The ACCIS DTC was established following a £7.1 million award from the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council to train 50 PhD students over a five year period. The Centre is unique in the UK, being the only one dedicated to composite materials.  From its home within the Department of Aerospace Engineering, the ACCIS DTC enjoys close ties to other doctoral training centres at Bristol including the Bristol Centre for Functional Nanomaterials and the Industrial Doctorate Centre in Systems.

ACCIS, under the leadership of Professor Michael Wisnom, gathers together in excess of 100 researchers across the Faculties of Science and Engineering to focus research activities on composite materials and structures.

ACCIS DTC director, Professor Paul Weaver said: "Our first day appears to have been highly successful in breaking down barriers and establishing an esprit de corps within the cohort. Our current students have a diverse range of backgrounds including materials, mechanical, aerospace and textile engineering in addition to those from chemistry and biochemistry.  As such, it is important for the future development of multifunctional composite materials that our DTC students understand and appreciate the complementary skills that each of them offer.”