Resources for Research Networks

The role of AWM is to both help you start with a Research Collaboration Conferences for Women (RCCW) and to organize a series of follow-up events and infrastructure to help grow and sustain long-lasting research networks. We also can offer support with your NSF and institute proposals, including matching you with AWM members who have had successful grants in the past.

Email the Research Network Coordinator to get in touch with us!

Check out the list of Past RCCWs for the full list of past workshops supported by AWM.

How Do I Start a New Research Network?

Most AWM Research Networks are launched at Research Collaboration Conferences for Women (RCCWs), week-long conferences held at mathematics institutes where junior and senior women come together to work on pre-defined research projects.  The AWM provides mentorship and support to new networks wishing to organize an RCCW including help finding a conference venue, developing and submitting a conference proposal, and soliciting travel funding for participants. Interdisciplinary proposals and proposals that bring together researchers from traditionally underrepresented populations are especially encouraged.

Mathematicians interested in organizing the first conference of a new RCCW should:

  1. Read the How To Launch A Research Network document.
  2. Submit a one-page proposal to the AWM describing the conference topic, potential co-organizers and project leaders, and potential participants. Send the PDF of your proposal to rncoordinator@awm-math.org.

Funding Sources

AWM encourages the organizers of RCCWs to fund their workshops through conference grants as much as possible. A small amount of supplemental funding from AWM is available to support (especially to support new RNs and those with a significant number of participants from underrepresented groups): apply via this googleForm.

AWM Travel Grants  support both travel to domestic or foreign research conferences for those with a U.S. address and a PhD. Deadlines: February 15, May 15, and October 1.

AMS-Simons Travel Grants are for early-career mathematicians who are located in the United States who have completed the PhD (or its equivalent) within the last four years.  Applicants are open in February-March.

Sigma Xi Travel Grants support undergraduate and graduate students currently enrolled in degree-seeking programs, and US citizenship and residence are NOT required, but either the applicant or the primary advisor must be members of Sigma Xi. Deadlines: March 14, October 1.

Assessment Survey Templates

Coming soon!

Host Institutions for RCCWs

The American Institute of Mathematics holds focused workshops in all areas of the mathematical sciences. Workshops last 5 days and can support up to 28 participants. No external funding is necessary. AIM provides funding of all invited workshop participants. This includes a travel allowance, hotel accommodations, and a per diem for meals.  https://aimath.org/workshops/proposalguide/

Most workshops are selected from proposals received by the annual November 1 deadline.

Previous RCCWs

Bernoulli Center Short-term Scientific Programs

The Bernoulli Center for Fundamental Studies’ mission is to advance fundamental research in a collaborative environment… [including]… Short-term scientific programs that promote the collaboration of researchers at EPFL and nearby institutions with periodic events and workshops.

Previous RCCWs

5 Day Workshops

5-Day Workshops are offered at the BIRS facility in the Banff Centre (Banff, Canada), as well as at the BIRS partner stations: Casa Matemática (Oaxaca, Mexico), BIRS UBCO (Kelowna, Canada), the Institute for Advanced Study in Mathematics (Hangzhou, China), the Instituto De Matemáticas (Grenada, Spain), and the Chennai Mathematical Institute (Chennai, India).

The 5-Day Workshop is the main program format of BIRS. Workshops run Monday through Friday (arrival Sunday afternoon, departure Friday noon). The intended format is for participants, who are experts, to come together to exchange the latest developments and ideas in their areas; to foster new collaborations and new interdisciplinary interactions; and to provide a forum for vigorous research-oriented discussions. In general, workshops are not conferences.

Full accommodation (single room and meals) and use of BIRS facilities (main lecture room, classrooms, internet, etc.) will be provided at no cost to the organizers and participants of the workshops.

The most popular season is mid-May to the end of August. We’re unable to accommodate all requests for this high-season period. Please give us off-season alternatives! Watch out for special calendar weeks that are religious or public holidays.

Number of participants: up to 42, including organizers. For half-workshops, up to 21 people.

Follow-up Activities: BIRS also offers Focused Research Groups for groups of up to 8 for 1-2 weeks, and Research in Teams for groups of 2-4 for 1-2 weeks.

Previous and Upcoming RCCWs

CAMGSD at Instituto Superior Técnico (Lisbon, Portugal)

It is a goal of the Centre to invest in the development of research and post-graduate training in these areas through postdoctoral and visiting faculty appointments, as well as fellowships and assistantships for graduate students, and the conditions for research activities of its members at high international level. The Centre’s activities include a postdoctoral training program; a visitors program; weekly seminars; workshops; tutorials and summer schools targeted at advanced PhD students and post-doctoral fellows.

CAMGSD Contacts

Previous RCCWs

CIRM Workshops

Proposals can be made at any time of the year.

