Background
Fundamental research in computer science and mathematics can make major contributions to important challenges in science and society. For example, think of recent developments in the context of AI and health care, the energy transition or fairness of algorithms. CWI Research Semester Programmes are a new initiative to facilitate and accelerate joint research endeavours, whose goal is to exchange ideas, develop knowledge and take on fundamental challenges in mathematics and computer science.
CWI would like to invite colleagues from Dutch universities to jointly set up such CWI Research Semester Programmes for 2024 and 2025.
Format
A Research Semester Programme is a coherent set of meetings and activities in which researchers come together to collaborate on important or emerging research topics over a longer period. The format of the program is flexible. For example, it may consist of weekly or monthly sessions, a series of workshops, with a boot camp, masterclass or spring school for PhD candidates, reading groups, etc. The goal is to establish a common base for further scientific contributions, to build and strengthen national research communities on specific topics, and to enable junior researchers to expand their network.
Past programmes
The 2022 Research Semester Programmes were on Data-driven Methods for Inverse Problems and Polynomial Optimization and Applications. The 2023 Research Semester Programmes are on 'Theory of Machine Learning', 'Social XR' and 'Scientific Machine Learning'.
Interested?
- Do you have a hot topic that deserves broader attention and would benefit from organizing the Dutch research community?
- Do you know colleagues, both in the Netherlands and abroad, who are interested to significantly advance research on your topic?
If you say yes to these questions, we invite you to team up with one of CWI’s researchers and submit a proposal for a CWI Research Semester Programme in 2024 or 2025. Proposals should relate to one of CWI’s research focus areas:
What we ask from you
The effort that is required from university colleagues is to suggest the topic, help develop the content of the programme, and suggest young researchers, PhD’s, postdocs, and assistant professors who want to engage in a joint research effort. CWI provides the organizing support staff and PR, and a budget for travel, accommodation, catering and meeting facilities (up to 30.000 euros).
We specifically encourage you, as part of the CWI Research Semster Program, to apply for long-term visits (or sabbaticals) of renowned scientists, at the premises of CWI. In addition, CWI wants to stimulate informal network formation and has, to that end, flexible workspaces available for colleagues in your organising team.
Submissions
More information on the call for Research Semester Programmes in 2025-2026 will follow in Spring 2024.
