2009-2010 FAQ for Project NExT Fellows

Please note that many of these questions are answered in the registration instructions that appear on the Project NExT Resources for Accepted Applicants page. In order to access that page, accepted applicants will need the password that was provided in the acceptance e-mail sent to new Fellows from T. Christine Stevens, Director of Project NExT. The registration instructions constitute the definitive document for those issues it addresses. This FAQ is intended for 2009-2010 Fellows.

1. When should I arrive in Portland?

   Answer:
   The Project NExT Workshop begins at 1:30 pm on Monday, August 3. You should plan to arrive on the morning of Monday, August 3. and remain through the afternoon of Saturday, August 8. However, if you are traveling a long distance, you may want to arrive on Sunday, August 2 instead. Note that the workshop schedule is quite full, and you don't want to be exhausted from travel when it starts.

2. When should I leave?

   Answer:
   You are expected to stay through Mathfest, whose scientific sessions go until around 5pm on Saturday, August 8. (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 the April/May issue of FOCUS (the Newsmagazine of the MAA).

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

   Answer:
   As you've probably noticed, your trip to Portland 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 your half of a double room at the Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront hotel on Monday and Tuesday nights (8/3 and 8/4). If you need to arrive on Sunday (8/2), then Project NExT will pay for your half of a double room for that night, too. Starting with Wednesday night (8/5), your institution is responsible for your lodging. In filling out your registration form, sign up for all the nights that you will be in Portland.

   Meals: Project NExT provides your meals, starting with dinner on Monday (8/3), through lunch on Wednesday (8/5). 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 (8/6), your institution is responsible for your meals (and for any meals before dinner on Monday (8/3)).

   Your institution is also responsible for your transportation costs and for your Mathfest registration fee [See question #9]. 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 compute and pay for my lodging costs?

   Answer:
   If you share a room with another 2009-2010 Project NExT Fellow, you will not be charged for the nights of Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday (August 2-4); starting with the night of Wednesday, August 5, you will be charged $69 per night, including tax. If you do not share a room with another 2009-2010 Project NExT Fellow, then you can compute your total lodging costs using the rate grid that appears in the confirmation email that you receive for your Mathfest registration. This total amount will be charged to your credit card some time between July 1 and July 13.

6. I would like to share a room. How can I find a roommate?

   Answer:
   You can look at the list of accepted Project NExT Fellows and try to find a roommate for yourself. Alternatively, you can ask the MAA to assign another 2009-2010 Fellow as your roommate.

7. 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.

8. 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 #9 and #10.]

9. 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 Resources for Accepted Applicants page. If you use a different form, you will not be offered a complimentary ticket to the Mathfest Opening Banquet. It also helps our accounting if you use the special form.

10. I am interested in one of the MAA minicourses at Mathfest. Why do the registration instructions for 2009-2010 Fellows 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 (8/6 and 8/7). (You gave us a preference ranking for this when you submitted your acceptance form.) Some of these courses are scheduled for 1-3pm and the others for 3:15-5:15pm. 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. If you wish, you can try to add the minicourses to your registration at that time.

11. 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 and Mathfest will be held in the Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront hotel, which is also the hotel where the Fellows will be staying. If you have a disability that requires accommodation, please let us know right away.

12. Is there childcare available?

    Answer:
    Project NExT does not provide childcare, but you can arrange for childcare before, during, and after Mathfest. See the Mathfest website for details, or contact Michelle Davenport <michelle(at)munchkincare(dot)com>.

    Here is some information that may be helpful to you in deciding whether you would want to bring your children to Portland 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 8:30 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. Sometimes 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.