In 2020, the Senate of the German Research Foundation launched the Priority Programme "Machine Learning in Chemical Engineering. Knowledge Meets Data: Interpretability, Extrapolation, Reliability, Trust" (SPP 2331). The programme promotes cooperation between the fields of chemical engineering (CE) and machine learning (ML) by combining expertise. The six-year programme consists of two funding periods. Interdisciplinary progress has already been made in the first funding period.
New Funding Period - New Projects
The second funding phase of the SPP 2331 will start at the beginning of 2025, for which proposals can still be submitted for the extension of existing projects or for the inclusion of completely new projects in the Priority Programme. Thematically, the project proposals should be located at the intersection of machine learning and chemical engineering and include at least two applicants with relevant expertise. The SPP 2331 is organised around the following six scientific challenges, at least one of which is to be advanced by the funded projects:
- optimal decision making
- introducing / enforcing physical laws in ML models
- heterogeneity of data
- information and knowledge representation
- safety and trust in ML applications
- creativity
Focus on Fluid Processes With or Without Chemical Reactions
The focus of the SPP 2331 projects is on the field of fluid processes with or without chemical reactions. Examples or products from other areas can also be included, as long as the focus remains on fluid processes.
Against the background of the scientific challenges of fluid processes, a broad spectrum of CE methods can be proposed. Submitted projects can either be purely computational and/or include ML methods directly applied to experimental CE.
Exchange of Ideas in Aachen
A network meeting is offered to exchange research ideas and plan possible collaborations for the second funding phase of SPP 2331. This will take place on 24 April 2024 in Aachen, Germany. Participants who were not involved in the first phase are particularly welcome to attend. To stimulate the exchange of ideas, a poster session will also take place at the meeting, in which projects will be presented. Registrations for the network meeting are possible via e-mail until 01 April 2024.
Further information on the Priority Programme SPP2331 can be found on the corresponding website.