Project description
Automated models boosting research on soft matter
Soft materials, which can be easily deformed or structurally altered by thermal or mechanical stress, are essential in modern life, affecting autonomy, sustainability and health. However, accurately modelling these materials is complex and usually limited to a few well-trained experts. The ERC-funded DISCOVER project aims to make constitutive modelling more accessible through automated model discovery. Objectives include developing neural networks that autonomously find the best models, parameters and experiments for various soft matter systems. Furthermore, researchers will assess model performance in different experiments and use Bayesian analysis to measure uncertainties. Automated model discovery should enable exploration of a vast range of model parameters, offering insight into soft matter systems that traditional methods cannot achieve.
Objective
Soft materials play an integral part in many aspects of modern life including autonomy, sustainability, and human health, and their accurate modeling is critical to understand their unique properties and functions. However, the criteria for model selection remain elusive and successful modeling is limited to a few well-trained specialists in the field. My goal is to democratize constitutive modeling through automated model discovery and make it accessible to a more inclusive and diverse community to accelerate scientific innovation. My overall objectives are: i) Establish a new family of constitutive neural networks that simultaneously and fully autonomously discover the model, parameters, and experiment that best explain a wide variety of soft matter systems; ii) Quantify the performance of our discovered models on tension, compression, and shear experiments for the heart, arteries, muscle, lung, liver, skin, brain, hydrogels, silicone, artificial meat, foams, and rubber; and iii) Quantify the uncertainty of our models, parameters, and experiments using a Bayesian analysis. My hypothesis is that automated model discovery will facilitate the exploration of a large parameter space of models and provide unprecedented insights into soft matter systems that are out of reach with conventional theoretical and numerical approaches today. My immediate deliverable is a fully documented open source scientific discovery platform that includes our new neural networks, experimental data, benchmarks, models, and parameters. This discovery platform has the potential to induce a ground-breaking change in constitutive modeling and will forever change how we simulate materials and structures. This project will democratize constitutive modeling; stimulate discovery in soft matter systems; provide deep-learning based tools to characterize, create, and functionalize soft matter; and train the next generation of scientists and engineers to adopt and promote these innovative technologies.
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
-
HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
See all projects funded under this programme
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
See all projects funded under this funding scheme
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2023-ADG
See all projects funded under this callHost institution
Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
91058 ERLANGEN
Germany
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.