Phd Studentship: Massively parallel simulation of massively multicore computer

The project:

The domain of High Performance Computing (HPC) effectively utilises massively multicore computers that facilitate the distribution of scientific workloads across thousands of compute units. Designing such HPC services is a highly complex and multifaceted task, requiring considerations for the individual computational unit and the medium that enables communication between them. To aid in navigating this design space, architects and researchers alike look to simulation.

A well-documented drawback of modern simulation solutions is that of long execution times, requiring days, weeks, or even months to derive a suitable hardware model. This limitation is only exaggerated when considering the digital representation of multicore computer systems, requiring the modelling of a broad range of interconnected hardware components. This project aims to parallelise a simulation instance by distributing its simulated components across the computational units of HPC services, thereby significantly reducing simulation runtimes.

During the PhD programme, a student would be expected to explore and analyse the limitations of possible solutions for parallel simulation of massively multicore computers. During such exploration, both runtime performance scaling and the impact of expressing hardware models at varying levels of abstraction should be considered to align the work with current challenges. A student would also be expected to investigate parallel simulation through direct implementation, utilising existing technologies where appropriate with a strong focus on parallelising simulations. In particular, the project should aim to exploit massively multicore processors to speedup the simulation of future massively multicore processors.

Alongside the University of Bristol's High Performance Computing research group, the PhD programme will be associated with the Bristol Centre for Supercomputing (BriCS), home to Isambard-AI. BriCS is delivering over 300 million pounds of AI compute, and a successful applicant will be able to work closely with the BriCS team and their collaborators while delivering world-class supercomputer services.

How to apply: Please select <programme title> on the Programme Choice page. You will be prompted to enter details of the studentship in the Funding and Research Details sections of the form.

Candidate requirements:  Applicants must hold/achieve a minimum of a merit at master’s degree level (or international equivalent) in a science, mathematics or engineering discipline. Applicants without a master's qualification may be considered on an exceptional basis, provided they hold a first-class undergraduate degree. Please note, acceptance will also depend on evidence of readiness to pursue a research degree. If English is not your first language, you need to meet this profile level: Profile E Further information about English language requirements and profile levels.

Funding: 4 year University Scholarship - Minimum tax-free stipend at the current UKRI rate (for 2025/26 standard stipend is £20,780, RTSG £7,000, full Tuition Fee covered), plus enhanced stipend per year.

Contacts: For questions about the research topic, please contact Jack Jones at jj16791@bristol.ac.uk . For questions about eligibility and the application process please contact Engineering Postgraduate Research Admissions admissions-engpgr@bristol.ac.uk

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