The IMA and its Mission

Mission. The Institute for Mathematics and its Applications was established in 1982 by the National Science Foundation, as a result of a national competition. The primary mission of the IMA is to increase the impact of mathematics by fostering research of a truly interdisciplinary nature, linking mathematics of the highest caliber and important scientific and technological problems from other disciplines and industry. Allied with this mission, the IMA also aims to expand and strengthen the talent base engaged in mathematical research applied to or relevant to such problems.

Strategies.The IMA pursues a variety of strategies to advance its mission:

• The IMA positions itself as an information hub in the mathematical sciences. We identify important research areas and problems in need of new mathematics and communicate them to high quality mathematicians. We inform and instruct users and potential users about new mathematical developments. We bring together mathematicians and scientists to discuss important issues to whose resolution both groups may contribute.
• The IMA provides a program and an environment which is highly conducive to research, collaboration, and communication.
• The IMA works to build lasting new multidisciplinary research communities.
• The IMA seeks out and meaningfully engages mathematicians and scientists from as wide as possible a variety of backgrounds, particularly considering groups which are traditionally underrepresented.
• The IMA educates mathematicians at the start of their career and after they have been well-established. Its programs not only help mathematicians to extend their expertise, but also to broaden their perspective on the utility and impact of mathematics in science and technology. It enables them to become essential participants in interdisciplinary collaborations.
• The IMA enriches the education of the next generation of mathematical scientists by introducing graduate students to a wide view of the role of mathematics.

Mechanisms.The IMA employs a variety of programmatic mechanisms. Among these are:

• Annual Thematic Programs lasting 10 months and involving on the order of 1,000 participants including long-term, medium-term and short-term visitors, coming from academia, industry, and government. Each year involves a number of periods of intense activity such as workshops, tutorials, panel discussions, public lectures, etc., separated by periods for less structured interaction and research.
• Summer Programs typically lasting 2-7 weeks and involving on the order of 100 participants.
• Special workshops and Hot Topics Workshops, short programs which can be launched quickly as necessary to respond to areas of particular interest or opportunity.
• Participating Institution Conferences.
• Participating Institution Graduate Student Summer Programs.
• Industrial Math Modeling for Graduate Students.
• IMA Postdoctoral Fellowships and IMA Industrial Postdoctoral Fellowships.
• The IMA Participating Corporations and Participating Institutions program.
• The IMA website and IMA publications.
• A variety of seminars and seminar series.
• A variety of outreach activities by the directors, postdocs, and associated faculty of the IMA.

The Institute for Mathematics and Its Applications is located at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities Campus, on the fourth floor of Lind Hall. It enjoys a close affiliation with the School of Mathematics, the Institute of Technology, and the Minnesota Center for Industrial Mathematics.