What does “PI4” mean? Program for Interdisciplinary and Industrial Internships at Illinois

What are the goals of the grant?

  • to prepare graduate students for research outside the Mathematics Department
  • to offer training through a mix of on-campus activities and off-campus internships
  • to provide students with experience in interdisciplinary scientific settings, national labs, and industry

 What will a typical summer look like?  The three components are:

  • PI4-Prepare, on-campus minicourses for incoming students and for students new to interdisciplinary and industrial mathematics;
  • PI4-Train, on-campus minicourses and research working groups helping prepare students for research and work outside the mathematics environment;
  • PI4-Intern, internships in scientific labs, national labs, or industry (in Champaign-Urbana or nationwide)

Are the students supported during the summer? Yes – we can support students involved with the research working groups, and those interns who are not paid by their hosts. Only domestic students are eligible for the funding from the grant.

How can students apply? Application procedures are announced each Spring.

Why is PI4 needed? The number of PhDs produced annually in the mathematical sciences has almost doubled over the last decade, while the number of tenure-track academic openings has declined. These trends demand bold steps in response. PI4 aims to create an alternative educational model that provides a broader array of career opportunities to students across most fields of mathematics.

How many students will be funded? Roughly 24-27 graduate students in Mathematics at the University of Illinois will be funded each summer (U.S. students only). The grant is aimed primarily at incoming PhD students and students in the early years of our PhD program. Students do not need previous experience with interdisciplinary or industrial mathematics.

How long will PI4 last? March 2014 through February 2020; we have requested a no-cost extension through February 2021 (pending)

Who are the PI4 management team? Yuliy Baryshnikov, Lee DeVille, Richard Laugesen