Partial Support of the Meetings of the Board on Mathematical Sciences and Their Applications

National Academy Of Sciences, Washington DC

Investigators

Abstract

The National Academies' Board on Mathematical Sciences and their Applications (BMSA) is a primary interface between the research enterprise and federal agencies that rely on the mathematical sciences. Through studies and workshops, the Board's 21 pro bono experts help to ensure that the nation?s decision making is based on strong mathematical analysis and computational simulations. Recent BMSA studies have recommended improvements to the way the Department of Homeland Security assesses bioterrorism risks and steered the Federal Reserve system toward new ways of thinking about systemic risk, and the Board shared oversight of a recent Academies study that created a path forward for the nation?s forensic science enterprise. The Board also contributes to internal cohesion of the discipline by bringing together leaders of mathematics, statistics, operations research, economics, financial engineering, systems engineering, risk analysis, computational science and engineering, computer science, decision analysis, and other mathematical fields for a broad range of interactions at its biennial meetings and other functions. Through its position within the National Academies, the Board also strengthens connections between the mathematical sciences and other fields, because it has ready access to the leaders in all fields of science, engineering, education, and medicine. This allows the Board to convene workshops and studies that are truly cross-disciplinary.