[Swarm-Modelling] Google Summer of Code Intership(s) working with/on Repast Simphony

[North, Michael]

The Center for the Study of Complex Systems (CSCS) at the Univ. of
Michigan, in conjunction with the Repast developers at Center for
Complex Adaptive Agent Systems Simulation (CAS2) in the Division of
Information Sciences at Argonne National Laboratory, has been accepted
as a mentoring organization for the Google Summer of Code (GSoC) 2011
program (http://socghop.appspot.com/).

That means that we will be able to sponsor a number of student interns
to work developing computer programs this summer (late May to late
August) under the mentorship of people from CSCS and CAS2.  Students
who successfully complete work will be paid a total of $5000 by Google
(in two payments, mid- and late-summer).  The exact number of interns
we will be able to sponsor will be determined by Google based on the
number of applicants for our projects and all the other GSoC projects.

Thus we are looking for students who would be interested in working on
two projects involving Repast Simphony (Repast S):

Project #1: Create Agent Based Model "Demos" using Repast Simphony.

  The current beta release of RepastS 2.0 has a dozen or so models,
  including some "classics" such as the Schelling "Tipping"
  segregation model and a simple version of the Sugarscape
  model. However, those models are fairly bare-bones: they could be
  improved by having more basic documentation and by including more
  features to show how to use more RepastS built-in and add-on
  tools. In addition, it would be useful to have many more models in
  the library. Having a rich, wide variety of well-documented demo
  models will:
  * provide demonstrations that can introduce users to the amazing
    behaviors of complex adaptive system models of a wide variety of
    chemical, biological, social and engineered systems;
  * give new users a varied and engaging sample of the range of
    features and look-and-feel of RepastS;
  * serve as starting points for users to build their own models,
    either by extending the demos or just using them as sources of
    ideas, program fragments, etc.;
  * "exercise" RepastS beta, i.e., serve to test existing features and
    to discover "holes"--features that could be added to RepastS to
    make writing ABMs easier.
  The models can be written in Java, ReLogo, Groovy, etc.

Project #2 Development of Repast Simphony

  While our main need is for students to work on implementing
  demonstration models, students also may work on Repast Simphony
  itself.  For example, students may implement new features in RepastS
  that serve to fill "holes" (features that would be very useful but
  that are missing) they discovered in the course of implementing
  demonstration models while working on Project #1. We anticipate this
  will be the best route for students to get involved in working on
  RepastS itself.  However there are other areas of Repast development
  students may work on as well.

More information about these two projects, and some words about what
we are looking for in applicants can be found on our GSoC "Ideas" page:

http://www.cscs.umich.edu/~rlr/SoC/index.php?n=Main.SoC2011

Students must apply between 28 March and 8 April 2011, and acceptances
are announced on 25 April.  See the GSoC site (http://socghop.appspot.com/)
for complete details on applications, eligibility and so on.