Materials play a crucial role in nearly every technological challenge faced by modern society: energy generation; telecommunications; aerospace and land transportation; storage, processing and transmission of information; healthcare; security. The theory and simulation of materials required to tackle these challenges almost invariably requires the consideration of a range of length and/or time scales. However, the current situation is that the different scales - electronic, atomic, microstructural and continuum - are the almost exclusive preserve of single disciplines: chemistry, physics, materials and engineering.

Our CDT breaks the traditional mould by bringing together students with a broad training in TSM across the scales with at least two academic supervisors with expertise in different scales, and hence usually from different departments. The central theme is bridging length- and time-scales, and this underlies all of the research projects carried out in the CDT. All of our research is carried out within the environment provided by the Thomas Young Centre (TYC) - the London Centre for Theory and Simulation of Materials. Research projects may involve supervisors from other institutions participating in the TYC, including industrial organizations.