M2PI is a full-time training and work-integrated learning opportunity for graduate students and post-doctoral fellows in the mathematical sciences (undergraduate students are also eligible to apply). Successful applicants will commit to full-time participation within a set duration, typically 2 to 3 weeks, during which time they will receive specialized professional and technical training while collaborating in teams on industry-specific problems under the guidance of an industry mentor.

• In the first two weeks, students will receive professional and technical skills training relevant to non-academic STEM careers via virtual courses.
• Following the training, teams will convene virtually and work intensively on their projects. During this time, they will have access to a mentor for guidance.
• The program will conclude with an graduation event.

Following the workshop, participants’ work will generally be showcased at a virtual graduation event and published in the form of a report. At the graduation event, participants will showcase their skills to a large audience including potential employers in both academic and non-academic fields.

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For examples of previous successful projects and details of the training program, please see our previous editions pages.

M2PI brings together industrial partners with challenging mathematical problems and the mathematical talent needed to tackle them. Partners gain fresh insight grounded in cutting-edge mathematics, while trainees gain hands-on experience with meaningful industrial projects. If you’re part of an industry, government, or non-profit organization in Western Canada and have a problem that could benefit from a mathematical perspective, we’d be delighted to hear from you.

How it works

• Organizations are invited to submit challenges for teams of graduate students and postdoctoral fellows to tackle during the workshop.
• PIMS matches your organization to an academic researcher who can provide support for developing the problem statement.
• Students complete various training courses in a variety of professional and technical skills relevant to STEM careers.
• Mentors from the organization work closely with the student team for the remainder of the workshop, typically meet with the students for a minimum of two hours each day during this time.
• Participants present the results of their work at a graduation ceremony and networking event.

The intended outcomes of M2PI are that partner organizations will have the opportunity to engage with highly skilled talent and will receive innovative solutions to the mathematical challenges they face.

If you have any questions about the program, or think you might want to submit a problem, please get in touch.

The Opportunity

Math^Industry (Math to power industry) is a professional development school positioned to benefit Canadian industry because:

1. Recent PhDs and Postdocs in the mathematical sciences are a national resource that is poised to be underutilized.
2. Ideas from the mathematical sciences are vital to Canada’s industry sectors and are especially important during and after the pandemic.
3. A cohort-based training and job placement program focused on key industry sectors will help advance Canada’s economy.

The drastic decrease in economic activity caused by the pandemic combined with cost explosions in other governmental programs will lead to significant cuts in higher education budgets. Reductions in the capacity of universities to hire new faculty and postdocs will essentially eliminate a career pathway for a generation of young researchers. This talent pool should be effectively redirected toward activities that drive Canada’s economic recovery.

The important role that mathematical scientists play in defining government policy responses to the pandemic is analogous to the role these experts should play across Canada’s industry sectors. Governmental decisions regarding when or how to optimally implement policies to flatten the curve rely upon predictive models, data analysis, and other mathematical insights. Effective business decision-making similarly requires expertise in modeling, computation, statistics, optimization (mathematical sciences). Studies by Deloitte have revealed the enormous impact the mathematical sciences have on the UK Economy and the Dutch Economy. Goals for the Math^Industry include economic stimulation during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, placement of recent mathematical science PhDs into jobs in western Canada, and an ongoing improvement to Canada’s Business Enterprise Research and Development capacity.

The Plan

The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences (PIMS) and partners are offering a virtual rapid response program to train and place young mathematical scientists into jobs in important industry sectors in western Canada (agrifood, energy, forestry, health care, mining). This program will start with a training bootcamp (software best practices, business, communications, project management), group collaborations with industry partners, and create a funnel leading to job placements in industry.