The seven National Science Foundation Mathematical Sciences Institutes have launched a web portal at www.mathinstitutes.org. The site features:

• A description of and easy access to all seven institutes, American Institute of Mathematics (AIM) in Palo Alto, Institute for Advanced Studies (IAS) in Princeton, Institute for Mathematics and its Applications (IMA) in Minneapolis, Institute for Pure and Applied Mathematics (IPAM) in Los Angeles, Mathematical Biosciences Institute (MBI) in Columbus, Mathematical Sciences Research Institute (MSRI) in Berkeley, and Statistical and Applied Mathematical Institute (SAMSI) in Research Triangle Park.
• An events database which can be browsed or searched by institute, keyword, dates, and program length, giving access to all the programs at all the institutes.
• An ever expanding collection of research highlights pointing out some of the scientific outcomes from the institutes.
• A search box which interacts with google to return matches which occur at any of the institutes web site.

The web portal is the most visible outcome of the Mathematical Sciences Institute Directors Council, which was formed in an effort to maximize the value of the portfolio of mathematical sciences insitutes supported by the NSF. At a meeting at the NSF headquarters in January 2005, the council identified its initial goals:

• To ensure complementarity, coordination, and coverage of programs in order to maximize scientific breadth and value.
• To encourage cross-institute synergy.
• To maximize efficiency through development and sharing of best practices.
• To broaden participation in mathematical sciences research through data sharing and discussion of best practices.
• To facilitate accurate, insightful, uniform, and efficient reporting of relevant data.
• To work together to publicize institutes' programs and accomplishments.

Since then the council has met yearly in the spring, at the IMA in May 2005, at MSRI in May 2006, with a May 2007 meeting to be held at IPAM.