4-year PhD Studentships in Complexity Science

Complexity Science Doctoral Training Centre

University of Warwick

Stipend £14,000 tax-free per annum
Start date: (late) Sept 2009
Next closing date: 5th January 2009.
Full funding (UK Students) and fee grants (EU students) are available for PhDs in the field of Complexity Science.

Complexity Science focuses on systems of many interdependent components, showing Emergent behaviour at the system level, Self-organisation and/or Evolution. Our Centre draws on aspects of these in existing fields, including mathematics from dynamical systems and chaos, statistical inference, physics of phase transitions, self-assembly in chemistry, network modelling in biology and neuroscience, interacting agent modelling in economics and computer science. We also look to apply scientific methods in new fields of opportunity, such as transport, health and social science applications where mass quantitative data is newly available in this information age.

As a student in the Complexity Science DTC, you will begin with teaching on a coherent core of complexity science concepts. You then explore application in more depth through two 12 week mini-projects, choosing from selected proposals across the full range of applications at Warwick and our external collaborators. Satisfactory performance qualifies you for an MSc degree in Complexity Science.

PhD topics are chosen towards the end of the first year, again from vetted proposals which should reflect the cross-disciplinary spirit of Complexity Science and will each have two supervisors from different departments. Throughout your three years of PhD research you will be expected to maintain strong contact with the Complexity centre, attending seminars, reporting your own research progress, and joining in our programme of transferable skills.

The Transferable Skills Programme is built on that of our sister MOAC Doctoral Training Centre; the latter considered to be a landmark success in this regard.

We aim to look after our students and to treat them well. We have several EPSRC funded studentships for UK students (premium stipend ~£14,000 in 2007/08), and EU students can apply for a limited number of grants covering tuition fees only. Travel funds are available, and there is additional financial support for some mini-projects hosted away from Warwick.

The Centre is led by a team of experienced Warwick professors, plus EPSRC and RCUK funding have enabled us to appoint six new academic staff directly associated with it. The University is housing the DTC in a new dedicated Centre along with our wider Complexity [research] Complex.