Workshops welcome 3 to 50 people and are externally funded. The cost of a week’s full board at Cirm for one participant is approximately 550 euros.
Organisers will benefit from CIRM and its team, its communication resources, its hotel infrastructure and its support to plan their events with peace of mind.

They allow teams to focus on a particular area or problem. They also allow for follow-up sessions after a larger event or even to celebrate a special event.

Previous RCCWs

ESI Workshops are 1-2 weeks long and limited to 60 participants.

The deadline for proposal submission for workshops is May 15 for workshops taking place from April 1 of the following year to March 31 of the year after.

Workshops are small conferences that are focused on a scientific topic in mathematics or physics with an emphasis on communication and seminar style presentations.

Note that the ESI considers the fruitful interaction between mathematicians and physicists an important component in the evaluation — and acceptance — of workshop proposals.

The ESI strongly supports efforts to improve the gender balance in mathematics and physics and particularly encourages the participation of women in all ESI activities. For workshops organizers should aim for at least 20% female participants and ideally also the organizing team should include women. The expected number of female participants should be stated in the proposal. Thus, 20% of the ESI workshop budget will be reserved for per diem payments to female participants only.

The extent of financial support for workshops by the ESI will typically be in the range of EUR 12.000 – 20.000. The Institute encourages visits by qualified scientists who wish to collaborate with participants of ESI research workshops and local scientists (see ESI scholars). The ESI supports workshop participants with a per diem of up to EUR 80 per night spent in Vienna. Travel expenses cannot be paid by the ESI.

While no RCCWs have been held at this location yet, we hear they are excited to host yours!

Deadlines for general scientific activity proposal applications are February 15, June 15, and October 15 of each year. A lead time of at least nine (9) months is requested between the proposal application deadline and the date of the event. Applications are reviewed after each deadline.

General scientific activities (GSA) generally consist of a period of one day to one month of concentrated activity in topics of current research interest in the mathematical sciences and should include opportunities for the involvement of young scientists and graduate students. A large number of general scientific activities are scheduled for each academic year. Topics supported through general scientific activities are often newly emerging areas in the mathematical sciences in Canada and add breadth to the range of research supported by the Fields Institute. The activities may be in the form of workshops, seminars, conferences and/or summer schools.

Past and Upcoming RCCWs

Workshops

Previously, RCCWs contacted the staff directly and were able to be fit in between the summer and fall trimesters, but as of December 2023, it seems like they won’t be doing that anymore.

Past RCCWs

IAS Summer Collaborators Program

Application Deadline: December 1

The School of Mathematics at the Institute for Advanced Study invites applications from collaborators who would like to meet during the summer months to further their research project.

Thanks to a generous grant from the National Science Foundation, we provide travel funds, local housing, per diem, office space, and excellent library and computer facilities for up to six small groups (of 2-5 people each, all having PhDs) for periods of 2 to 4 weeks during the summer (between June 1 – July 31). Our campus is located in Princeton, New Jersey, about an hour from New York City and Philadelphia.

Women+ and Mathematics

The Women+ and Mathematics Program (W+AM) at the Institute for Advanced Study has been an annual program since 1994 with the mission to recruit and retain more women in mathematics. W+AMaims to counter the imbalance of those entering mathematics training as well as the higher attrition rate of female and underrepresented groups of mathematicians at every critical transition stage in mathematical careers. W+AMencourages mathematicians to form collaborative research relationships and to become active in a vertical mentoring network spanning a continuum from undergraduates to emeriti professors, which provides support and reduces the sense of isolation experienced by many underrepresented groups in mathematics. While there are a number of programs targeted solely at undergraduates, or graduate students, or postdocs, very few programs provide the depth and breadth that come from simultaneously including features tailored for undergraduate students, graduate students, and researchers from a broad spectrum of US institutions, all in one united community of scholars, as W+AM does.

Previous RCCWs

Topical Workshops

Deadlines:  October 1st and May 1st.

ICERM’s topical workshops run over 5 weekdays and focus on a timely and exciting theme that aligns with the institute’s mission of supporting and broadening the relationship between mathematics and computation. ICERM hosts 5-7 topical workshops each year. They are typically scheduled in December, January, and May through August (around the dates of the semester programs). ICERM covers travel and lodging expenses of the organizers and 20-25 invited speakers/lead participants; some participants (applicants) to the workshop may also be supported.

Past and Future RCCWs

Workshops

Deadlines: Proposals should be received by November 1st in order to be considered by February; Proposals should be received by April 1st  in order to be considered in July.

Workshops are normally five days in duration but other lengths will be considered.

There is no minimum or maximum number of participants. Organisers should bear in mind that a very small meeting is unlikely to have a great enough impact on the community and a very large one runs the danger of losing the focus the workshop format requires.

See the page on Financial Support Available for information about funding.

