Project NExT Fellows' FAQ

Please note that many of these questions are answered in the registration instructions that accompanied the acceptance e-mail sent to new Fellows from T. Christine Stevens, Director of Project NExT. That document is the definitive document for those issues it addresses. This FAQ is intended for 2008-2009 Fellows.

1. When should I arrive in Madison?

   Answer:
   The Project NExT Workshop begins at 1:30 pm on Monday, July 28. You should plan to arrive on the morning of Monday, July 28 and remain through Saturday, August 2. However, if you are traveling a long distance, you may want to arrive on Sunday, July 27, instead.

2. When should I leave?

   Answer:
   You are expected to stay through Mathfest, whose scientific sessions go until around 5pm on Saturday, August 2. (See Mathfest program.) There are many reasons why we want Project NExT Fellows to stay through Mathfest.

   • There is a four-hour Project NExT course that is only open to Project NExT Fellows, which is held for two hours on each of the first two days of Mathfest. (You have already made your selection for this course in the acceptance form information you sent to us.)
   • Many sessions during Mathfest will explore in greater depth some of the issues that were addressed during the Project NExT workshop. You can attend these sessions with your fellow Fellows and continue your discussions with one another.
   • You will be able to meet many mathematicians during Mathfest and be able to network with them.
   • You will be able to continue conversations started with other Project NExT Fellows and continue your networking with them.
   • You may find cheaper airline fares if you stay the extra night and fly on the following morning.
   • Many Fellows from previous years have told us how much they enjoy one more dinner/evening with their new-found Project NExT friends.
3. How can I find out about the Mathfest program?

   Answer:
   The Mathfest webpage (at MAA online) has all the Mathfest information. You can also find it in FOCUS (the Newsletter of the MAA) -- the Special Meetings Issue for this Mathfest.

4. Who pays for my meals, lodging, registration, and transportation for my trip to Madison?

   Answer:
   As you've probably noticed, your trip to Madison has two parts: The Project NExT workshop (Monday through Wednesday) and Mathfest (Thursday through Saturday) Roughly speaking, Project NExT pays for your meals and lodging during the workshop, and your institution pays for your transportation and for your expenses during Mathfest.

   Here are some details:
   

   Lodging: Project NExT will pay for lodging (TBA) for you on Monday and Tuesday nights (7/28 and 7/29). If you need to arrive on Sunday (7/27), then Project NExT will pay for that night, too. Starting with Wednesday night (7/30), your institution is responsible for your lodging. In filling out your registration form, sign up for all the nights that you will be in Madison. (TBA), If you are staying with the Project NExT Fellows you should not be charged for Monday and Tuesday nights (7/28 and 7/29) (and for Sunday (7/27) if you will be in Madison for that night). Those nights will be billed directly to Project NExT. You should include payment for the other nights. [If you decide, for personal reasons, to stay in a hotel, see question #7.]

   Meals: Project NExT provides your meals, starting with dinner on Monday (7/28), through lunch on Wednesday (7/30). Project NExT will also pay for your ticket to the Mathfest Opening Banquet on Wednesday night. (Just sign up for the ticket, but do not include payment; Project NExT will be billed for it.) Starting with breakfast on Thursday (7/31), your institution is responsible for your meals (and for any meals before dinner on Monday (7/28)).

   Your institution is also responsible for your transportation costs and for your Mathfest registration fee [See question #10]. The letter of support that accompanied your application pledged your institution's financial support for your participation in Project NExT activities. You may want to check with your department regarding procedures, forms, or other items that you will need for reimbursement or advances.

5. How do I get from the airport to the University of Wisconsin?

   Answer:
   Information on travel will be available on the MAA's meetings page. The information for Mathfest is found by going to the meetings page and clicking on the Mathfest link.

6. I would like to share a room. Can you assign me a roommate?

   Answer:
   The Project NExT team doesn't know you well enough to make such pairings. You can, however, look at the list of those who were accepted as Project NExT Fellows and try to find a roommate for yourself.

7. I don't want to stay in the dorm. Can I stay in a hotel?

   Answer:
   You can stay in a hotel if you want to do so, but you will have to get from the hotel to campus for the workshop, which begins as early as 8:30 a.m. every day (with breakfast around 7 a.m.). (time TBD). (TBD). Save your hotel receipts. After the meetings, you can ask Project NExT to reimburse you for what the standard room would have cost ((rate TBD)) for Monday and Tuesday nights (7/28 and 7/29) (and Monday (7/27), if your travel requires this).

