The Research Training Group (RTG) in Mathematical Modeling and Simulation is a NSF-funded vertically-integrated research activity at the Courant Institute funded by the National Science Foundation (award DMS-1646339) since the Fall of 2017. The group includes faculty, Courant Instructors, postdocs, graduate students, and undergraduate students interested in applied mathematics more broadly, and modeling and simulation of physical systems more specifically. Since early on, the Courant Institute had a strong emphasis in applied mathematics, with modeling and simulation at its core.

This RTG is devoted to training through research of undergraduates, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows in several salient aspects of modern applied mathematics. The activities that this project is based upon recognize the fundamental importance of the interplay between modeling and simulation for most real-life applications. Modeling involves identifying the fundamental components of a problem and posing them in mathematical terms. Simulation solves the mathematical problems thus posed using computers to make quantitative predictions. Both modeling and simulation will be used to investigate a wide variety of phenomena in physics, chemistry, engineering, and biology, such as how microorganisms swim, how blood flows in the heart, the unusual properties of suspensions of bacteria or active particles, and how to efficiently design new materials. A unique element of our RTG is the experiment-oriented Courant Applied Mathematics Laboratory, which will provide raw data and motivation for mathematical models and simulations, as well as measurements for quantitative validation. This RTG program will emphasize the connections among modeling, simulation and experimental observation.

This RTG will support the formation of a vertically-integrated activity which integrates two new graduate and undergraduate research courses, a graduate seminar on oral and written presentation, a collaborative research seminar, visitor seminars and undergraduate summer research activities. The five-year project will create new activities that will become a permanent part of mathematics teaching, research and training efforts at the Courant Institute, and will provide valuable experience that can be exported to other institutions.

The group has a ModelingSimulation github repository for sharing information publicly.

There are currently  for Courant Instructor positions in Modeling and Simulation, each for up to three years.