Scholarship Hosts 2023

List of host institutions for the SPECIES Scholarship programme in 2023. Details about the supervisor, research group, available projects, and other relevant information, is provided as a PDF document.

Overview of 2023 hosts: 31 institutions across 16 countries offering 64 projects
(interactive version)

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Aston University, Birmingham, England, United Kingdom

  • Location: Aston Centre for Artificial Intelligence Research and Application, Aston University, Birmingham, England, United Kingdom (Website)
  • Supervisor: Alina Patelli (Homepage) and Anikó Ekárt (Homepage)
  • Projects:
    1. Urban Traffic Modelling and Prediction
  • More information: Birmingham-Aston_info

École Polytechnique, Paris, France

  • Location: Laboratoire d’Informatique (LIX), École Polytechnique, Paris, France (Website)
  • Supervisor: Benjamin Doerr (Homepage) and Martin Krejca (Homepage)
  • Projects:
    1. Design and Analysis of Evolutionary Algorithms
  • More information: Paris-EcolePolytechnique_info

Edinburgh Napier University, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom

  • Location: Nature Inspired Intelligent Systems group, Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, Department of Computer Science, School of Computing, Engineering & The Built Environment, Edinburgh Napier University, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom (Website)
  • Supervisors: Emma Hart (Homepage), Kevin Sim (Homepage), Leni Le Goff (Homepage), Neil Urquhart (Homepage), and Kehinde Babaagba (Homepage)
  • Projects:
    1. Algorithm Selection for Meta-Heuristics, Leveraging a Range of Machine-Learning Approaches [Sim, Hart]
    2. Quality-Diversity Methods for Instance Generation; Evolution of Algorithm Portfolios which Exhibit Diversity of Behaviours; Producing Diverse Instance to Combinatorial Optimisation Problems in Logistics [Urquhart, Hart]
    3. Lifelong Learning in Optimisation: Methods for Continual Adaptation of Algorithms based on Problem-Solving Experience, i.e. Learning from Experience or Eealing with Streaming Instances that Change Over Time [Hart]
    4. Dynamic Sampling Strategies for Meta-Heuristic Approaches Operating on Noisy Objective Functions to Reduce Computational Budget [Le Goff]
    5. Joint Optimisation of Robot Body and Control via Evolution and Learning [Le Goff, Hart]
    6. Adaptive Learning Strategies to Enable Adaption of Robot Controllers to Unknown Environments [Le Goff, Hart]
    7. Improve Detection of Metamorphic Malware [Babaagba]
  • More information: Edinburgh-Napier_info

Jožef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia

  • Location: Computer Systems Department, Jožef Stefan Institue, Ljubljana, Slovenia (Website)
  • Supervisor: Tome Eftimov (Homepage) and Peter Korošec (Homepage)
  • Projects:
    1. Learning for Continuous Single-Objective Optimization
  • More information: Ljubljana_info

Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany

  • Location: Stochastic Optimization Group (SOP), Institute of Operations Research (IOR), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Karlsruhe Germany (Website)
  • Supervisor: Steffen Rebennack (Homepage) and John Alasdair Warwicker (Homepage)
  • Projects:
    1. Evolutionary Local Branching Matheuristics for Combinatorial Optimisation
  • More information: Karlsruhe_info

Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands

  • Location: Natural Computing Group, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands (Website)
  • Supervisor: Thomas Bäck (Homepage)
  • Projects:
    1. Reproducibility in Differential Evolution
    2. Robust Comparison of Benchmarking Results
    3. Warmstarting of Optimization Algorithms
  • More information: Leiden_info

Ontario Tech University, Oshawa, Canada

  • Location: Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence Lab, Ontario Tech University, Oshawa, Canada  (Website)
  • Supervisor: Peter Lewis (Homepage) and Jane Breen (Homepage)
  • Projects:
    1. Evolution of Institutions on Networks
  • More information: Oshawa_info

Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Belgrade, Serbia

  • Location: Mathematical Programming and Optimization Research Group, Mathematical Institute, Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Belgrade, Serbia (Website)
  • Supervisor: Tatjana Davidović (Homepage)
  • Projects:
    1. Integrating Machine Learning and Metaheuristics
  • More information: Belgrade_info

Sorbonne University, Paris, France

  • Location: Operations Research Team, Computer Science Department LIP6, Sorbonne University, Paris, France (Website)
  • Supervisor: Carola Doerr (Homepage)
  • Projects:
    1. Dynamic Algorithm Configuration via Reinforcement Learning
    2. Coupling Parameter Control with Machine Learning
  • More information: Paris-Sorbonne_info

