Knowledge Exchange at the ICMS
Through our funding opportunities and Knowledge Exchange (KE) initiatives, the ICMS supports and promotes interactions that maximise the impact of the mathematical sciences. Our current activities are listed below, and we are flexible in the support we can offer.
Our aim is to support the community, so we are keen to engage with anyone interested in KE. If you would like to organise a KE event, discuss ideas or shape future activities, please get in touch with our Knowledge Exchange Manager Lauren Hyndman.
KE funding opportunities
KE Catalyst
A secondment scheme to support direct collaboration between academics and external partners.
Click here for more information.
KE event fund
Funding for events that bring together diverse groups of people to enhance research, develop and strengthen collaborations, share best practice and more.
Click here for more information.
KE follow-on fund
Funding for activities carried out after KE events to maximise impact.
Click here for more information.
KE for Humanity
Funding for KE activities that align with the themes of the Mathematics for Humanity programme.
Click here for more information.
The ICMS also offers funding to support Research-in-groups and Strategic workshops. If you are interested in organising these activities in a KE capacity, please contact our Knowledge Exchange Manager Lauren Hyndman.
Wider KE initiatives
UK Knowledge Exchange Hub for Mathematical Sciences (KE Hub)
The ICMS is delighted to work with the KE Hub, which aims to promote, facilitate and support KE activities between academia and business, industry and government. The KE Hub connects networks of KE Champions (academic representatives from mathematical sciences departments across the UK), KE Professionals (those employed in professional service roles) and B.I.G. Partners (representatives from Business, Industry and Government).
The ICMS is pleased to be co-organising KE Hub triage workshops. These are informal online scoping sessions where one B.I.G. Partner has the opportunity to present a challenge they are currently facing, and engage in interactive discussions with academics to identify (i) if mathematical sciences can be used to address the challenge, (ii) who from the mathematical sciences community would like to take on the challenge, and (iii) what mechanisms are most appropriate for moving forward.
Virtual Forum for Knowledge Exchange in Mathematical Sciences (V-KEMS)
V-KEMS is a joint initiative between the ICMS, Innovate UK Business Connect, Isaac Newton Institute, Newton Gateway to Mathematics, KE Hub and various academics from the mathematical sciences community. Awarded KE Team of the Year at the 2021 PraxisAuril KE Awards, this forum organises and facilitates online activities to help address current societal challenges presented by experts from outside academia.
V-KEMS runs three virtual study groups per year, where academics work in groups to tackle three challenges over three days. The ICMS is pleased to be supporting V-KEMS virtual study groups through our Mathematics for Humanity programme.
Study Groups with Industry
Study groups are multi-day workshops that bring together academic mathematical scientists and industry partners. At the beginning of the workshop, the industry representatives present challenges they are currently facing that they would like some help with. During the workshop, the academics form teams and work collaboratively to develop ideas towards practical solutions. At the end of the workshop, each team presents their progress.
The ICMS KE event fund can support this type of activity, and the ICMS KE follow-on fund can support activities that maximise the impact of the study group, such as follow up meetings and report writing.
The European Study Groups with Industry (ESGI) started in Oxford in 1968 and there are now several meetings held annually all across Europe, with the UK hosting one every year. The ICMS was pleased to sponsor an industry challenge at ESGI 167 hosted by the University of Kent in July 2022, and we co-hosted ESGI 171 with the Maxwell Institute for Mathematical Sciences in July 2023. The University of Birmingham will host ESGI 180 in June 2024.
Modelling Camps
The ICMS runs an annual modelling camp for PhD students. These events offer broad skills training and an opportunity to learn how different branches of the mathematical sciences can be applied in various industrial settings. Challenges are posed by industry partners and academic mentors, and the students develop ideas within groups, with each group delivering a presentation at the end of the camp. This provides good preparation for attending a Study Group with Industry.