UK is offering £6 million to organizations to help establish a new British National Academy dedicated to mathematics

Organizations have been invited to apply for the opportunity to create a new National Academy of Mathematical Sciences to champion the immense value of mathematics, create future jobs and boost the UK economy.

An open competition has been launched today offering grants of up to £6 million over the next three years and running from today until June 4, 2024.

With technology evolving faster than ever, mathematical sciences are crucial to the jobs of the future – such as AI, nuclear energy and computer science – that will set Britain on a path to a better future that rewards hard work, celebrates ambition and gives young people the skills they need to get further in life.

Today’s announcement builds on the Prime Minister’s ambition for all young people up to the age of 18 to study mathematics through the Advanced British Standard, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to thrive in the modern economy.

The new Academy will highlight the mathematical sciences as a key priority in skills development and will seek to emulate the success of the existing UK National Academies in other scientific areas, such as the Royal Society and the Royal Academy of Engineering, which encourage innovation.

Ambitious requirements for a successful applicant have been drawn up and agreed after weeks of collaboration with more than 100 key figures from industry, academia and beyond. Over the next three years, the fledgling National Academy, focused on Mathematical Sciences, is expected to:

• Provide credible, expert and timely advice on mathematics to government, policy makers and industry, and help shape the agenda on this subject.
• Increase public support and involvement in the mathematical sciences – communicating the importance of the subject to growing jobs and the economy, and to driving discoveries in science and technology and how that can make us all healthier and better off.
• Publish a strategy setting out a clear vision for the UK’s mathematical sciences sector – involving voices from across the maths community and identifying maths skills gaps.

In the longer term it is expected that:

• Work to improve and develop mathematical skills across the UK, with a particular focus on supporting UK competitiveness in advanced mathematical skills that underpin industries that will support future growth, such as artificial intelligence and data science and the critical technologies from the government.
• Make use of private and third sector funding – although the successful applicant will be initially funded by the government up to £6 million, this will not be a government body or agency and will need to seek complementary sources of funding from the private sector and the third sector.
• Collaborate internationally, recognizing that the mathematical sciences community oversees and plays a vital role in addressing global challenges.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:

This new National Academy of Mathematics is a major step in transforming our national approach to mathematics.

It will lead the way in arming our society with the skills and knowledge to lead the world in jobs of the future – such as AI and computing – to discover the Alan Turing of tomorrow.

Part of the plan is to appreciate math for what it is: a key skill as essential as reading.

Minister for Science, Innovation and Research, Andrew Griffith, said:

Mathematics underpins so much in our lives, from groundbreaking discoveries that keep us healthy to the technology we rely on to do our jobs and get us from A to B.

As technology becomes even more important in our modern world, it’s a skill that will only become more important in the jobs of the future, from artificial intelligence to data science and beyond.

The new National Academy, focused on Mathematical Sciences, will help raise the profile of Mathematics in Britain and assist the sector in championing such an important subject.

The industry has shown strong and broad support for a leading organization that can support people in mathematics to speak with one voice on important interests and make clear to the public that mathematics is fundamental to scientific discovery and is at the heart of our economy and prosperity. .

Notes for editors:

• The fledgling National Academy for Mathematical Science will become Britain’s fifth national academy. The others are the Academy of Medical Sciences, the British Academy, the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Royal Society.