Dear BIRS organizers and participants,

Note: Meetings are no longer cancelled, they are proceeding virtually. See this update for details. The message below is kept for historical record.

In view of the new travel restrictions imposed by various countries and the directives of the Alberta Health Services regarding gatherings (of any size) involving international participants, the following upcoming workshops will unfortunately have to be cancelled:

20w5214 The Interface Between Selective Inference and Machine Learning 03/08/2020 - 03/13/2020
20w5143 New Perspectives in Colouring and Structure 03/15/2020 - 03/20/2020
20w5229 Stochastic Mass Transports 03/22/2020 - 03/27/2020
20w5077 New Directions in Geometric Flows 03/29/2020 - 04/03/2020

No decision has been made yet about the workshops scheduled for the months of April and May. We are continuously monitoring and following the instructions of the Public Health Agency of Canada, Alberta Health Services and the World Health Organization.

We advise all participants traveling to Canada to stay informed of the status of the countries they are departing from and returning to, and to make their own responsible decision about their future visits.

BIRS participants should be aware that many airlines are now offering free cancellation or rebooking of tickets. Moreover, Canada’s three federal granting agencies (NSERC, CIHR, SSHRC) confirm that the reimbursement of non-refundable travel fees from agency funds is acceptable considering the impacts of COVID-19.

Please check the BIRS website for any update about this situation.

Dear Participants,

Due to the global increase in cases of COVID-19, BIRS has received inquiries about the impact of the outbreak on the operations of the Station. At this time, there is no change in the scheduled programs at BIRS. We are continuously monitoring and following the instructions of the Public Health Agency of Canada, Alberta Health Services and the World Health Organization. At this stage, the cancellation of gatherings such as those at BIRS are not recommended.

We advise all participants traveling to Canada to stay informed of the status of the countries they are departing from and returning to, and to make their own responsible decision about their visit.

We ask the participants originating from risk areas as defined in Alberta Health Services, to be particularly vigilant and cognizant of the fact that they might be subjected to additional screening at their points of entry to Canada. Actually, Canada’s Centres for Disease Control advise that visitors from some of these risk areas should stay home or self-isolate for 14 days after they leave their countries.

Please check the BIRS website for any update about this situation.

Workshops at BIRS in 2021

http://www.birs.ca/location/birs/2021/5-day-workshops

Workshops at CMO in 2021

http://www.birs.ca/location/cmo/2021/5-day-workshops

Workshops at IASM(Hangzhou) in 2021

http://www.birs.ca/location/iasm/2021/5-day-workshops

The Banff International Research Station for Mathematical Innovation and Discovery invites applications or nominations for the position of Scientific Director for a five-year term commencing July 1, 2020 or as soon as convenient thereafter.

BIRS is an independent research station located on the campus of the world-renowned Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity in Banff, Alberta. The station fosters collaborative and cross-disciplinary research in the mathematical sciences through intense scientific interactions in a magnificent mountain setting complete with full accommodation, board and modern facilities.

A joint Canada-US-Mexico initiative, BIRS is funded by the governments of Canada, USA, Mexico and Alberta. BIRS has recently expanded its programs to include two affiliate stations, Casa Matemática Oaxaca (CMO) in Mexico and IAS-Hangzhou in China. In total, BIRS and its affiliated stations host more than 3500 researchers from 400 institutions in over 60 countries who participate in well over 100 different programs. Major programming is week-long intense workshops with the stations also accommodating two-day weekend meetings and multi-week working meetings for small groups. See www.birs.ca for more information about the station.

Candidates should be active researchers in the mathematical sciences with high international stature, strong interpersonal and administrative skills, and have enthusiasm and a vision for the station. A letter of application together with a CV and names of three references should be sent to directorsearch@birs.ca. Expressions of interest or nominations are welcome and can also be sent to this address. Women and members of underrepresented groups are particularly encouraged to apply. BIRS is committed to creating a diverse environment and is an equal opportunity employer.

The Search Committee will consider dossiers on or about December 15, 2019. After that date, applications and nominations will be considered until the position is filled.

*Scientific Director Position Profile
*Station Profile
*Search Committee

The Board of Directors of the Banff International Research Station (BIRS) is pleased to announce the appointment of Professor Ozgur Yilmaz, as deputy director of BIRS for a two-year term, effective November 1, 2019.

Ozgur Yilmaz is a professor of applied mathematics at the University of British Columbia. His research interest is primarily in the areas of mathematics of information and data, He received a PhD in applied and computational mathematics from Princeton University in 2001. He currently serves on various editorial boards including the IEEE Transactions on Signal Processing. Dr. Yilmaz is a member of the UBC Institute of Applied Mathematics (IAM) and the Institute for Computing, Information and Cognitive Systems (ICICS). He also serves on the Executive Committee of the UBC Data Science Institute.

The Board of BIRS extends its sincere thanks to Professor Yilmaz for agreeing to take on this leadership role.

Nassif Ghoussoub, FRSC, OC
Scientific Director, Banff International Research Station
https://www.birs.ca/