NCSE
The National Centre for Statistical Ecology (NCSE) is a joint research centre, spanning a number of institutions. It was established in 2005 as a joint research centre between the Universities of Kent, Cambridge and St Andrews, with the aid of a mathematics Multidisciplinary Critical Mass Award from EPSRC. In 2010, it was expanded to include the Universities of Bath, Bristol, Exeter, Glasgow and Sheffield, together with the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, although the University of Cambridge dropped out, following departure of staff. This expansion was achieved with the aid of a joint EPSRC/NERC grant. Four further organisations are Project Partners: Biomathematics and Statistics Scotland; the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science; the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust; and Marine Scotland.
NCSE is steadily broadening its areas of research expertise and activities. Active areas of research include modelling population dynamics, animal movement models, metapopulation models, community models, distance sampling, mark-recapture, biodiversity monitoring, random effects models in ecology, modelling ecological point process data, and parameter redundancy in ecological models.
Mission statement
To develop, apply and communicate innovative statistical methods for collecting and analysing ecological data, thereby improving the understanding and management of wild populations and their environment.