How to become a Computational Scientist

A computational Scientist is usually a scientist, an engineer or an applied mathematician who applies high-performance computing in different ways to advance the state-of-the-art in their respective applied disciplines in physics, chemistry, or engineering. Computational Scientists are called in when studying a natural system (physical, chemical, biological, environmental, etc.) or solving a complex scientific problem (such as out of 2,000 probable genes which one is responsible for a certain disease) require dealing with a massive amount of data throughput – or putting it simply, a massive amount of data inputs and analysis.

• thinking about and conceptualizing computational and maths-related problems and challenges
• developing new products or solving practical computing problems
• conducting research involving experimentation and modeling
• working as part of a research team with programmers, IT professionals, and mechanical, electrical, or software engineers to solve problems and create new products
• studying, experimenting, and investigating technological fields such as artificial intelligence, robotics, and virtual reality
• seeking to improve the performance of existing computer systems and software
• developing new hardware or computing techniques and materials

• Excellent maths skills.
• Excellent computer and technology knowledge and skills.
• An ability to analyze problems and trace them to their core causes.
• A systematic approach to work and problem-solving.
• A stickler for accuracy.
• A strong ability to anticipate and diagnose problems.
• Ability to organise and classify large amounts of information