Periodic Reporting for period 1 - i-CONN (Interdisciplinary connectivity: Understanding and managing complex systems using connectivity science)
Reporting period: 2019-10-01 to 2021-09-30
Fundamentally, all disciplines study phenomena, and those phenomena are typically part of a system of such phenomena, be they galaxies or social groups. Connectivity science focuses on the interactions of the elements of a system. Connectivity science has gained further relevance because of its use in studying complex systems, the characteristics of which cannot be easily determined, and which display such features as emergence and non-linear behaviour. Increasingly, society seeks not only to understand, but also to manage such complex systems, and it is in such management that connectivity science can play a pivotal role. For example, by studying the pathways of pollutants in the water-supply chain and across the landscape, we hope to be able to determine the most effective interventions to stop pollutants getting into, or traveling through, watercourses. The involvement of non-academic organisations within i-CONN emphasises the development of our research for societal benefits.
The overall objectives of i-CONN are to:
1) develop the theoretical underpinning of connectivity science for applications in complex systems;
2) develop a unified framework of methods and approaches that can be applied across disciplines;
3) explore applications of connectivity science to understand, adapt to, and manage, complex systems.
We are now in the process of formulating minimal dynamical models in a range of application areas with the aim of understanding the identified SC/FC relationships. This research involves collaborations between ESRs during secondments and includes applications to sediments, the study of corruption and neuroscience.
We have produced a handbook of the existing connectivity methods used across the i-CONN network, and across the range of disciplines involved. For each method presented we provided: an introduction; specific related background; the problem that it addresses; important algorithms/framework addressing the problem; discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of the existing methods, and available implementations. Additionally, and most importantly within the context of i-CONN, we discussed whether the connectivity methods described are applicable to other disciplines.
Having identified the existing connectivity methods used across the various disciplines represented within i-CONN, we are now in a phase of relating the methods to the potential range of suitable applications. This phase involves testing the applicability, compatibility, and enhancement of consistent methods. A successful event, the Datathon, was organised which allowed the ESRs to study each others’ datasets and apply them to new disciplinary areas. Furthermore, this process of exploring existing connectivity methods and testing their application across different disciplines in the Datathon event enables us to determine if the existing methods fall short of the needs of certain application domains.
We have implemented a substantial training programme for the ESRs covering a wide range of research tools, learning about the disciplinary areas represented in i-CONN and important transferable skills such as scientific writing and collaboration skills. The impact of the pandemic meant that most of the planned range of activities had to move online. We established a successful virtual seminar series and so far, nine experts have delivered seminars that were widely advertised and attended by people from outside the network.
The close involvement of our non-academic partners, together with the planned dissemination activities will promote the rapid and widespread uptake of the research being undertaken within i-CONN.