Ciência sem Fronteiras (Science Without Borders)
DCU PhD Project Template:
**Please use one form per project**
Please complete & submit to your Head of School by Monday 16th July
PI name & contact details:
School:
Research Centre / group affiliation:
Research group / centre website:
PI website / link to CV:
Prof. Heather Ruskin / Dr D. Perrin
[email protected]/[email protected]
School of Computing
Sci-Sym Centre, (Scientific Computing & Complex Systems
Modelling). Incorporates research groups in Modelling &
Scientific Computing (ModSci) and Data Analytics (DA), the
HPC user group and links also to the CloudCore UDRC and
National Cloud Centre, IC4.
See Sci-Sym site and constituent groups :
http://sci-sym.dcu.ie
Also CloudCORE
http://www.computing.dcu.ie/research/cloud-computingresearch-centre-cloudcore
http://www.computing.dcu.ie/~msc/
Brief summary of PI research / research group / centre activity (2 or 3 lines max):
Computational models/methods, and scientific applications of computing. Investigated problems
range from social to environmental, financial to biological, employ different computational
approaches, such as agent-based or mathematical modelling, HPC for simulations and extensive
data analytics.
Title & brief description of PD project (suitable for publication on web):
Social Network Discovery – Spatio-Temporal Event Modelling
Network changes can be considered to be caused by event occurrence in any event-based social
network (EBSN). Assessment of network robustness is thus crucial to modelling such networks prior
to consideration of their dynamics, with issues including data sparsity and how to represent
relationships. Once the time element is introduced, co-occurrences among individual (agents)
indicate potential associations and evolutionary trends. New algorithms can be developed to
improve precision and uniqueness of the event discovery. Efficacy of the proposed model and
computational complexity of the algorithms are key measures of function, with the overall aim to
analyse actors in the network , events and the relationship between these.
Unique selling points of PhD/PD project in DCU:
DCU projects should offer something that’s not available in Brazil – specific equipment, multi-disciplinarity,
aspects of structured programme, links with industry, placements, links with other research groups etc.
The School of Computing in DCU is active in multiple research centres that are experienced in modelling
complex systems, use of HPC techniques and handling ‘Big data’ from database management through
datamining to analysis. Applications experience spans natural and hybrid sciences, environment and urban
impact, Bioinformatics, Business and Finance, with multi-disciplinary teams typical. Recent developments in
Cloud, and in-house synergies with these complementary initiatives, provide a basis for exploiting new
technologies and collaborating with researchers in
 IC4, the Irish National Cloud Computing Competency Centre
 CLOUDCore, DCU’s Designated Research Centre in Cloud Computing.
amongst others. Regular conference and journal submissions are usual for Sci-Sym personnel and frequent
symposia are hosted by joint centres.
Name & contact details for project queries, if different from PI named above:
Please indicate the graduates of which disciplines that should apply:
Computing, Mathematics, Physics
Ciência sem Fronteiras / Science Without Borders Priority Area:
Please indicate the specific programme priority area under which the proposed PhD project fits- choose only
one (tick box):
Engineering and other technological areas
Pure and Natural Sciences (e.g. mathematics, physics, chemistry)
Health and Biomedical Sciences
Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs)

Aerospace
Pharmaceuticals
Oil, Gas and Coal
Renewable Energy
Minerals
Biotechnology
Nanotechnology and New Materials
Technology of prevention and remediation of natural disasters
Biodiversity and Bioprospection
Marine Sciences
Creative Industry
New technologies in constructive engineering
Please complete