SFC news published since 2018. See SFC archived content for earlier news articles.
As National Maths Week 2018 draws to a close, the Scottish Funding Council is delighted to announce that it has awarded £117,000 in funding over three years towards the running costs of the Scottish Mathematical Sciences Training Centre (SMSTC) in partnership with its component universities.
SMSTC is a consortium of mathematical sciences departments at Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Heriot-Watt, St Andrews, Stirling, and Strathclyde universities.
Its aim is to provide high-quality broad training in fundamental areas of mathematics and statistics for first-year PhD students, keeping Scottish PhD training at a level comparable to that of first-year courses in North America or mainland Europe.
The Minister for Further Education, Higher Education and Science, Richard Lochhead said: “The SMSTC plays an important role in delivering world-class mathematical and statistical training for first-year PhD students, ensuring Scotland continues to compete internationally. I’m pleased that this funding will help the centre to enhance its position as the cornerstone of postgraduate training in the mathematical sciences in Scotland.”
Dr Stuart Fancey, SFC Director of Research & Innovation said: “We’re pleased to support SMSTC in its role in broadening and deepening study for maths PhD students, ensuring these students benefit from the experience of the maths departments across Scotland.
“SMSTC ensures graduates from Scottish universities contribute to meeting the strong Scottish and UK demand for high-level maths skills in industry and academia, helping Scotland remain an attractive and internationally competitive place to pursue a PhD in mathematical sciences.”
National Maths Week 2018 has seen Deputy First Minister John Swinney share a new maths challenge on Twitter every day, created for him by the Scottish Mathematical Council, and BBC Learning have teamed up with Scottish Teacher of the Year Chris Smith and Grange Academy in Kilmarnock to create videos demonstrating how to solve the puzzles.
More information about Maths Week Scotland 2018 is available on the Scottish Government website.
