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About NICO

NICO's mission is to incubate innovative collaborations that leverage complexity, networks, and artificial intelligence to address societal challenges. The Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems (NICO) was founded in 2004 with the goals of uncovering fundamental principles that govern complex systems in science, technology, and human behavior.

NICO is a collaboration between the McCormick School of Engineering and the Kellogg School of Management.


Research

Tackling grand challenges, leading with interdisciplinary solutions

Announcements

The lastest news and events from the NICO.

Quarterly Newsflash

Quarterly Newsflash

NICO’s Quarterly Newsflash provides insights about the Northwestern ecosystem of data science, network science, and complex systems with the aim of sparking innovation and collaboration in our community.
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Daniel Abrams Named NICO Codirector

Daniel Abrams Named NICO Codirector

Daniel Abrams has been named co-director of the Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems (NICO), effective February 1, 2023, succeeding Luís A.N. Amaral.

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NICO Interdisciplinary Research Networking Luncheon Groups

NICO Interdisciplinary Research Networking Luncheon Groups

Networking luncheons have been meeting since 2017 to facilitate networking among faculty, stimulate discussion of significant and emerging research areas, and advance interdisciplinary research.
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Apply to Open Positions at NICO

Apply to Open Positions at NICO

NICO is seeking exceptional candidates for Post Doctoral Fellows and research assistance in computational social science, science of science, and complex systems.

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News & Events

News

Nature Might Have a Universal Rhythm
Nature Might Have a Universal Rhythm

In a new study published in PLOS Biology, NICO researchers Guy Amichay and Daniel Abrams find that communication signals across a wide range of species tend to repeat at about 2 hertz, or roughly two beats per second.

Upcoming Events

Data Science Nights - APRIL 2026 - Speaker: Joshua Stadlan, NICO ...

April 30
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM

WED@NICO SEMINAR: Daniel Stouffer, Leibniz Institute "Conceptual ...

May 6
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

WED@NICO SEMINAR: Hamsa Bastani, Wharton School, University of Pe...

May 13
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

WED@NICO SEMINAR: Lightning Talks with NU Scholars!

May 20
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Connect with NICO

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NICO Reading Group

The NICO reading group meets regularly over lunch to discuss recent papers, fundamentals, and emerging trends in complexity research.

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