Paris-based foundation coordinating large EU fellowship programmes in mathematics, applied math, and theoretical computer science across Île-de-France.
Fondation Sciences Mathématiques de Paris is a French research foundation dedicated to advancing mathematical sciences through large-scale doctoral and postdoctoral fellowship programmes in the Paris region. It serves as a funding and coordination hub that attracts international early-career researchers to work across pure mathematics, applied mathematics, and theoretical computer science. The foundation operates primarily through MSCA-COFUND schemes, co-financing fellowships that bring together the dense network of Parisian mathematics laboratories — one of the strongest concentrations of mathematical talent in the world.
Three consecutive MSCA-COFUND programmes (MathInParis, MathInParis2020, MathInGreaterParis) spanning 2017-2026 demonstrate sustained, large-scale doctoral and postdoctoral fellowship coordination.
All three fellowship programmes explicitly list applied mathematics and cross-disciplinary interactions as core themes alongside pure mathematics.
MathInParis and MathInParis2020 both include theoretical computer science as a fellowship domain.
Participated as third party in EPGR, an ERC project on the Einstein equations and black hole stability — indicating capacity in mathematical physics research.
The foundation's early H2020 involvement (2017) included participation in fundamental mathematical physics research (Einstein equations, black hole stability) alongside its first doctoral training programme. Over time, the focus narrowed and scaled: from 2020 onward, the foundation concentrated exclusively on expanding its fellowship programmes, broadening scope from doctoral to postdoctoral level and extending geographic coverage from Paris to the greater Paris region. The trajectory shows a deliberate shift from mixed research participation toward becoming a dedicated fellowship platform for the mathematical sciences.
The foundation is expanding both the career stage (doctoral → postdoctoral) and geographic scope (Paris → greater Paris region) of its fellowship programmes, suggesting ambitions to become the central talent pipeline for mathematical sciences in Île-de-France.
Fondation SMP operates primarily as a project coordinator (3 of 4 projects), specifically in MSCA-COFUND schemes where it manages fellowship funding and recruitment. With only 11 consortium partners all within a single country (France), it functions as a domestic coordination hub rather than a pan-European consortium builder. This reflects its nature as a fellowship foundation: it orchestrates local academic institutions rather than assembling cross-border research teams.
The foundation's network of 11 partners is concentrated entirely within France, reflecting its role as a coordinator of Parisian and Île-de-France mathematics institutions. This is a tight, domestic network rather than a broad European one.
Fondation SMP occupies a rare niche: it is not a research lab itself but a structural enabler that funds and coordinates mathematical talent across one of the world's densest clusters of mathematics departments. For anyone needing access to the Paris mathematical sciences ecosystem — spanning pure math, applied math, and theoretical computer science — this foundation is the single gateway. Its successive COFUND grants demonstrate strong EU trust in its ability to manage large fellowship programmes.
