus of each symposium is on exchanging ideas, collaborating and building relationships with your peers.

Symposia will be mostly hosted online.

There will be an opportunity for up to two selected symposia to meet in-person at MATRIX . MATRIX will sponsor the costs of on-site accommodation, catering and limited transport for up to 20 participants in-person for up to five nights on the Creswick campus.

Your research 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-AMSI will provide:

  • formal endorsement from the MATRIX Scientific Committee
  • assessment and guidance on symposia design 
  • promotion via the MATRIX & AMSI websites, email subscriber list and twitter
  • video conferencing advice and guidance (if required)
  • access to MATRIX facilities in Creswick for two selected symposia to meet in-person
  • collaboration awards through competitive application to our MATRIX-AMSI PhD Student Research Collaboration scheme to support ongoing post-symposium research collaboration between students.

EOI Format

Symposium name:
  • State the title of your symposium

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
  • Flag if you would like to be considered for selection for access to host your symposium in-person at MATRIX in Creswick
  • It is advisable that organisers be present 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 (and a list of their publications if any) 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.
  • Provide a brief outline of the schedule for your symposium if you were selected to host in-person for up to 5 days at MATRIX in Creswick (if applicable)

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

EOI Review by the MATRIX Scientific Committee

All symposium EOIs will be reviewed by the MATRIX Scientific Committee. Whether your proposal is accepted will be communicated to you by the MATRIX Research Program Coordinator following assessment.

MATRIX-AMSI PhD Student Research Collaboration Scheme

Australian-based PhD students who participate in a MATRIX-AMSI PhD Student Research Symposium or a MATRIX Research Program/Workshop, are eligible to apply for funding (up to $1,000 in funding per team) through the MATRIX-AMSI PhD Student Research Collaboration scheme.

Further details on the guidelines and the application process are available at:
https://www.matrix-inst.org.au/phd-student-research-collaboration-scheme-guidelines/

Contact

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

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