Presenting the CRM

The Centre de recherches mathématiques (CRM) was created in 1969 by the Université de Montréal through a special grant from the NRC. It became an NSERC national research centre in 1984. It is currently funded by NSERC (Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council), by the Government of Québec through the Fonds FCAR pour l'aide et le soutien à la recherche and the Université de Montréal, and by private donations. The mission of the CRM is to do research in mathematics and closely related disciplines and to provide leadership in the development of the mathematical sciences in Canada.

The CRM accomplishes its mission in several ways. As part of its national mandate,

• it organizes a series of scientific events each year, around a given theme (distinguished lecture series, workshops, conferences, summer schools, visitor programs, etc.);
• it has a general program which helps to fund conferences and special events across the country;
• each year it invites, through the Chaire Aisenstadt, one or two prestigious mathematicians to give advanced courses, as part of its thematic program;
• it awards three prizes yearly: the CRM-Fields Prize recognizing major contributions to mathematics, the Aisenstadt Prize given for outstanding work done by a young Canadian mathematician, and the CAP-CRM Prize for exceptional achievement in theoretical and mathematical physics;
• it publishes some 150 technical reports and about 6-8 books per year. Some of its collections are published jointly with the AMS and with Springer Verlag;
• it has an extensive postdoctoral fellowships program, with 22 postdoctoral fellows in place last year, funded either solely by the CRM or in partnership with other organisations;
• it informs the community of its activities through its web site at www.CRM.UMontreal.CA.

This national mandate is complemented by, and indeed supported by, a long standing vocation of promoting research in the Montréal area. Indeed the CRM

• supports, through partnership agreements, a local group of researchers chosen mainly from departments of mathematics and statistics, but also from departments of computer science, physics, economics, engineering, etc.;
• works actively at developing contacts with industry. Its joint activities with liaison and research centres (CERCA and CIRANO) and research centres doing applied research (CRT and GERAD) has led to the creation, this year, of the Network for Computing and Mathematical Modelling (ncm2). This network is funded by NSERC and 19 partners such as financial institutions, high-tech companies and ministries.

The CRM fulfils its national mission by involving the largest possible number of Canadian mathematicians in its scientific programs, both as participants and as organizers. It also supports many events taking place outside Montréal and the Province of Québec. It is recognized worldwide as one of the major institutes in the mathematical sciences. The director of the CRM is supported by two managerial structures: the Bureau and the Advisory Committee. The Advisory Committee is a prestigious group of internationally renowned mathematicians, both Canadian and non-Canadian, who approve scientific programs and thematic years, choose recipients of the CRM-Fields and Aisenstadt prizes, and suggest new scientific ventures to explore. The president of the Canadian Mathematical Society is a member ex officio. This structure is augmented by the CRM-Fields committee that oversees the collaboration and coordination between the two institutes and assures the truly national role of both. The members are representatives of the Canadian scientific community.

• Return to the Summary of this Annual Report
• Continue with the next part: Personnel

27 March 1998, webmaster@CRM.UMontreal.CA