About DK CIM

Modern science relies heavily on mathematical models, computer simulations, and artificial intelligence to understand complex systems, ranging from Earth's climate to star formation. These computational approaches accelerate discovery by enabling rapid virtual experiments that would be too costly, time-consuming, or dangerous to conduct in a laboratory. They also allow us to study phenomena that are otherwise difficult to observe or predict. However, fully harnessing these digital strategies requires close collaboration between domain scientists—such as physicists, engineers, and chemists—and experts in mathematics and computer science.

The Innsbruck Doctoral College Computational Interdisciplinary Modelling (DK CIM) was founded in 2010 to facilitate such collaborations. Our primary goal is to immerse PhD students in an interdisciplinary research environment early in their careers. This experience prepares them to communicate effectively across scientific fields and to identify compelling research questions beyond their core discipline. The DK CIM also offers specialized summer schools and courses that equip students with the skills needed to effectively make use of modern scientific computing and machine learning techniques. This comprehensive research-guided training prepares them for successful careers in both academia and industry.

The DK CIM is part of the Research Area Scientific Computing at the University of Innsbruck. It brings together scientists from a multitude of disciplines such as engineering sciences, physics, chemistry, mathematics, computer science, and atmospheric science. Collaboration within the DK CIM includes formulating appropriate models, investigating complex physical and engineering systems, developing reliable and efficient algorithms, running simulations on large supercomputers, investigating the validity and accuracy of models and methods, and much more.