Today, our modern world faces an increasing number of challenging problems in medicine, public health, engineering and across the natural sciences that require a combination of expertise in different fields of science with deep mathematical understanding. At last, the traditional, and often artificial, boundaries between “applied” and “pure” mathematics are gradually disappearing. Repeatedly, parts of mathematics once considered far removed from applications turn out to be crucial for the understanding and description of scientific phenomena. Likewise, patterns found in scientific experiments frequently spur entirely new directions of mathematical inquiry.

Founded in 2016, the Michigan Center for Applied and Interdisciplinary Mathematics (MCAIM) unites disciplines to generate new crucial results that can only be achieved together. An overarching goal is to fuse seemingly different research avenues into greater visionary directions in order to push the boundaries of knowledge. Unexplored terrains, that were believed inaccessible, suddenly open up to new combined research efforts by mathematicians and scientists working in wide-ranging fields of applications. MCAIM initiates and fosters research between mathematics, physics, engineering and other sciences at UM and on an international platform.

MCAIM has the broad goal of serving as the focal point for activities that integrate mathematics with the sciences and engineering across the University of Michigan. MCAIM manages the Van Loo Postdoctoral Fellowship Program, organizes topical workshops to identify and explore issues at the forefront of applied mathematics, holds advanced summer schools for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, and hosts a short-term visitors program. MCAIM also strives to promote applied mathematical research at Michigan by other means, such as aiding searches for external funding and facilitating collaborative interactions.