This year was another busy and exciting one for MATRIX. We hosted 32 weeks of activity across 18 research programs spanning the breadth of the mathematical sciences, along with two PhD symposia and a winter school delivered jointly with AMSI. And looking ahead — MATRIX is already fully booked for next year!

A major development this year is the feedback process for the 2026 Roadmap of Australia's National Research Infrastructure (NRI). MATRIX leads an all of discipline campaign for the notion of research infrastructure to be broadened. Traditionally, research infrastructure comprises large physical kit such as a telescope, the synchroton or national supercomputing facilities. Together, the mathematical sciences have successfully made the case that a residential research institute such as MATRIX ought to be part of national research infrastructure. Our example is enthusiastically followed by the HASS disciplines.

In a major breakthrough, the NRI Issues Paper released in late October 2025 mentions the need for a nationally supported residential research institute for the mathematical sciences, an important first step toward inclusion in the 2026 NRI Roadmap and ultimately access to national NRI funding. MATRIX thanks AustMS, AMSI and NCMS, as well as individuals within the broader mathematical sciences for their continued support for this push.

MATRIX continues to be supported through a national consortium that includes Monash University, the University of Melbourne, and the University of Queensland as tier 1 Partners, and the Australian National University and the University of New South Wales as tier 2 Associate Members. It is no secret that we live in times of financial challenges and MATRIX is keen to further extend our national partnership for a prosperous and sustainable future.

MATRIX has extended its network of international partnerships with the inclusion of the Banff International Research Station (BIRS) in Canada, and continues to regularly host joint workshops with the Mathematisches Forschungsinstitut Oberwolfach (MFO) in Germany and the Research Institute for Mathematical Sciences (RIMS) in Japan. On the domestic front we have enhanced our outreach program through our engagement with the National Science Quiz and the schools program MathsCraft which is funded by the South Australian State Government.

I wish you a restful holiday and productive and successful new year, hoping to see you at MATRIX some time in the near future!

Jan de Gier

Director MATRIX

December 2025