Institute for pure and applied mathematics

The National Science Foundation's Division of Mathematical Sciences awarded the University of California, Los Angeles $7.039 million on December 1, 2025, under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences program (CFDA 47.049) to support the Institute for Pure and Applied Mathematics' interdisciplinary research mission through December 1, 2030. Performance occurs at UCLA's Los Angeles, California campus.

IPAM operates workshops and long-duration programs connecting mathematics with medicine, engineering, physical sciences, social sciences, and other disciplines. The institute serves thousands of annual visitors from academia, government, and industry across all career stages. IPAM also delivers targeted programs addressing specific government agency needs, public education initiatives highlighting mathematics' contributions to society, and student-focused activities promoting mathematics careers. These activities build interdisciplinary research communities and foster mathematical innovation in applications including material science, cryptography, medical imaging, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and quantum computing.

Abstract

The mission of the institute for pure and applied mathematics (IPAM) is to build new interdisciplinary research communities, to foster the interaction of mathematics with a broad range of science and technology, to promote mathematical innovation, and to engage and transform the world through mathematics. Mathematics is becoming increasingly central to today's science and technology, with applications as broad as material science, cryptography, medical imaging, artificial intelligence, and many others. Future developments, from biotechnology to quantum computers, require further mathematical innovation and application of existing mathematics. IPAM's primary objective is to facilitate collaboration between mathematicians and practitioners from fields such as medicine, engineering, physical sciences, and social sciences, with the aim of promoting technological and social advancements that benefit the national interest. IPAM fulfills its mission through workshops and long programs that connect mathematics and other disciplines or multiple areas of mathematics. These activities bring in thousands of visitors annually from academia, government, and industry, at all career stages. IPAM also has programs that serve specific needs of government agencies, and that inform the public about the excitement of modern mathematics and the important contributions that have come to society through mathematics. Student-focused programs highlight the value of mathematics degree and the many career paths available to mathematics majors. Through these activities, IPAM serves the national interest. IPAM promotes the progress of science by stimulating the mathematical developments that are needed for this progress; advances the national health, prosperity, and welfare through programs that address current scientific and societal challenges. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.- subawards are not planned for this award.