Small Group Follow-ons: Research-in-Groups (RIGs)

Submission deadlines: 1st February, 1st May, 1st September, 1st November each year.

This ICMS programme invites applications from small groups of researchers (between two and six) who wish to organise a short, intensive period of research in Edinburgh, typically between two and four weeks. We are happy to be flexible and will consider other combinations or lengths of visit: please ask. At least one researcher must be based in the UK. Not all researchers should be from the same university with a maximum of two researchers from any one university.

The programme will enable researchers to spend time in intensive research collaboration at ICMS, away from teaching and administration. The primary aim is to support top-quality (international) research in the mathematical sciences and therefore ICMS encourages adventurous proposals involving novel groupings of researchers, especially in interdisciplinary areas involving international collaborators. We welcome applications from mid-career researchers, and particularly those who have had interruptions in their research careers, for example through a heavy administrative burden or caring responsibilities.

Successful applicants will be offered financial support and office facilities for their collaboration at ICMS on a specified project. It will be expected that the period being supported should be committed 100% by the participants to the proposed research.

ICMS can host Research-in-Groups visits in Edinburgh all year round except for August.

ICMS has not yet hosted any AWM RCCWs, but they hosted a Formalisation of Mathematics: Workshop for Women and Mathematicians of Minority Gender workshop in 2024, and a recurring Retreat for Women in Applied Mathematics (2025, 2024, and 2023)

Research in Paris

Submission deadline: October 15

In the tradition of the Research In Pairs programme in Oberwolfach and the Research In Peace programme at the Mittag-Leffler Institute, this programme is ideal for developing or finalising a project with a small group of collaborators (two to four people) who are geographically distant and can gather at IHP over a period of one to six weeks.

Previous RCCWs

IMA

Cultivating communities engaged in transdisciplinary mathematics at the intersection of academia, industry, and government.

[Coming soon!]

Previous RCCWs

IPAM Workshops

Exploratory workshop applications are accepted throughout the year.

Exploratory workshops are typically two or three days in length. These workshops focus on a hot topic of emerging interest. They are organized in just 6-12 months and may be considered by the Science Advisory Board at any time.

Previous RCCWs

Workshops at the Lorentz Center

Deadlines: Workshop proposals can be submitted three times per year: 30 January, 30 May and 30 September. Workshops will be planned in the period 8-15 months after the deadline.

Lorentz Center workshops are meetings where researchers meet to discuss and work together on scientific developments, ideas and plans in an open and interactive atmosphere. The focus is on what you do not know yet, what you want to know and how to get there.
Lorentz Center workshops…

  • have ample time for active discussions and informal interactions
  • allow participants and organizers to focus on the scientific content
  • can be mono- as well as multidisciplinary
  • have a limited number of participants: all participants get to know each other during the meeting
  • endorse active participation of early career researchers (think of participants who have obtained their Ph.D. less than 5 years ago or are currently working towards it)
  • stimulate diversity in all aspects
  • take place in an informal environment
  • are financially, practically and scientifically supported by the Lorentz Center

Previous RCCWs

MBI at The Ohio State University

The Mathematical Biosciences Institute (MBI) is an institution of higher learning affiliated with the Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. MBI receives major funding from the National Science Foundation. The institute offers a vigorous program of research and education, and fosters the growth of an international community of researchers in the mathematical biosciences.

Previous RCCWs

Mini-Workshops

Deadlines for proposals: July 31 and March 15. Workshops can take place during specific weeks in Sept, Nov, and Dec.

In addition to the traditional and well-established large Workshops of up to 48 participants, we offer the possibility of holding Mini-Workshops by bringing up to 16 people (including organisers) together for a week in Oberwolfach. Usually there are three parallel Mini-Workshops in one week. There are various ways in which this week can be used: it can be focused on a certain problem hoping that by joining forces a substantial break-through can be expected, or on learning particular interesting developments together.

The central goal is to stimulate new research. For this reason smaller groups are preferred. It is an emphasis of this program to give also junior researchers the opportunity to participate, and even to take the initiative in organizing a session.

Previous RCCWs

Guest Program

Note: MPIM Bonn does not have a formal research in teams program, however, one may write directly to one of the directors to propose one.

The Guest Program is the key concept distinguishing the Max Planck Institute for Mathematics from other Max Planck Institutes. Within the program mathematicians with a completed Ph.D. can work at the MPIM for a fixed period of time, ranging from weeks to several months. Young researches at the postdoctoral level can get in contact to established scientists, who enjoy staying at the MPIM for a sabbatical. The whole concept of the program is about stimulating the communication and the exchange of ideas within the mathematics community. Over the years a few thousand mathematicians have used this unique opportunity.

Previous RCCWs

Research Groups

(No deadlines listed.)

Since 2014, we have welcomed research groups to the Village, in order to provide them with a retreat where they can gather and focus on a research question.