Technical Institute of Tijuana, Tijuana, Mexico

  • Location: Department of Electric and Electronic Engineering, Technical Institute of Tijuana, Tijuana, Mexico (Website, Facebook)
  • Supervisor: Leonardo Trujillo (Homepage)
  • Projects:
    1. Transfer Learning and Feature Construction with Genetic Programming
  • More information: Tijuana_info

Télécom SudParis and ENSIIE, Paris, France

TH Köln, Gummersbach, Germany

  • Location: Institute for Data Science, Engineering, and Analytics, TH Köln – Cologne University of Applied Sciences, Gummersbach, Germany (Website)
  • Supervisor: Olaf Mersmann (Homepage) and Boris Naujoks (Homepage)
  • Projects:
    1. Continuous Optimizer Benchmarks using Ranking (COBRA)
  • More information: Gummersbach_info

TU Wien, Wien, Austria

  • Location: Databases and Artificial Intelligence Group, Faculty of Informatics, TU Wien, Wien, Austria (Website)
  • Supervisor: Nysret Musliu (Homepage)
  • Projects:
    1. Automated Algorithm Selection and Instance Space Analysis for Scheduling Problems
  • More information: Wien_info

Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil

  • Location: Laboratory of Computational Intelligence, System Performance Evaluation and Experimental Development, Computer Science Department, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil (Website)
  • Supervisor: Gisele L. Pappa (Homepage)
  • Projects:
    1. Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) with Evolutionary Computation
  • More information: BeloHorizonte_info

Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal

  • Location: Information Management Center (MagIC), NOVA Information Management School (NOVA IMS), Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal (MagIC Website, NOVA IMS Website)
  • Supervisor: Mauro Castelli (Homepage) and Leonardo Vanneschi (Homepage)
  • Projects:
    1. Combining Semantic and Non-Semantic Genetic Operators in Genetic Programming
  • More information: Lisbon-NOVA_info

Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Valparaíso, Chile

  • Location: Computer Science Department, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Valparaíso, Chile (Website)
  • Supervisor: María Cristina Riff Rojas (Homepage)
  • Projects:
    1. Designing Dynamic Evolutionary Algorithms: Learning from Calibrating
  • More information: Valparaíso_info

University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania

  • Location: Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania (Website)
  • Supervisor: Alexandru Popa (Homepage)
  • Projects:
    1. Heuristic Algorithms for Finding Evolutionary Distances
    2. Metaheuristics Applied to Hard Optimisation Problems
  • More information: Bucharest_info

University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal

  • Location: Department of Informatics Engineering, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal  (Website)
  • Supervisor: Nuno Lourenço (Homepage) and Penousal Machado (Homepage)
  • Projects:
    1. Evolutionary Machine Learning: Generative Evolutionary Machine Learning
    2. Evolutionary Machine Learning: Fast and Adept Learning
    3. Grammatical Evolution
  • More information: Coimbra_info

University of Granada, Granada, Spain

  • Location: GenNeura Research Team, Department of Computer Architecture and Technology, University of Granada, Granada, Spain (Website)
  • Supervisor: Juan Julián Merelo Guervós (Homepage)
  • Projects:
    1. Computational Intelligence in Games
    2. Data Science Applied to Soccer and Other Games
    3. Procedural Content Generation using Metaheuristics
    4. Distributed/Concurrent Evolutionary Algorithms
    5. Complex and Social Network Analysis
  • More information: Granada_info

University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland

  • Location: Multiobjective Optimization Group, Faculty of Information Technology, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland (Website)
  • Supervisor: Kaisa Miettinen (Homepage)
  • Projects:
    1. Utilizing Interactive Multiobjective Evolutionary Algorithms for Supporting Decision-Making in Real World Problems
  • More information: Jyväskylä_info

University of Leicester, Leicester, England, United Kingdom

  • Location: School of Computing and Mathematical Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, England, United Kingdom (Website)
  • Supervisor: John H. Drake (Homepage)
  • Projects:
    1. High-Level Search Methodologies for Problem-Solving in Industrial Applications
  • More information: Leicester_info

University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal

  • Location:  LASIGE, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal (Website)
  • Supervisor: Alcides Fonseca (Homepage)
  • Projects:
    1. Program Synthesis with Liquid Types using Genetic Programming
    2. Automatic Generation of Mathematical Proofs
  • More information: Lisbon_info

