About the NAIS Centre


At the beginning of 2009, the UK’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council together with the Scottish Funding Council have provided funds to establish this centre as a joint venture of the University of Edinburgh, Heriot-Watt University and the University of Strathclyde. The total budget of NAIS is £7.5M and the duration of the grant is 5 years, with first spending from August of 2009.

What is the purpose of NAIS? NAIS will bridge the gap between numerical analysts, computer scientists and HPC software developers by developing new systems of code annotation, new compilers and efficient implementations for application-oriented computational methods such as adaptive finite elements, multiscale modelling, molecular simulation and optimization. 

Who is involved in NAIS? NAIS is a partnership of the Schools of Mathematics and Informatics and the Edinburgh Parallel Computing Centre (EPCC) at the University of Edinburgh, and the Departments of Mathematics at Heriot-Watt and Strathclyde Universities. In addition, NAIS will include collaborations with researchers in the sciences and engineering at the three universities, and a network of collaborations with other institutions including, so far, the University of Cambridge, the University of Warwick, and Wales Institute for Mathematics and Computer Science. A programme with CERFACS in Toulouse will provide for joint workshop and training activities. Industrial collaborations are to be established with IBM, Schlumberger, D.E. Shaw, SGI, Cray, Orange/France Telecom, SAS. 

An international advisory committee has been established including:

  • Fran Berman, University of California at San Diego
  • Andreas Frommer, Wuppertal
  • David Keyes, Columbia and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
  • J. Tinsley Oden, University of Texas at Austin
  • Philippe Toint, University of Namur, Belgium

The first director of NAIS is Benedict Leimkuhler (Mathematics, University of Edinburgh) and the Steering Committee consists of Mark Ainsworth (Mathematics, Strathclyde University), Murray Cole (Informatics, University of Edinburgh), Dugald Duncan (Mathematics, Heriot-Watt University), and Arthur Trew (Edinburgh Parallel Computing Centre).

What research activities are envisaged in NAIS? NAIS will operate substantial training, visitor and workshop programmes in all relevant areas of numerical analysis, computer science and HPC software development. There will be additional activities at the NAIS partners (currently Cambridge, Warwick and Wales Institute for Mathematical and Computational Science)

What posts are anticipated in NAIS?
6 lectureships (permanent positions) in Mathematics (two each) at Edinburgh, Heriot-Watt and Strathclyde Universities.
A lectureship in Informatics at the University of Edinburgh
10 Postdoctoral Research Assistantships (3 years each)
24 PhD studentships (typically 4 years duration)

The first posts were advertised in 2009 and several have been filled (see the People page).

Where can I find out more about NAIS? This website is the best place to start,  or send an email to info@nais.org.uk