Uncertainty Evaluation in Complex Engineered Systems – PhD Studentship

Start Date: 3^rd Oct 2016 
Duration of award: 4 years 
Supervisors: 
Professor Liz Varga – Professor of Complex Infrastructure Systems

Sponsored by Cranfield University, this studentship will provide a bursary of approximately £14,000 (tax free) plus fees for four years

This is a PhD studentship linked to the UK’s ENgineering COmplexity REsilience Network Plus (ENCORE), a new network of leading infrastructure and engineered systems academics, practitioners and public bodies which addresses the Grand Challenge area of Risk and Resilience in Coplex Engineered Systems.  The ENCORE network aims to shape this area by applying knowledge across several disciplines concerned with modelling/representing, understanding/explaining, designing/building and managing complex systems.  

The challenges in [1] Complex Engineered Systems; [2] Complexity Science; [3] Natural Complex Systems will focus investigations into methods for risk and resilience assessment of complex systems, such as cities, National Infrastructure, and Complex Products.  But as these systems are complex (co-evolving, adapting, non-linear, dynamic, etc.) it follows that such risk and resilience assessments are limited, uncertain and dependent on unfolding futures.  The evaluation of uncertainty is essential to understanding these critical systems.  The purpose is to improve the understanding and management of uncertainty evaluation in complex engineered systems.

Entry requirements:
Applicants should have a first or second class UK honours degree in a field relevant to complexity science or computational analysis such as computer science, engineering, applied mathematics, psychology, and a master’s degree which has taken you towards engineered products, infrastructure, urban planning, or built systems.  Experience in these systems particularly in the effects of risk, resilience and uncertainty instruments will be desirable. Your skills in data analysis, modelling and simulation will make you an ideal candidate.  You will join a group of academics and students at Cranfield’s Complex Systems Research Centre (CSRC), involved in a range of complexity science research projects focused on investigating and explaining infrastructure systems (energy, water, waste, transport and telecoms) and related areas, such as cities and socio-technical solutions.  These projects are multi-institution, inter-disciplinary and ambitious. The CSRC is closely connected to academics and students within Cranfield’s School of Management as well as its other schools, especially School of Water, Energy and Environment. Cranfield aspires to deliver outstanding transformational research and is supported by a Research and Innovation Office.

How to apply:
For further information please contact:

Prof. Liz Varga, E: liz.varga@cranfield.ac.uk  T: (0)1234 754802

For further information contact us today:
School of Management
T: 44 (0)1234 751122
E: enquiries@cranfield.ac.uk