University of Málaga, Málaga, Spain

  • Location: NEO Research Group, Institute of Software Engineering and Technology, Department of Languages and Computer Science, University of Málaga, Málaga, Spain (Website)
  • Supervisor: Francisco Chicano (Homepage)
  • Projects:
    1. Embedding in Quantum Annealers
    2. Efficient Crossover Operators for Permutation Problems
  • More information: Malaga_info

University of Nottingham, Nottingham, England, United Kingdom

  • Location: School of Computer Science, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, England, United Kingdom (Website)
  • Supervisor: Colin Johnson (Homepage)
  • Projects:
    1. Identifying and Correcting Faults in Software using a Genetic Improvement Model
  • More information: Nottingham_info

University of Passau, Passau, Germany

  • Location: Chair of Algorithms for Intelligent Systems, University of Passau, Passau, Germany (Website)
  • Supervisor: Dirk Sudholt (Homepage)
  • Projects:
    1. Uncertainty Meets Multi-Objectives
    2. Analysis of Your Algorithm and/or on Your Problem
  • More information: Passau_info

University of Southampton, Southampton, England, United Kingdom (1)

  • Location: Southampton Business School, University of Southampton, Southampton, England, United Kingdom (Website)
  • Supervisor: Edilson Fernandes de Arruda (Homepage)
  • Projects:
    1. Integrated Elective Surgery Scheduling and Bed Planning with an Application to the University Hospital Southampton
  • More information: Southampton_1_info

University of Southampton, Southampton, England, United Kingdom (2)

  • Location: Operational Research, School of Mathematical Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, England, United Kingdom (Website)
  • Supervisor: Bismark Singh (Homepage)
  • Projects:
    1. Estimating Individual Data from Aggregated Data
    2. Stochastic Optimization Models for Energy Systems
    3. Computational Experiments using Aggregated Scenarios in Stochastic Optimization Models
    4. Estimating Worried-Well Populations in a Pandemic
  • More information: Southampton_2_info

University of Stirling, Stirling, Scotland, United Kingdom (1)

  • Location: Computing Science and Mathematics, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, Scotland, United Kingdom (Website)
  • Supervisor: Alexander Brownlee (Homepage), Sarah Thomson (Homepage) and Jason Adair (Homepage)
  • Projects:
    1. Explainability of Evolutionary Algorithms
  • More information: Stirling_1_info

University of Stirling, Stirling, Scotland, United Kingdom (2)

  • Location: Computing Science and Mathematics, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, Scotland, United Kingdom (Website)
  • Supervisor: Gabriela Ochoa (Homepage)
  • Projects:
    1. Local Optima Networks for Large Multi-Objective Problems
    2. Understanding Neuroevolution and Neural Architecture Search
    3. Open Topics in Local Optima Networks or Search Trajectory Networks
  • More information: Stirling_2_info

University of Toulouse, Toulouse, France

  • Location: ISAE-Supaero, University of Toulouse, Toulouse, France (Website)
  • Supervisor: Dennis Wilson (Homepage)
  • Projects:
    1. Deep Learning to Guide Symbolic Regression
  • More information: Toulouse_info

University of Trento, Trento, Italy

  • Location: Department of Information Engineering and Computer Science, University of Trento, Trento, Italy (Website)
  • Supervisor: Giovanni Iacca (Homepage)
  • Projects:
    1. Evolutionary Learning of Interpretable Models
    2. Hybridization of Deep Reinforcement Learning and Metaheuristics
    3. Evolution of Network Protocols
    4. Evolution of Communication using Interpretable Agents
    5. Problem Classification via Evolutionary Dynamics
  • More information: Trento_info

University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy

  • Location: Evolutionary Robotics and Artificial Life Lab (ERALLab), Department of Engineering and Architecture/Natural Computing Laboratory (NaCL), Department of Mathematics and Geosciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy (ERALLab Website, NaCL Website)
  • Supervisor: Eric Medvet (Homepage) and Luca Manzoni (Homepage)
  • Projects:
    1. Simulated Evolutionary Robotics
    2. Genetic Programming in Scientific Machine Learning
  • More information: Trieste_info

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

  • Location: Computational Intelligence Group, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands (Website)
  • Supervisor: Anil Yaman (Homepage)
  • Projects:
    1. Social Learning Strategies and Cultural Evolution Models
    2. Neuroscience-Inspired AI
    3. Robot Morphology and Controller Evolution/Optimization
  • More information: Amsterdam_info

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