Every year MSRI runs several workshops in areas that may not be closely related to the full-year and half-year programs then going on. These workshops are usually a week long, though there are some topics which work best in a 3-day or in a two or three-week format. If you are interested in proposing such a workshop, please let us know!

Typically, proposals are made a year and a half or two before the date of the workshop; if you think that your topic is of great current interest, you might want to consider proposing a 'hot topic' workshop rather than the usual MSRI workshop.

A proposal should contain:

1. Scientific description and justification: what is the field of the workshop, and what is going on in the field that makes this the right moment for a conference? What recent conferences have there been in the area?
2. Prospective Participants: A list of prospective organizers and/or main speakers. This list need not be complete, and a firm committment from the proposed speakers is not required at the proposal stage.  The total number of speakers should not exceed 20. Note: The final speaker list will be reviewed by the Deputy Director to ensure diversity, and all formal speaker invitations must come from MSRI.
3. Format: A standard workshop lasts five days (M-F) and has about twenty talks (four per day, with a free afternoon on Wednesday.) MSRI does not permit parallel sessions. If you think a different format would be better, please explain the reasons for your choice. One of our goals is to encourage a "workshop" atmosphere where participants actually interact rather than merely sit and listen to lectures.
4. Human Resources: The proposal must include a section describing in detail a plan to ensure the participation of women and underrepresented groups at the organizer and participant level, in both programs and workshops. A member of the organizing committee should be identified as the overseer of the plan. The MSRI Human Resources Advisory Committee chairperson can assist the organizers with this task, and if desirable, assign a liasion from HRAC to the organizing committee.
5. Funding: The level of funding currently available is $25,000 for a five-day workshop.  Roughly one third of this funding may be used for speaker expenses.  You are encouraged to think of possible alternative sources; MSRI will be happy to help you with the mechanics of budgets and application forms. Please indicate what sources other than MSRI, if any, might be able to help with funding your workshop.

Proposals can be submitted to the Director or any member of the Scientific Advisory Committee with a copy to proposals AT msri.org.