UM Complex Systems

Applications are now open for the 2027 M-PACT Program! The Center for the Study of Complex Systems is seeking exceptional early-career scholars whose research develops or applies complex systems models and methods.

Relevant areas may include network science, computational approaches to complex systems, social science, emergence and robustness, quantitative modeling of biological and social systems, systemic racism and health disparities, biological and social evolution, artificial life, and cognition. We are particularly interested in candidates with a record of working across disciplines and research interests suitable for funding by the National Institutes of Health.

Applicants must have a Ph.D. or terminal degree conferred by July 1, 2027, must never have held a tenure-track faculty appointment, and must be suitable for NIH funding.

Application materials are due Monday, October 12, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET. Reference letters will be accepted through October 26, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET.

Please apply or share this opportunity with an eligible scholar in your network. Visit the link in our bio for the full position description, eligibility requirements, and application instructions.

https://www.nature.com/naturecareers/job/12862250/assistant-professor-michigan-program-for-advancing-cultural-transformation-m-pact-program

It's been an exciting year for us here at Complex Systems! Faculty awarded for their excelence, students exceeded expectations, growing our community in person and online and raising over $17,000 in honor of our beloved Charlie and Rick. We are so proud of our Complex Systems community and look forward to innovation and greatness in the years to come, a full year in review article is available on our website, link in bio!

Congrats to Natalie Vogt and Samantha Mazza for taking first place in this semester’s poster competition.

Their projects, along with their classmates’, are a true testament to the breadth of complex systems and the many ways it can be applied. If you missed the competition, stop by our office anytime to take a look, and read more about their work and others at the link in bio.

Congratulations to Tianyong Yao and Vivaan Singhvi, recipients of the 2026 Rick Riolo Undergraduate Research Prize! Modeling dopamine cycles and sleep patterns and developing scalable algorithms for evolutionary analysis, this year’s winners highlight the breadth of complex systems research. The committee recognized both projects for their rigor, innovation, and real world impact, capturing the true spirit of Rick Riolo’s legacy of curiosity and interdisciplinary thinking. More on their projects on our website. Link in bio.

Each semester we celebrate a semester of complexity with some pizza and friendly competition :) Join us next Monday @6:30 PM for the CMPLXSYS 270 Agent-Based Modeling Poster Contest!

4/27 | 6:30 PM | Weiser Hall | 7th Floor