Bristol Centre for Complexity Sciences (BCCS) Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT): Proposal for renewal

复杂性科学的主题领域是当今许多科学，工程，医学和社会挑战的核心。从单个细胞到大脑再到群居昆虫群体，我们可以看到由简单成分组成的结构表现出复杂的涌现特性。生物学和工程学中复杂系统的适应性和弹性，从免疫系统和食物网到互联网和电网，都对理解和改进提出了挑战。我们正在发展一个理论和计算专业知识的中心，与一系列应用领域（辐条）相互连接，每个应用领域都与大学研究主题相关联。各个应用领域推动中心的理论和计算发展，反过来又反馈到其他应用领域，形成良性循环。理论中心由核心BCCS工作人员以及计算机科学，数学和统计学的同事组成。“辐条”目前分为三个领域（生物科学，工程和分子科学），来自许多部门的大量工作人员贡献问题，教学学生和监督研究。我们正在考虑在社会科学的具体领域作为2010/2011.By创建一个充满活力的中心，我们已经成为复杂性科学活动的焦点在布里斯托的进一步发言。如果没有这样一个中心，在BCCS发生的许多工作就不可能发生在布里斯托的单一学科部门。我们已经看到了创建CDT的影响，并预计这将在未来几年进一步增长。复杂性科学不是布里斯托大学的一个独立部门，也没有这方面的本科课程。为了进行复杂性科学的研究生研究，学生必须首先遵循一个结构化和连贯的培训计划，涵盖了各种各样的方法。因此，集中提供授课课程被认为是在最初的应用程序是必不可少的，我们迄今为止的经验证实了这种选择的智慧。MRes/博士模式为学生提供了许多优势，在严谨和研究培训的质量，视角的广度和可转移技能的发展，如团队合作和演示。拟议研究领域的性质本质上是跨学科的，要求博士生做不止一个研究项目。他们需要获得的技能，使他们能够适应各种具有挑战性的研究问题，以及在一个团队中合作，在充满活力的气氛中。

The thematic area of Complexity Sciences lies at the heart of many of today's scientific, engineering, medical and societal challenges. Across biological scales from a single cell to the brain to social insect colonies, one sees structures composed of simple components exhibiting complex emergent properties. The adaptability and resilience of complex systems in both biology and engineering, from the immune system and food webs to the Internet and power grids, pose challenges of understanding and improvement.We are growing a hub of theoretical and computational expertise that interconnects with a spectrum of application areas (spokes), each of which is linked to a University Research Theme. Individual application areas drive theoretical & computational developments in the hub, which in turn feed back into other application areas in a virtuous circle. The theory hub consists of core BCCS staff as well as colleagues in Computer Science, Mathematics & Statistics. The 'spokes' are currently grouped within three areas (Biological Sciences, Engineering & Molecular Sciences), with a large number of staff from many departments contributing problems, teaching students, and supervising research. We are considering the incorporation of specific areas in Social Sciences as a further spoke during 2010/2011.By creating a vibrant centre, we have become the focus of activity in Complexity Sciences within Bristol. Without such a centre, much of the work that happens in BCCS could not happen in the single discipline Departments in Bristol. We have already seen the impact of creating a CDT and expect this to grow much further during the coming years.Complexity Sciences is not a Department in its own right at the University of Bristol and there is no undergraduate programme in this area. In order to carry out postgraduate research in Complexity Sciences, students must first follow a structured and coherent training programme that covers a large variety of methodologies. Thus centralised provision of a Taught Programme was deemed to be essential in the initial application, and our experience to date confirms the wisdom of this choice.The MRes/PhD model offers many advantages to the student, in terms of the rigour and quality of the research training, the breadth of perspective and the development of transferable skills such as team working and presentation. The nature of the proposed research area is intrinsically interdisciplinary and requires PhD students to do more than just one research project. They need to acquire the skills that will allow them to adapt to a variety of challenging research questions, as well as to work collaboratively in a team, amid a vibrant atmosphere.