School of Engineering News

As HetSys welcomes it’s eighth cohort of students, there is much to celebrate. Across its first seven cohorts, the EPSRC funded Centre for Doctoral Training in Modelling of Heterogeneous Systems (HetSys) based in the School of Engineering, has supported 70 PhD projects. Its growing community of researchers and alumni are making their mark through publications, prizes and careers in academia and industry.

HetSys is Warwick’s EPSRC-supported CDT in the Modelling of Heterogeneous Systems. It brings together students from the physical sciences, mathematics and engineering to develop computational models of complex, real-world materials and systems. Research ranges from advanced alloys and catalysts to fusion energy and energy-efficient devices. In 2024, the award of £7 million in renewed EPSRC funding secured support for a further five cohorts, with an expanded academic team spanning seven departments and three university research centres.

At the heart of HetSys is a shared approach to doctoral training. Alongside their PhD research, students study modelling across different scales and develop the skills to build robust, reusable research software. Group projects, interdisciplinary supervision and cohort mentoring encourage students to learn from one another and look beyond the boundaries of their own research area.

The results are increasingly visible. By June 2026, HetSys students had contributed 80 papers across 41 journals, attracting more than 650 citations. Ten publications involved students or alumni from multiple cohorts, including the matscipy atomic-scale software package. These shared outputs reflect a collaborative culture that extends beyond individual PhD projects.

Students and graduates have earned 12 national and university fellowships or prizes, including EPSRC fellowships and the 2025 IMA Lighthill–Thwaites Prize. Alumni have moved into academic research and roles at organisations including Microsoft, Rolls-Royce, UKAEA and MHRA. Current students are building their own profiles, with 59 external conference presentations reported in the latest progress update and recent recognition including Fraser Birks’ runner-up and audience prizes at FameLab 2026.

Its eighth cohort joins a community with an expanding research record and alumni pursuing a wide range of careers. The Hetsys team are excited to see the ideas and collaborations they bring, and to support them as they develop into the next generation of computational scientists.

Looking ahead, recruitment for the ninth cohort opens in early December. For enquiries about available projects, contact hetsys@warwick.ac.uk.