Groups of researchers can apply as well as mathematicians that want to work closely with their PhD students for a time. Each research group should have a leader who is responsible for choosing who will participate in the group. We would like the groups to be as open as possible to other researchers and students who want to participate.

During their stay at the Village, we would like research groups to give a few lectures or seminars on the topic they are working on. The Mathematics Village will finance a few research groups every year, in return for acknowledgement in the ensuing publications. Other groups may want to arrange their own funding.

Previous RCCWs

NIMBioS

We are based at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, but our mission is to support research and researchers across the globe. Building on our history starting out an NSF Synthesis Center we are now operating as an independent Institute. We work to foster the collaborative and intellectual space that allows researchers, educators, students, and policy makers to come together and succeed at creative, ambitious, transdisciplinary efforts that each of us would struggle to accomplish on our own. We help researchers in mathematical biology to bring their spark of insight to fruition as a grant proposal, educational program, or new collaboration.

Previous RCCWs

RCCWs at Universities

  • Australian National University (Canberra, Australia): WinCompTop 2019
  • Trier University (Trier, Germany): WiSh 2018
  • University of Michigan Center for Applied and Interdisciplinary Mathematics.  (Ann Arbor, MI, USA):  WIMM 2018 (Each program organizing committee should include at least one member of the UM Department of Mathematics and at least one member of another UM Department.)
  • University of California, Riverside (Riverside, California, USA): WAAM 2021
  • University of Leeds (Leeds, UK): WINART 2019
  • University of Memphis (Memphis, TN, USA): WinOT 2022

Other Locations for RCCWs

  • Near Yellowstone National Park, Ashton, ID, USA: WiGGD 2023
  • Rising Wolf Ranch, Glacier National Park, Montana, USA: WiGGD 2020

Host Institutions for Small Group Follow-up Work

AIM SQuaREs provides the research facilities and financial support for small groups to meet for one week, once a year for 3 years, at the AIM facility in Pasadena, California. Members of a SQuaRE may have an existing collaboration from an AIM workshop or similar activity, or the SQuaRE may provide an opportunity for a new collaboration to grow. Proposals can be in any area of pure or applied mathematics.

AIM has a goal of increasing the participation of women, minorities, junior researchers, and faculty from primarily undergraduate institutions, and priority will be given to proposals which align with these goals. In addition, it is required that a majority of participants are from North America, with at least one from the US.

  • Group of four to six mathematicians pursuing specific research goals.
  • Each group will be supported for up to three week-long meetings over three consecutive years.
  • Proposal deadline: November 1

AWM-BIRS Partnership: AWM and Banff International Research Station (BIRS) together will sponsor small group follow-ons to the Women in X conferences proposed by women who have multiple intersectional identities. These include, but need not be limited to, women from BIPOC (black, indigenous, people of color) communities, women with visible or invisible disabilities, women who are neuro-diverse, gender-diverse or gender fluid. AWM will provide travel funding for these groups, and BIRS will provide research space and lodging through its Focused Research Groups and Research in Teams programs.

BIRS Focused Research Groups for groups of up to 8 for 1-2 weeks at the Banff facility, in order to concentrate on their research, or to finish major projects. Proposals for Focused Research Groups must be received a minimum of 4 months before the proposed start of the event. Dates: Organizers may suggest any Sunday-to-Sunday period of 1 to 2 weeks from mid-January to early December of the current or following year

BIRS Research in Teams  offers teams of 2 to 4 researchers the opportunity to live and work at the BIRS facility  in Banff for periods of 1 to 2 weeks, in order to concentrate on their research or finish major projects. Research in Teams events run Sunday to Sunday. Proposals for Research in Teams events must be received a minimum of 4 months before the proposed start of the event. Dates: Organizers may suggest any Sunday-to-Sunday period of 1 to 2 weeks from mid-January to early December of the current or following year.

Collaborate@ICERM offers teams of 3-6 researchers the opportunity to spend five days at the institute during the summer (May-August) or in the month of January. The team research project should have a computational or experimental component. ICERM provides access to a variety of software packages as well as to high performance computing through Brown’s Center for Computation and Visualization.

  • Deadline: Annual target deadlines are October 1st and May 1st.

SLMath Summer Research in Mathematics (SRiM)  provides space, funding, and the opportunity for in-person collaboration to small groups of mathematicians, including women and gender-expansive individuals, whose ongoing research may have been disproportionately affected by various obstacles including family obligations, professional isolation, or access to funding. Through this effort, SLMath aims to mitigate the obstacles faced by these groups, improve the odds of research project completion, and deepen their research experience.

  • Groups of two to six mathematicians with partial results on an established project may submit an application to the program.
  • Deadline: Priority deadline is October 8, with applications accepted after on a rolling basis.