Scottish support for AIMS: James Clerk Maxwell AIMS Fund
Aug 01, 2013 - Jul 31, 2014
Background on AIMS
AIMS stands for African Institute for Mathematical Sciences. The first AIMS was founded in Cape Town, South Africa, in 2003 as a pan-African centre for post-graduate training and research. It offers courses in mathematical sciences (including pure and applied mathematics, physics, computer science and mathematical aspects of life sciences, economics and finance) to talented students recruited from all over Africa. AIMS South Africa has been tremendously successful, attracting some of the brightest students from across Africa and some of the best lecturers from around the world.
The purpose of the AIMS Next Einstein Initiative is to create a coordinated network of AIMS centres across Africa. The second AIMS centre was opened in Senegal in 2011, and a third opens in Ghana in August 2012. Each of the AIMS centres has a director, administrative staff and a team of tutors. However, AIMS centres rely on visiting lecturers for the delivery of most their academic programme.
Further information on the AIMS Next Einstein initiative can be found here which also has links to webpages for each of the AIMS centres.
The James Clerk Maxwell AIMS Fund
The Scottish Government supports the AIMS Next Einstein Initiative. Responding to an initiative by members of the Scottish mathematical community, the Scottish Funding Council has generously agreed to make available £200,000 to set up the James Clerk Maxwell AIMS Fund. The purpose of the fund is to provide financial compensation for mathematical science departments in Scotland which release staff for teaching or other supportive activities at one of the AIMS centres.
Staff members from any mathematical science department in any research-intensive Scottish university may apply for funding, which will be paid directly to their home department. Teaching at AIMS takes place in blocks lasting three weeks, with approximately two contact hours per weekday. The departments of successful applicants will receive £5000 for three weeks of teaching at AIMS, of which £500 should be made available to the staff member to cover incidental costs (visa, immunisation, purchase of clothes). The AIMS centres themselves arrange and pay for travel and accommodation. Instead of teaching, applicants may offer other support, such as project supervision at AIMS. However, deviations from the standard duration (three weeks) and compensation (£5000) will only be considered in exceptional circumstances. See this website for further information on teaching and project work at AIMS.
Administration
| Management Committee | |
|---|---|
| David Borchers | University of St Andrews |
| Mark Chaplain | University of Dundee |
| Christina Cobbold | University of Glasgow |
| Jozsef Farkas | University of Stirling |
| Jarek Kedra | University of Aberdeen |
| Wilson Lamb | University of Strathclyde |
| Bernd Schroers (chair) | Heriot-Watt University |
| Jose Figueroa O'Farrill | University of Edinburgh |
The James Clerk Maxwell AIMS Fund is administrated by ICMS and will start operation in August 2012. Selection of proposals is carried out by the management committee in consultation with the AIMS centres. Please contact the chair of the committee, Bernd Schroers (b.j.schroers@hw.ac.uk) for further information.
Applications
To apply please use this form. Please describe the course you would like to teach at AIMS or any other support that you would like to offer. If you are proposing a course, please outline both the contents and the teaching method. There is no automatic acknowledgement of your application. You will be contacted by Bernd Schroers within 10 working days.
You will also need to submit your proposal to AIMS via the weblinks below. However, we advise you to first apply for funding from the James Clerk Maxwell Fund. You will receive feedback on your proposal which is likely to increase the chances of acceptance by AIMS. Please note the deadlines for the various AIMS submissions and submit your proposal to the James Clerk Maxwell Fund at least two weeks before the relevant deadline.
Previous AIMS teaching supported by the Fund:
Jack Carr (J.Carr at hw.ac.uk), Heriot Watt University, Dynamical Systems, AIMS Ghana, February/March 2013.
Wilson Lamb (w.lamb at strath.ac.uk), Strathclyde University, Analytical Techniques in Mathematical Biology, AIMS South Africa, January/February 2013.
Gabriel Lord (G.J.Lord at hw.ac.uk), Heriot-Watt University, Numerical Analysis, AIMS South Africa, December 2012.
Bernd Schroers (B.J.Schroers at hw.ac.uk), Heriot-Watt University, Physical Problem Solving, AIMS Ghana, September 2012 and Quantum Computing, AIMS South Africa, November 2012.
Robert Weston (R.A.Weston at hw.ac.uk), Heriot-Watt University, Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics, AIMS Ghana, November/ December 2012.
Feel free to contact the lecturers if you have questions about AIMS teaching.
AIMS course and essays proposals for 2013
AIMS Ghana seeks essay topics and supervisors for its project phase in March-May 2013. Please submit proposals here by 3 February 2013.
AIMS Senegal seeks essay topics and supervisors for its project phase in March-May 2013. Please submit proposals here
AIMS seeks course proposals for all AIMS centres for the academic year 2013/14. Please submit proposals here by 28 February 2013.