The Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute (AMSI)

The Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute was established in November 2002 with initial funding of $1M from the Victorian Government's Science, Technology and Innovation Infrastructure grants program and matching funds from a member consortium of Australian universities and other mathematical organisations. AMSI is grateful to the University of Melbourne for providing well-equipped premises at 111 Barry Street Carlton and for freely providing support services.

AMSI's mission is to become a nationally and internationally recognised centre for the mathematical sciences, providing service to its member institutions, improving the international competitiveness of Australian industry and commerce and enhancing the national level of school mathematics, by the provision and support of mathematical and statistical expertise.

Specific objectives of AMSI since its inception have been to:

Establish national industry-linked research activity in such areas as security, bioinformatics, optimisation and financial mathematics.

Develop research programs that both build upon existing research strengths of Australian mathematicians, and develop expertise in strategic new and emerging areas.

Expand the scope and delivery of post-graduate (honours and above) short courses to meet the needs of post-graduate students, academic staff and industry.

Improve the teaching of mathematics at primary and secondary level by joining with mathematics teacher associations and government agencies to develop a strategy to address issues such as teacher shortfalls and under-qualified teachers.

Provide leverage to pursue further Federal, State and Industry funding to extend its activities.

An introductory brochure about AMSI is available as well as the latest Annual Report (2006-07).

AMSI Functions

There are three main functions: Scientific, Industry and Education. Each function is under the guidance of an expert Advisory Committee. The Scientific Advisory Committee sponsors a diverse and successful range of workshops and theme programs. Linkages with industry and commerce are being established under the general guidance of the Industry Advisory Committee. One-day industry forums link selected industry sectors with mathematics and statistics.

The Education Advisory Committee is guiding both AMSI and ICE-EM on education policy under the auspices of the International Centre of Excellence for Education in Mathematics (ICE-EM). It has also produced a document about the mathematical knowledge needed by teachers of different year levels in Australian schools.

Summer Schools for Honours and Postgraduate Students

Highly successful Summer Schools have been held at five of AMSI's joint venture partner institutions. The first two were funded by the Commonwealth Government through its Higher Education Initiatives Program (HEIP). Since then, they have been funded by the Commonwealth Government grant to ICE-EM.

The first Summer School was held in January 2003 at the University of Melbourne. The second in 2004 was at the University of New South Wales. In 2005 it was held at the Australian National University in 2006 at RMIT University, and in 2007 at the University of Sydney. In 2008 it was at Monash University, Melbourne.

The Summer Schools are open to students from cognate disciplines such as engineering, finance, medical statistics and bioinformatics as well as the mathematical sciences. Students are able to take a range of courses, for credit at Honours level, some of which may not be normally available in their home institutions. Students enjoy a stimulating atmosphere and opportunities for the interchange of ideas both with one another and with the lecturers.

AMSI Facilities

AMSI occupies modern and well-equipped premises generously hosted by the University of Melbourne. The offices are on the ground floor of the ICT Building, 111 Barry Street Carlton, in the University Square precinct of the University's Parkville campus. (Look for the glass-fronted office in the north corridor.)

The premises includes a seminar room suitable for seating up to 35 people theatre-style or up to 16 in a U-shape. Presenters may use a fixed Barco projector and internet connection is available. The seminar room backs onto a spacious kitchenette for mingling over coffee. One room with 5 Apple Macs is available for delegates to access their email via internet.

There is also some office space for visiting academics who wish to work away from their own office for a shorter or longer period e.g. sabbatical. Contact the Director.

Intenational Linkages

AMSI has agreements of cooperation with two Canadian organisations, the Atlantic Association for Research in Mathematical Sciences (AARMS) and the national network Mathematics of Information Technology and Complex Systems (MITACS). We are a member of the Pacific Rim Mathematical Association (PRIMA) which offers our early carer researchers a limited number of free registrations and accommodation at events held in North America and Asia.

The International Centre of Excellence for Education in Mathematics (ICE-EM)

This major national centre, funded by the Commonwealth Government, was awarded to AMSI in January 2004. The grant is for $7.8M over four years. The Centre is conducting a wide range of national activities including: postgraduate and specialist courses and workshops, building on AMSI's successful Summer Schools; technology transfer courses for industry; establishment of a network of Access Grid Rooms to facilitate distributed teaching and research; production of printed and electronic resources for teachers and students, in collaboration with the Australian Mathematics Trust; and in-service and retraining programs for teachers. Each of these will be developed with guidance from AMSI's advisory committees and managed by individuals and groups drawn from the Australian community. Prominent international experts will contribute to the programs.

The ARC Centre of Excellence for Mathematics and Statistics of Complex Systems (MASCOS)

AMSI is a partner in this $11M ARC Centre of Excellence, which has Principal Investigators at five Australian universities. AMSI and MASCOS share facilities and conduct joint activities, including workshops and industry linkages.

The Australian Centre of Excellence for Risk Analysis (ACERA)

AMSI is also a partner in ACERA, whose objective is to research and build state-of-the-art risk analysis methods, primarily for biosecurity but also for broader utility. It will not only develop analytical tools but also communicate findings in a way that improves the understanding of all stakeholders of how risk analysis is undertaken. AMSI members have the opportunity to participate in ACERA's projects if there is a matching skill set. Contact the Director.

Contacts