The American Mathematical Society (AMS) seeks proposals from organizer teams for the 2026 Mathematics Research Communities (MRC) summer research conferences, the centerpiece of the MRC program. We seek proposals focusing in any area of pure, applicable, or interdisciplinary mathematics supported by the Division of Mathematical Sciences of the National Science Foundation. We encourage proposals focused on problems of relevance in the business, entrepreneurial, government labs and agencies, industry, and non-profit (BEGIN) arenas. 

We are looking for creative proposals that involve groups of 20 or 40 peri-doctoral mathematicians (those who have recently finished or are close to finishing the doctorate) for an intensive week of collaborative problem-solving, research, and professional development. Ideally, BEGIN conference activities will serve a dual purpose of providing value added for your organization—progress on problems it needs to solve and workforce connectivity—and of supporting the participants’ development for careers in companies, laboratories, agencies, or non-profit businesses for which mathematical training is a natural springboard. 

Proposals covering topics not already represented in prior years are especially encouraged. While the summer conference is the centerpiece of the program, we encourage proposers to describe ways in which mentoring and career guidance for the participants can be sustained throughout the year following the summer conference. 

A distinctive national program of the AMS receiving generous support from the NSF, the AMS, and donors, the MRC program provides early-career mathematical scientists with engagement in collaborative research opportunities to be mentored by leading researchers, and experiences to help develop as professionals. In the years spanning 2008 through 2024, over 1,800 individuals have participated in MRCs spanning fifty-six different topical areas. The program provided these cohorts with an intensive summer research experience and supported many of these individuals’ participation in subsequent conferences, collaborations, and mentoring relationships. The experience has been transformative for many, providing a nexus of contact with researchers, and a springboard into long-lasting research relationships that have resulted in new knowledge, publications, and strengthened professional advancement. 

The American Mathematical Society recognizes the breadth of people, thought, and experience that contribute to mathematics. We value the contributions of all members of our mathematics community to improve mathematics research, education, and the standing of the mathematical sciences. We welcome everyone interested in mathematics as we work to build a community that is diverse, respectful, accessible, and inclusive. As the largest mathematical organization in North America, the AMS is committed to using our reach and resources to generate equitable opportunities for all. 

Starting in 2022, the AMS expanded the scope of the MRC programs to include cohorts led by BEGIN organizers. Continuing this initial MRC led by mathematicians from the national laboratories, we welcome and strongly encourage inquiries and proposals from teams at government labs and agencies, companies, non-profits, and other similar organizations in addition to those from academic institutions.