About CAMaCS

The Centre for Applications of the Mathematical and Computing Sciences (CAMaCS) is a new centre designed to link Warwick’s world-leading research in the Mathematical and Computing Sciences with external partners and bring benefits to society. Our notion of society is broad: it encompasses the public, private and third sectors regionally, nationally and internationally. CAMaCS is a joint venture between the Warwick departments of Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science and is outward-looking, inclusive and problem-driven. It establishes new forms of partnership across interdisciplinary boundaries within academia, and across inter-sectoral boundaries between academia and other sectors of society. CAMaCS provides an exciting opportunity to help define the future role of the mathematical sciences in our society and economy.

Warwick is uniquely placed to host CAMaCS. Firstly, Warwick’s departments of Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science are each internationally recognised centres of excellence in their own right, providing an excellent scientific platform for collaboration. Secondly, barriers to inter-disciplinary working are far lower at Warwick than at most universities. Thirdly, Warwick has 30 years of institutional experience in large-scale knowledge exchange via the successes of the Warwick Manufacturing Group in applied manufacturing engineering. CAMaCS builds on strong name recognition outside the academic sector and access to a large reservoir of existing knowledge.

Research: 

CAMaCS will pursue a research agenda focused on new applied Mathematical Science research and new applications of such research. Three particular themes to provide an initial focus, but these will evolve in response to opportunities and expertise.

• Industrial applied mathematics: focused on applications of fluid dynamics, solid mechanics and PDEs to solve problems held by partners in the engineering and physical sciences domains.
  
• Distributed socio-technical systems: focused on applications of network science, agent-based systems and nonlinear dynamics to practical challenges faced by partners in transportation systems, urban science, financial regulation, energy grids and social sciences.
• Applied statistics/data science: focused on impactful and ethical applications of data science to social and technological problems such as those in Data Science for Social Good.

CAMaCS research is project-based with clear objectives, oriented towards collective goals and properly resourced. Most CAMaCS projects will be conducted in close collaboration with external partners.

Impact and knowledge exchange: 

Projects are formulated to deliver quantifiable improvements in the application domain of project partners. Partners will be expected to assist in capturing these impacts.

Training: 

CAMaCS will help incorporate external perspectives into undergraduate courses, postgraduate training and CDTs. Graduate students are encouraged to work on CAMaCS projects as part of their PhDs, building on a firm foundation already laid down by the MathSys CDT across the participating departments. CAMaCS facilitates contributions by relevant external partners to core graduate and undergraduate academic activities.

Public engagement: 

CAMaCS complements public engagement activities across participating departments through an online outreach programme to market the value of Warwick Mathematical Sciences research to the public and to potential project partners. This involves working with staff and students to create videos, curate a social media identity, write blog posts, enter competitions, write case studies, design reusable outreach content, organise public lectures and events etc.

Consulting: 

CAMaCS will establish a new entity to facilitate consultancy for academics and graduate students thereby providing a new route for business to interact with.