DIRC - Dependability of Computer-based Systems

Project Dates: From July 2001 to March 2007

Project Leader: Prof. Cliff Jones

Staff: Prof. Brian Randell, Dr. Budi Arief, Dr. Jeremy Bryans

Sponsors: EPSRC

Partners: City University, Edinburgh University, Lancaster University, York University

 

The EPSRC funded five Interdisciplinary Research Collaborations. The one led by the University of Newcastle (and in collaboration with City University London, University of Edinburgh, Lancaster University and University of York) addressed the dependability of computer-based systems. Dependability is a deliberately broad term to encompass many facets including reliability, security and availability. The term "computer-based systems" draws attention to the involvement of human participants in most complex systems. Because of the breadth of this view, the interdisciplinary team included sociologists and psychologists as well as computer scientists, statisticians etc. The six year research funding enabled the collaboration to tackle broad and fundamental problems of creating dependable systems.