AMS COMMUNICATION 1444 NOTICES OF THE AMS VOLUME 65, NUMBER 11 We are all accustomed to seeing some variation of the following statement on a conference announcement: “Graduate students, postdocs, and persons from under- represented groups are especially encouraged to apply.” Most of us have fallen into at least one of these categories, whether for a short period of time or in perpetuity. We’ve been especially encouraged to apply, but have we always felt especially encouraged to belong? I do not mean to say that the sentiment is ill-intentioned, but I think we can agree that this one sentence is not enough to make a meaningful change in the inclusivity of mathematics. I write today to put the spotlight on a program that is helping early career mathematicians establish a sense of belonging through fostering research communities: the Mathematics Research Communities (MRC) program of the AMS. In existence since 2008, the MRC program serves those who have recently finished their doctorates, as well as graduate students who are close to finishing. It has over 1,300 alumni spread over 40 research cohorts. I am one of those alumni, and a past co-organizer of a program, so I can speak to particular ways the MRC has helped me to feel a sense of belonging. As a participant in 2009, I met a cohort of harmonic analysts who would be my “confer- ence squad” from that day forward. What a relief to see not just familiar faces at a conference, but also to be wel- comed by a group of colleagues who you know and trust. As a co-organizer in 2014 I similarly established lasting connections with mathematicians. These colleagues are not so early-career anymore, which has opened even more avenues for us to network: I have been invited to speak in their special sessions, and they have become resources for talking about post-early career issues such as family and maternity leave, tenure dossiers, and re-entering the job market. It is the signature of the MRC program that lasting com- munities are forged during the week-long summer con- ferences and sustained by collaborations and conference participation throughout the following year. As Rebecca Everett, participant in the 2018 program Agent-Based Modeling in Biological and Social Systems writes, “I think the camp-like atmosphere of the MRC contributed to the community feeling. There is something about being in the woods sitting around a fire that helps you bond with those around you. Especially when there are s’mores!” While the impact of s’mores should not be discounted, there is another reason why MRC’s are so successful at creating communities of early-career researchers: the organizers. Organizers are instrumental to the MRC program and, in particular, to creating the inclusive communities dis- cussed above. They bring to the table the mathematical content of the program. The very act of sharing one’s research problems with early career researchers is an in- credibly welcoming and inclusive action. Organizers also provide invaluable professional development (generally through panel discussions). Some of the topics covered in recent programs are how to choose a journal, how to referee a paper, and how to apply for external funding. These aspects of academic life are all too often left un- mentioned in graduate programs, which can lead to new researchers feeling unprepared, and in turn, unwelcome. In short, organizing an MRC is very impactful work, and it is work that you can (and should) do! If you are unfamiliar with the MRC program, more details including the application process are at www.ams.org/programs/ research-communities/mrc. If the arguments presented above have not yet convinced you to organize an MRC program, read on to hear some common excuses and a rebuttal to those excuses. Fostering Inclusive Communities: Reasons why YOU should organize a Mathematics Research Community Katharine A. Ott Katharine A. Ott is associate professor of mathematics at Bates College. Her email address is kott@bates.edu. For permission to reprint this article, please contact: reprint-permission@ams.org. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1090/noti1785