Priority Programme “Robust Coupling of Continuum-Biomechanical In Silico Models to Establish Active Biological System Models for Later Use in Clinical Applications – Co-Design of Modelling, Numerics and Usability” (SPP 2311)
In 2020, the Senate of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) established the Priority Programme “Robust Coupling of Continuum-Biomechanical In Silico Models to Establish Active Biological System Models for Later Use in Clinical Applications – Co-Design of Modelling, Numerics and Usability” (SPP 2311). The programme is designed to run for six years. The present call invites proposals for the second three-year funding period.
The aim of the Priority Programme is to co-design robust, computational, continuum-biomechanical models by developing new methods uniting research in modelling, numerics and a particular medical application for future use in clinical practice. The focus hereby is on models of active biological systems in the human organism to advance methods and models that can later be integrated within a clinical environment. The Priority Programme does not aim to establish the transfer of the models into the clinic via clinical trials, but to define the interfaces between model and clinical application. Nonetheless, the potential for future clinical application should be evident in all projects. In particular, the programme will concentrate on coupling strategies for “active” biological systems. The term “active” in this context refers to systems that experience a change of state due to physical, chemical and/or biological phenomena or stimuli. Examples are metabolic processes, growth and remodelling or electrical stimulation. The focus in the second period should be placed on solid mechanics and structural analysis in particular. Fluid dynamic models should be treated only secondarily, e.g. in the context of fluid-structure or diffusion-advection interaction.
Comprehensive models adequately representing the complex and strongly coupled behaviour of active biological systems require close interdisciplinary collaborations between continuum-biomechanics, numerical mathematics, HPC, data processing and clinical applications. This yields the following three research areas:
- The research area “Modelling” focuses on the coupling of biomechanical in silico models of various functional aspects of active biological systems embracing different spatial and temporal scales or on the coupling of continuum-biomechanical organ system models. Examples are diffusion-advection-reaction equations on different scales (for instance PDE/PDE, PDE/ODE coupling), homogenisation methods (mixture theory, theory of porous media, Biot theory, etc.), geometric coupling (e.g. 3D-1D-0D coupling), data-driven coupling (such as machine learning as coupling tool) or coupling of organ systems (cardiovascular system, musculoskeletal system, hepato-intestinal, -renal and -pulmonary system, etc.).
- The research area “Numerics” focuses on mathematical algorithms for the robust numerical solution of coupled models for active biological systems and their implementation on high-performance computers. Examples are coupling algorithms (monolithic, segregated), stability and reliability (mixed methods, error estimators, adaptivity, etc.), efficient and parallel scaling algorithms for complex multi-scale models on supercomputers, nonlinear/linear solvers (e.g. preconditioning, domain decomposition and multigrid methods), model reduction (POD, DEIM, neural networks, analytical reduction methods, sparse grids) or numerical homogenisation methods (FE2, etc.).
- The research area “Usability” focuses on validation, data exchange and establishment of computational continuum-biomechanical models to answer clinically relevant questions or to support personalised treatments. Examples are calibration and validation (experimental methods, statistical validation methods), standardisation (data standardisation and data management, interfaces between experiment, clinic and model, integration of data from different resources and comparable), and applications in a clinical environment (data preparation, definition and validation of systems for scoring, staging and grading, definition and validation of scoring systems, workflows in clinical setting, reflection studies).
None of these research areas shall be considered independently of the others. They need to be strongly linked by a true co-design. This link must be explicitly described in the proposal. In order to promote interdisciplinarity and networking, all proposals must thematically cover at least two of the three areas. Ideally, this can be realised via joint applications. For additional information, please refer to the programme’s website.
Proposals must be written in English and submitted to the DFG by 12 March 2024. Please note that proposals can only be submitted via elan, the DFG’s electronic proposal processing system.
Applicants must be registered in elan prior to submitting a proposal to the DFG. If you have not yet registered, please note that you must do so by 5 March 2024 to submit a proposal under this call; registration requests received after this time cannot be considered. You will normally receive confirmation of your registration by the next working day. Note that you will be asked to select the appropriate Priority Programme call during both the registration and the proposal process.
If you would like to submit a proposal for a new project within the existing Priority Programme, please go to Proposal Submission – New Project – Priority Programmes and select “SPP 2311” from the current list of calls. Previous applicants can submit a proposal for the renewal of an existing project under Proposal Submission – Proposal Overview/Renewal Proposal.
In preparing your proposal, please review the programme guidelines (DFG form 50.05, section B) and follow the proposal preparation instructions (DFG form 54.01). These forms can either be downloaded from our website or accessed through the elan portal.
Further Information
More information on the Priority Programme is available under:
The elan system can be accessed at:
DFG forms 50.05 and 54.01 can be downloaded at:
For scientific enquiries, please contact the Priority Programme coordinator:
- Professor Dr.-Ing. Tim Ricken
Universität Stuttgart
Institut für Statik und Dynamik der Luft- und Raumfahrtkonstruktionen (ISD)
Pfaffenwaldring 27
70569 Stuttgart
Tel. +49 711 685-63622
tim.ricken@isd.uni-stuttgart.d
Questions on the DFG proposal process can be directed to:
Programme contact:
- Dr. Mirjam Walloth
phone +49 228 885-3256
mirjam.walloth@dfg.d
Administrative contact:
- Bettina Rausch
phone +49 228 885-2447
bettina.rausch@dfg.d