DOCC Programme
(2019-2024, status: project ended and closed)
Innovative doctoral training in the heart of the Alps
DOCC has been a novel interdisciplinary EC H2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie COFUND doctoral training programme for international high-potential early-stage researchers (ESRs) with a focus on modelling and simulation in basic, natural and engineering sciences at the University of Innsbruck (UIBK) in Austria.
DOCC had enrolled 15 highly qualified ESR fellows, who wished to obtain a doctoral degree in one of the programme's research areas in mathematics, physics, chemistry, engineering science, atmospheric science and computer science. Fellows were employed for 36 months within the 60 months programme duration. All fellows have been provided with the possibilities and encouragement to assume secondments (between a few weeks and several months) to international academic and intersectoral industrial partner organisations. The PhD training programme was provided in English.
UIBK is the largest research and education institution in western Austria, with more than 28'000 students and 4'800 staff and faculty members. Located in the heart of the Alps, Innsbruck offers excellent facilities for research and studying in a spectacular environment. International rankings confirm the university’s important role in scientific research, in 2017 its scientists produced almost 4'000 publications. UIBK is very well integrated into the European research and education network, and is among the world's top universities regarding internationality of research, with an exceptionally large number of international faculty members and students. Through some 400 partnerships and numerous agreements it has established important relationships with institutes and universities worldwide.
Within this productive environment the university‘s 16 faculties provide a broad spectrum of programmes in all fields of study. The DOCC training programme was centred in the highly evaluated fields of "Scientific Computing" and "Physics" within the six research focus areas at UIBK.
Modelling & simulation of complex continua
DOCC had provided structured training in both research-relevant and professional skills by building expertise in the intersectorally seminal fields of computational material, fluid and gas dynamics, which procures multiple topical technological, societal and medical applications relevant to climate, energy, safety, or nano and life sciences.
In our research focus on "Dynamics Of Complex Continua" (DOCC) we have developed and applied novel methods for theoretical and numerical analysis in modelling and simulation of dynamical processes, such as stability, nonlinearity, transport and structure formation. In particular we have considered meso- and macroscopic many-body and continuum systems of solids, soft matter, liquids, gases and plasmas, that are characterised by complex couplings between its constituents, its environment, or multi-scale dependence.
Many contemporary research and technology fields rely on modelling and simulation (M&S) as a fundamental tool. A variety of areas require in-depth understanding of structural and dynamical properties of matter and materials, whose meso- and macroscopic many-body or continuum properties often show a high level of dynamic complexity. Researchers in M&S across all areas are faced with a number of common challenges that complicate both model building and computational simulation, as well as the resulting application to complex dynamical systems.
Linking simulations and the real world
DOCC has prepared Europe's next top modellers to link simulations and the real world within a multi-disciplinary environment, by providing beyond essential technical expertise also the training in key abilities to communicate and transfer methods and results.
Our world and society increasingly rely on accurate predictions, on trustworthy implementation of processes, and timely political decisions, which are based on reliable modelling, simulation and understanding of complex dynamical systems. The often neglected "soft" skills of communicating and discussing the underlying essential issues of reliability, uncertainty, and predictability of consequences inherent to models and simulations become increasingly important. Targeted training in communication and knowledge-transfer skills was therefore implemented as a central supplementary pillar within the DOCC programme.
A central aspect of the DOCC training programme was based on cooperations with and secondments of fellows to intersectoral partners. Many of the participating research groups already have long established regional or international industrial or public-sector contacts on technological applications of their research. All fellows in the programme were able to benefit from intersectoral exposure through such existing or newly established partners, and from specific training courses on career-related skills and perspectives.
The programme has ensured that the fellows become familiar with a significant range of methods and develop a way of thinking that allows them to transcend traditional borders and communicate between disciplines, which are necessary and important skills for all ESR in research and innovation.
Participating institutions at University of Innsbruck
The DOCC programme has been closely linked with the internal doctoral school "Computational Interdisciplinary Modelling" (DK CIM) at UIBK, so that fellows were able to profit from close interactions with other local PhD students in the fields of scientific computing. We also collaborated and exploited synergies in the training programme with our twin MSCA doctoral programme DP ARDRE in bio-chemistry and pharmacology.
Ten research institutes at the University of Innsbruck had hosted the DOCC fellows:
- Department of Basic Sciences in Engineering Sciences
- Department of Computer Science
- Department of Infrastructure Engineering
- Department of Mathematics
- Department of Structural Engineering and Material Sciences
- Institute for Astro- and Particle Physics
- Institute of Atmospheric and Cryospheric Sciences
- Institute of General, Inorganic and Theoretical Chemistry
- Institute for Ion Physics and Applied Physics
- Institute for Theoretical Physics
Funding
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 847476.
