The Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute (AMSI)

The Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute (AMSI) is a national, collaborative venture supporting the mathematical sciences.

AMSI was established in 2002 with initial funding from its member institutions and the Victorian Government’s Science, Technology and Innovation Infrastructure grants program. AMSI’s mission is to promote and strengthen understanding and use of the mathematical sciences in Australia’s culture, science and economy.

There are three main programs: Science; Education; and Business, Industry and Government. Each program has an expert Advisory Committee that provides advice to the board.

AMSI’s wide-ranging activities include:

• Productive representation of its members and the wider mathematical community in communicating the strengths, importance and vital benefits of mathematics and statistics to journalists, university administrators, politicians, public servants and industrialists.
• Significant participation in and support of high-level submissions to governments such as the National Strategic Review of Mathematical Sciences Research in Australia and the development of the National Mathematics Curriculum.
• Successful organisation of wide-ranging industry-linked activities including workshops, introduction of an intern placement program, provision of mathematical and statistical consulting services and industry forums showcasing the benefits of using mathematical tools to business, government and industry.
• Continuation of support for an on-going program of scientific workshops, conferences and seminars conducted by AMSI members and also for special theme programs of longer duration.
• Enhancement of the national level of competency in school mathematics through provision of well researched, well written mathematics textbooks and teacher resource materials, teacher professional development and electronic teaching aids.
• On-going provision of activities at higher education level including postgraduate and specialist courses and workshops; the highly successful Summer Schools in Mathematics for honours students and above; technology transfer courses for industry and utilization of the AMSI/ICE-EM network of Access Grid Rooms to facilitate distributed teaching and research.
• Completion of the widely well-received Carrick Institute funded scoping project, Mathematics Education for 21st Century Engineering Students

AMSI also publishes an Annual Report.