EXC 2075:  Knowledge and Data Integrated Simulation Science (SimTech) - Leveraging Understanding through Simulation

• Subject Area: Construction Engineering and Architecture ; Basic Research in Biology and Medicine ; Computer Science ; Materials Science ; Mathematics ; Mechanics and Constructive Mechanical Engineering ; Fluid Mechanics, Technical Thermodynamics and Thermal Energy Engineering ; Systems Engineering ; Theoretical Chemistry ; Water Research
• Term: since 2019
• Website: Homepage
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 390740016

Scientific progress was driven by empirical and theoretical science before Simulation Science became a third scientific paradigm. Throughout a long history at the University of Stuttgart, we established Simulation Science as a discipline of its own and the SC SimTech as a cluster-independent permanent center. Both combine expertise from engineering and natural sciences, mathematics, and computer science. Driven by a new abundance of data, our Cluster united Simulation and Data-driven Science into the novel paradigm of Data Integrated Simulation Science. This enabled us to conduct hitherto unfeasible computational experiments and test scientific hypotheses, successfully demonstrated via high-impact results in research areas like geosystems, materials, and human and biological systems. These efforts have led to an explosion of Simulation Knowledge, a term we use to encompass the multi-disciplinary expertise required to design and perform computational experiments to inform the scientific process efficiently. Example knowledge includes experimental designs, properties of equations, or contextually successful solver strategies. Consequently, our first vision is to acquire and computationally exploit such Simulation Knowledge, which has become too overwhelming for manual handling. Our second vision aims to improve the productivity of human experts by Leveraging Understanding through Simulation. Understanding is the human skill to explain and predict phenomena in uncharted contexts. We will develop innovative methods of interactive visualizations, model reduction, knowledge discovery, and systems identification. Coordinating and personalizing these methods via Human-AI Teaming helps human experts understand how to define, analyze, and refine computational experiments. Our two visions will speed up scientific progress through simulations by several orders of magnitude, changing how science is done via our enhanced paradigm of Knowledge and Data Integrated Simulation Science. As key structural innovation, we will pioneer Open Simulation Science as a tailor-made version of UNESCO’s Open Science, comprising principles and practices to benefit scientists and society. For this purpose, we innovate concepts for early-career researchers, education, DEI (diversity, equity, inclusion), reproducibility of science, department processes, communication, and transfer. We apply our visions to Guiding Examples that build on our highly successful previous research and other major projects: Energy Storage and Extraction, Water-Enhanced Turbine Engineering, Energy Materials Design, and Personalized Predictions for Human Systems. With these Guiding Examples, we pursue urgent societal and environmental goals. They exhibit joint methodological challenges that we will address in transdisciplinary research. The breadth of research domains covered by the Guiding Examples will enable us to generalize beyond isolated contributions and underpin our novel paradigm.

• DFG Programme: Clusters of Excellence (ExStra)
• Applicant Institution: Universität Stuttgart
• Spokespersons: Professor Dr.-Ing. Wolfgang Nowak; Professorin Dr. Miriam Schulte; Professor Dr. Steffen Staab
• Participating Researchers: Professor Dr.-Ing. Frank Allgöwer; Professorin Dr. Andrea Barth; Professorin Dr.-Ing. Andrea D. Beck; Maartje Maria Boon, Ph.D.; Professor Dr. Andreas Bulling; Professor Dr.-Ing. Felix Fritzen; Professor Dr. Blazej Grabowski; Professor Dr. Dominik Göddeke; Professor Dr. Johannes Kästner; Professor Mathias Niepert, Ph.D.; Professorin Dr. Nicole Radde; Professor Dr. Christian Rohde; Professorin Dr.-Ing. Alina Roitberg; Professor Oliver Röhrle, Ph.D.; Professor Dr. Dieter Schmalstieg; Professor Dr. Benjamin Stamm; Professor Dr.-Ing. Holger Steeb; Professor Dr. Ingo Steinwart; Professor Dr. Chengzhe Tian; Professor Dr.-Ing. Bernhard Weigand; Professor Dr. Daniel Weiskopf; Professor Heng Xiao, Ph.D.