NSF RTG Grant Awarded to Profs. Kawamuro, Frohman, Fang, Cooper and Farajzadeh Tehrani

March 23, 2021 - 12:00am
Department of Mathematics

A National Science Foundation Research Training Group (RTG) Grant has been awarded to Profs. Keiko Kawamuro (PI) and Charles Frohman, Hao Fang, Benjamin Cooper and Mohammad Farajzadeh Tehrani (Co-PIs) according to an announcement by the Department of Mathematics.

This award supports participants in the geometry and topology research training group at the University of Iowa. It facilitates the first phase of a 10-year plan to strengthen the mathematical research and training done at The University of Iowa. The project seeks to build a robust vertically integrated math community, maintain the department's legacy of graduate training for underrepresented people in STEM, and expand it to undergraduate and postdoctoral levels. 

The group will recruit and work with undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdoctoral associates in a vertically integrated setting. The postdocs will bring the group many new interactions with the department and connection to the outside mathematical community. The project will also benefit faculty and students in other departments, regional colleges and universities, international collaborators, and the general public.

Each year six undergraduates and twelve graduate students will be awarded fellowships to boost research and competitiveness. The project will enhance the quality of training and research seminars. The group will start two summer topology courses, an Undergraduate Seminar, an Undergraduate Career Workshop, and host three conferences: Panorama of Geometry and Topology, Underrepresented Students in Topology and Algebra Research Symposium, and Topological Data Analysis. The latter will particularly help to connect the students with applied disciplines. These activities cover all education levels and career goals. They will help postdocs build a balanced and successful career in academia, place more graduate students in academic or research jobs, and encourage more undergraduates to enter graduate schools in mathematical sciences. The proposed Underrepresented Students Symposium will provide networking opportunities and promotes the research performed by minority students. $\star$