8. What is the dress code for the Mathfest opening banquet?

   Answer:
   Mathfest is a summer meeting, and is more casual than the winter meetings. The banquet is certainly not a black-tie event. However, it is a dinner at a professional meeting, and people are dressed accordingly. Most of the men wear long pants and collared shirts, although some wear a jacket and tie. Most of the women wear skirts, dresses, or slacks. Very few people wear shorts and tee-shirts. We advise that you keep in mind that you will meet many mathematicians (other than Project NExT Fellows) at the banquet, and that you are representing your institution.

9. Must I register for Mathfest?

   Answer:
   Yes. You MUST register for Mathfest. Being a Project NExT Fellow requires you to attend Mathfest, and you must register for it. [See also questions #10 and #11.]

10. Must I use the special on-line registration form for Mathfest? Why can I not use the regular Mathfest form on the meetings Web page on MAA Online, or the paper form in the MAA Focus?

    Answer:
    You must use the special Project NExT on-line registration form that is linked to the Project NExT webpage. If you use a different form, you will not be included in the headcount for meals during the Project NExT workshop, and you will not be offered a complimentary ticket to the Mathfest Opening Banquet. It also helps our accounting if you use the special form.

11. I am interested in one of the MAA minicourses at Mathfest. Why do the registration instructions that accompanied the acceptance e-mail say that I shouldn't sign up for it?

    Answer:
    You will be assigned to a Project NExT course, which meets both Thursday and Friday (7/31 and 8/1). (You sent in a preference ranking for this when you sent in your acceptance form.) Some of these courses are scheduled for 1-3pm (tentative) and the others for 3:15-5:15pm (tentative). There is a time conflict between some of the MAA minicourses and some of the Project NExT courses. Later this summer, we will post the Project NExT course assignments on the web, and you will be able to see whether any MAA minicourses fit your schedule. However, this posting may not occur until after the early deadline for registration for Mathfest, and we urge you to take advantage of the reduced fees that the early deadline offers. You can try to fit in an MAA minicourse afterwards.

12. I find it difficult to walk long distances. How much walking is involved in the Project NExT workshop and the Mathfest?

    Answer:
    The Project NExT workshop will be held on the the University of Wisconsin campus. All the Project NExT sessions will be held in a location TBD. Meals during the Project NExT workshop (Monday through Wednesday) will be on campus. We will be staying in a campus dorm, too. We are not certain yet what the distances between these venues will be, but will update this page accordingly when we do.

    The Mathfest sessions, held Thursday through Saturday, will be held in the Monona Terrace convention center. The Project NExT courses on Friday and Saturday will be held in a location TBD, probably at the Monona Terrace convention center.

    If you think that you will be unable to walk this much, please let us know as soon as you can, so that we can help you to arrange transportation. We also want to know if you have some other disability that requires accommodation.

13. Is there childcare available?

    Answer:
    Historically, there has not been child care available at Mathfest. There is no child care organized by Project NExT or the Mathfest. Here is some information that may be helpful to you in deciding whether you would want to bring your children to Madison and try to arrange care for them there, or whether you would want to arrange care for your children back home.

    • The Project NExT workshop runs a very tight schedule time-wise, and our sessions start by 8 a.m. (with breakfast about 7 a.m.), and go through a working dinner and at least one session past dinner.
    • At Project NExT workshops in the past, we have had Fellows who brought young children -- sometimes infants, and sometimes toddlers. Such a mother brings her baby to the sessions in a stroller and moves to a quiet room or hallway to care for the baby or nurse her/him when needed. Many times, such a mother is assisted by a husband or other family member who will take a baby away between feedings, so that the mother can concentrate on the sessions. If someone can come along with you and help you out in this way, that would be one option.
    • Hotels can often put you in touch with babysitters in the area.

Other questions? Please write to Aparna Higgins <Aparna(dot)Higgins(at)notes(dot)udayton(dot)edu>, one of Project NExT's co-directors, or Chris Stevens <stevensc(at)slu(dot)edu>, Director of Project NExT.