The Fields Institute Turns Twenty-Five 170725 Final book with covers | Page 78

56
John Gardner
Much of the Institute’s funding has to be utilized in the
time period during which the funds are transferred. They
cannot be banked and held in reserve against activity that
will take place well into the future.
An increase in funding was viewed as something that would
likely evaporate at the end of the period for which the increase
was committed, and plans were structured accordingly. The
challenge of striving to provide long-term services to the
mathematical community while relying on short-term funding
sources was stressful and counter-productive, leading to
ramping up and ramping down exercises.
As the Institute goes into the future, it operates
increasingly on the basis that funding, while formally
subscribed to for only short periods, will be continued
indefinitely. That was not the case in the past.