Heidelberg Laureate Forum Mathematical Sciences Graduate Student Support

Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Oak Ridge TN

Investigators

Abstract

This award provides travel funds for U.S.-based graduate students and postdoctoral researchers in the mathematical sciences to attend the Heidelberg Laureate Forum (HLF) during September 24-29, 2017. The HLF brings together Laureates of the most prestigious awards in computer science and mathematics to spend a week interacting with approximately two hundred early career researchers. As these researchers represent over forty different countries, in addition to the scientific exchanges with the Laureates and with each other, they gain a valuable global perspective on current research in computer science and mathematics. Modeled on the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings, the HLF provides graduate students and postdoctoral researchers with extraordinary access to a group of scientific role models through lectures, small group discussions, and casual conversations. Such experiences can have a profound impact on the development of an early career researcher. Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) recruits a highly qualified and diverse applicant pool for the Forum using social media, on-line forums, and listservs. Applicants undergo peer review for final selection. There are many exceptionally promising early career researchers who have little or no opportunity to interact with the Laureates of the major prizes in the computer and mathematical sciences. The HLF is a unique opportunity for these individuals, one that can energize and steer future research. The recruitment and selection of participants emphasizes the potential benefits of the opportunity for the researchers, as well as the overall goal of ensuring a broadly inclusive group of participants. ORAU provides logistical support both prior to and during the forum, arranges additional on-site enrichment activities, and performs an assessment of participant experiences to document the impact of the Forum. The program web page is at http://www.orau.org/hlf/.