About the ZISC

Tasks

The Central Institute for Scientific Computing (ZISC) exists to bundle the widely scattered research activities at the FAU in the cross-section scientific computing between faculties and departments in the competence center. The aim is to create a cooperation platform that strengthens many already existing research areas of the FAU and from which important new research projects can be launched. The ZISC will also support interdisciplinary doctoral studies in simulation techniques and technological transfer between FAU and regional industry.

What is Scientific Computing?

Many scientists use simulations to analyze complex scientific questions on the computer. Simulation models are also gaining in importance for the prediction of natural processes and the optimization of technical systems. Simulation techniques are innovation in almost all disciplines. This is the reason why Computational Science and Engineering is often viewed as the third, fundamental pillar of science together with theory and experiment. At the core of this development is Scientific Computing, whose task is the development and analysis of new simulation methods.

Interdisciplinary cooperation and synergy

Scientific Computing requires competences that are widely distributed and are located in many departments. Mathematics and Computer Science have to embark on a new synthesis for research in scientific computing and at the same time take advantage of the knowledge gained from the applicated disciplines. Moreover a cooperation is necessary all over the University’s structure, because advances in scientific computing are often the result of a long-term, continuous collaboration of researchers from different disciplines. This requires a University-wide platform, which must be institutionalized. This role is to be completed by the ZISC.

Working conditions at the ZISC

The Central Institute for Scientific Computing has two rooms available for scientific staff. These rooms are equipped with up-to-date PC hardware and offer the best working conditions in an optimal working atmosphere for doctoral students from different chairs and institutions in order to work together on complex simulation tasks.