Researchers from Lancaster Environment Centre (LEC) and Lancaster University’s Centre of Excellence in Environmental Data Sciences (CEEDS) are co-leading a new initiative to train the next generation of Earth and environmental scientists to harness the power of exascale computing.  

The Exascale computing for Earth, Environmental, and Sustainability Solutions consortium, or ExaGEO, will share in more than £500m in new funding announced today by UK Research and Innovation which will support two new schemes called doctoral landscape awards and doctoral focal awards.   

The schemes build on a rich history of doctoral investments that support discovery-driven research at universities across the UK and will replace the nine schemes through which UKRI currently supports doctoral training.  

Over the initiative's lifetime, the investment will support up to 30 doctoral students to develop their skills and experience at Lancaster University, with places available in the biological sciences, engineering and physical sciences, and natural and environmental sciences.

In addition to Lancaster, ExaGEO is co-delivered by researchers from the University of Glasgow’s School of Geographical & Earth Sciences, the University of Edinburgh’s supercomputing centre (EPCC), and partners from industry and government.  

Over the next five years across all the University partners, more than 65 new PhD students will be equipped with skills to develop and apply software for environmental applications which will run on next-generation exascale computing systems.  

Exascale computers are advanced systems capable of making a billion billion calculations per second. Their ultrafast performance enables advanced modelling of the Earth’s complex natural systems and unlocks new insights into the workings of the natural environment such as climate change, and the impact of human efforts to improve sustainability.  

ExaGEO’s training programme brings together more than 200 experts in geographical, Earth and environmental sciences, computing science, environmental statistics, and engineering.

The ExaGEO leadership team will work to help students build their expertise in four key technical areas: accelerating environmental models through GPU computing, analysing large-scale Earth observation datasets, combining models with data to understand environmental change, and applying uncertainty analysis to environmental predictions.  

Students will receive comprehensive training in sustainability studies, environmental, and Earth sciences, climate science, and data science, helping them to develop advanced computational skills paired with a deep understanding of environmental processes.

At the end of their studies, ExaGEO graduates will be able to use cutting-edge computing to tackle complex environmental challenges informed by their understanding of their underlying physical, chemical, biological, and social dimensions.  

Dr Amber Leeson, Reader in Glaciology at Lancaster University is ExaGEO’s Deputy Director.

She said: “Discovery science in the environment, earth and sustainability space is increasingly reliant on very large and complex computer models and vast quantities of observational data. Through ExaGEO we have an exciting opportunity to equip the next generation with the skills needed to fully exploit these models and data, including coupling between them, to really push the boundaries of scientific knowledge.”

At Lancaster University, other researchers including Professor Gordon Blair from the School of Computing and Communications and Professor Christopher Jewell at the School of Mathematical Scienceswill play leading roles in the consortium and the training programme.

Science and Technology Secretary, Peter Kyle, said: “Backing the next generation of great scientific minds to fulfil their potential is crucial to unlocking the discoveries which improve our lives and which keep our economy growing over the long term through highly skilled jobs.  

“This £500m investment will back our vitally important higher education sector while supporting more bright students to pursue their talents and in turn deliver the life-saving drugs and clean energy alternatives of the future, that benefit all of our lives.”  

UKRI Chief Executive, Professor Dame Ottoline Leyser, said: "UKRI’s investments in Doctoral Training are pivotal for the UK’s research and innovation endeavour. The awards provide funding for Universities across the UK to nurture a cadre of creative, talented people to develop their skills and knowledge, to build partnerships and networks, and to pursue the discoveries that will transform tomorrow, with diverse benefits for society and economic growth.”