This page describes the steps that organizers of thematic and focus programs supported by the Fields Institute should take to access the resources available to them.

Webpage

All programs should have pages hosted by the Fields Institute. A stub page for the program is created as soon as the program is approved by the Fields Institute's Board of Directors, showing the program description, summary of the main events, and organizing committee. Pages for individual events are created as soon as confirmed dates are provided by the organizers. 

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Dates 

Program organizers should provide confirmed dates for workshops, schools, and other scheduled program events to the Manager of Scientific Programs at least 9 months prior to the start of the program.  

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Finances

Finances for programs are always administered by the Fields Institute. Accordingly, Fields will provide assistance with the following items. 

• Budgeting: the Manager of Scientific Programs will work with organizers to draw up a budget for the program and each individual event. 
• Income: Income may include Fields Institute support, sponsorships, and external grants. The Manager of Scientific Programs can assist organizers to transfer funding from other funding sources to the Fields Institute. If there is a surplus after a specific  event, the surplus can be forwarded to the organizers only if there is an explicit prior agreement between Fields and the organizers to cover expenses for future instances of the same event, such as the next instalment of a series of conferences already planned. Otherwise, the Fields Institute will retain the funds in lieu of overhead costs. 
• Expenses: Expenses consist of visitor support (travel, accommodation, and per diem) and, if sponsors or other grants are arranged, catering / lunches, receptions, dinners, and excursions may be planned. Fields will provide coffee / snacks at two breaks. Fields will send a letter of invitation indicating financial support to the visitors and will process their expense reimbursements. At the end of the last day of the event, the budget is fixed and no furher changes are permitted to funding allocations. 

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Registration

The Fields Institute will handle online registration for thematic and focus programs and related events. Anyone can register for free and will be asked if they will participate online or in-person.. 

The registered participant list is part of the information displayed on the event page and is updated regularly. 

As of July 1, 2025, Fields does not collect registration fees. We provide coffee / snacks twice per day to registered in-person participants. If extra hospitatlity items are to be arranged, such as dinners or receptions, we ask that organizers arrange funds from sponsors or grants to cover this. 

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Postdocs

Please visit this page for a description of the different postdoctoral fellowships offered by the Fields Institute. 

Event Format

Scheduling 

A standard workshop lasts five days from Monday to Friday and has about twenty talks (four per day, with a free afternoon on Wednesday). One of the Fields Institute goals is to encourage a "workshop'' atmosphere where participants can interact rather than merely sit and listen to lectures.

The Fields Institute can be staffed during its hours of operation, which are Monday to Friday, 9 am-5 pm. The Institute is closed on weekends and holidays.

Event Catering and Entertainment

Two coffee / snack breaks will be arranged by the Program Coordinator for your event. 

Catering, hosted receptions, dinners, luncheons or excursions may only be arranged if sponsors or other grants can be arranged by the organizers .

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Miscellaneous

Publicity

The Fields Institute can produce event posters in consultation with organizers. We do not mail these out, but the file is posted to the webpage of the event and can be printed and posted by people at their home university .  

Fields sends emails about upcoming activities to individuals and institutions subscribed to the Institute's mailing list. 

Fields Logo 

The Fields Institute logo should appear on all event materials. Digital copies of the Institute's logo are available for download in various formats here. 

Recording and Livestreaming 

Events held at Fields are typically hybrid, meaning people can participate remotely. We also generally record and post recordings of talks to our FieldsLive archive or to our YouTube channel -- but this is can be declined by speakers. 

Applications for Funding Support

Fields can set up an online funding request form for students or other participants. A funding requests list is then shared with event organizers. 

Housing

It is standard for Fields Institute visitors to make and pay for their own housing arrangements. The Fields Institute housing resource page offers resources to Fields Institute members and visitors requiring housing: https://www.fields.utoronto.ca/resources/housing-resources . Fields willl not send emails asking speakers / participants for their credit card information for accommodation bookings - please regard any such requests as malicious spam. 

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Fields Staff

Manager of Scientific Programs

Event organizers will first work with the Manager of Scientific Programs, to arrange a date for the event, prepare a budget, discuss the funding of invited participants and set-up the event webpage and registration. The Manager of Scientific Programs will maintain the budget for the event. After the event, the Manager of Scientific Programs will receive the financial report for events that used Fields Institute financial support as part of funds administered by another institution. 

Program Coordinator

After preliminary planning is in place, the event will be coordinated by a Fields Institute Program Coordinator to finalize event details, record registrations, update the website, event scheduling, day to day running of the event, communication with participants, prepare all event materials and arrange for catering. During the event, the Program Coordinator will provide information regarding expense reimbursements and assist with equipment for speakers and with the recording of talks. After the event, the Program Coordinator will receive Reimbursement Claim Forms from participants offered financial support. 

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Timelines 

12-9 months before the program 

• Dates of all events set with Fields Manager of Scientific Programs
• Event organizers must provide an outline of each event to Manager for web page. This information should include the title of the event, the names of organizers, an overview of the main topics or focus of the event and a preliminary list of invited speakers where applicable.
• Manager of Scientific Programs will draw-up preliminary budgets with organizers.
• Event organizers must provide names and addresses of funded participants/speaker to Manager of Scientific Programs. Official invitations sent from Fields to funded participants/speakers. 
• Event organizers to provide Program Manager with mailing list to advertise event where available.

6 months before the program

• Registration pages set up through Fields on event web page. Fields Program Coordinator will maintain list of registrants for the program and for each event. .

2 months before each event

• Organizer must provided to Program Coordinator a speaker list with contact information. The Program Coordinator will solicit talk titles and abstracts. 

1 month before each event 

• All speaker abstracts must be received by Program Coordinator.

2 weeks before each event

• Organizers to finalize and proof event schedule with Program Coordinator

2-4 weeks after the program

• Scientific report submitted to the Manager of Scientific Programs for the Fields Annual Report and Newsletter 

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Fields Harassment Policy

The Fields Institute is committed to providing an atmosphere that encourages the free expression and exchange of ideas in a harassment-free, friendly and respectful environment.

All reports of harassment will be investigated by staff, and may result in removal from the Institute.

Learn more about our harassment policy, or find the shortened version here.

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Acknowledging Fields Institute Funding

If you’ve received funding from the Fields Institute, we want you to share this news. An acknowledgement of our support is a testament to the calibre of your work, and helps us demonstrate the value of mathematics research to the scientific community, funding agencies, and the general public. Acknowledgement guidelines can be found here.