Integrative Think Tanks (ITTs)
Our flagship week-long workshops bring together SAMBa students, mathematical sciences academics, and external partners to formulate collaborative solution pathways to challenges posed by partners.
ITTs begin with presentations of challenges from partners, followed by discussion and formation of small teams to work intensively on formulating mathematical approaches to those challenges. These formulations are focused on a 3-4 year timescale of delivery and ideally will develop into PhD projects picked up by SAMBa students, or students recruited directly onto the research project.
ITTs offer partners a significant level of immersion and co-ownership of research. It is the beginning of challenging and high impact research, often leading to long-lasting relationships with co-funded research activities.
'The SAMBa approach was a great template for setting up a productive, creative and collaborative atmosphere. The commitment of the students in getting involved with unfamiliar areas of research and applying their experience towards producing solutions was very impressive.' — Dr Mike Marsh, Space weather researcher, Met Office
Find out more about ITTs.
PhD research
Many of our students are co-supervised by non-academic partners in delivering interdisciplinary research. These projects are designed jointly by the student, external partner and academic supervisory team.
The non-academic partner usually contributes to research and associated costs of projects in which they are involved, and hosts the student for placements.
Jointly supervised PhD research delivers high-quality approaches to problems directly relevant to your sector and organisation over three to four years. The research can be protected by confidentiality clauses but must allow for publication of results.
Internships
Students can undertake a secondment during their PhD which is not directly related to their PhD research. This is usually of around three months and may be with international or UK academic partners, or with a partner company.
You will be able to work closely with them on relevant problems to your organisation, whilst developing strong links with the University of Bath. Secondments (salaries and associated costs) are funded by the host organisation.
Informal interactions
The Department of Mathematical Sciences has a long and fruitful history of working with industry. We welcome approaches from new and established partners with suggestions of how we could work with you, or to arrange to visit the department and to attend or speak at one of our departmental seminars.