The NSF has released a Report on State of U.S. Mathematics prepared by a panel of senior experts including mathematicians from American and European universities, mathematicians in industry and finance, university administrators, and a number of "stake holders", i.e., non-mathematicians who have an interest in the existence of a strong mathematics community in the United States (an appendix to the report gives the complete list of panel members).
Writing in the preface, General William E. Odom says:
The report carries a mixed message. The U.S. mathematics community holds a dominant position in the world, but several adverse trends are undermining it. A few are beyond the immediate control of the United States or any other country, affecting mathematics adversely everywhere. Others are peculiar to the United States. Some, such as weak K-12 mathematics education in the United States, are problem areas beyond the scope of this assessment, primarily because they are not very sensitive to National Science Foundation resource allocation policies. Others, however, can be significantly affected by NSF policies.The conclusions of the panel are somewhat troubling. They point out that U.S. mathematics is currently very strong, but this strength is directly linked to a large influx of foreign mathematicians. Among several recommendations, the panel issues a forceful call for more funding and support at the federal level, focusing in particular on support for younger mathematicians.
Last modified: Tue Jun 02 11:45:16 1998