The Centre for Nonlinear Dynamics and its Applications was established at University College London (UCL) in 1991, to act as a focus for interdisciplinary research into the theory of nonlinear dynamics and its applications across science and engineering. It is based within the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering which has a long history of expertise in the advanced dynamics of engineering structures.

The Centre is under the directorship of Professor J.M.T. Thompson, FRS, whose seminal book on Nonlinear Dynamics and Chaos has played a fundamental role in stimulating the application of nonlinear dynamics throughout engineering and the sciences. Steve Bishop is the Manager of the Centre, and Jaroslav Stark, who joined the Centre from the GEC Hirst Laboratories in 1992, is the coordinator of the graduate programme.

The Centre currently has 31 members. In addition to the 3 permanent staff mentioned above, there are 2 honorary visiting professors, 7 fellows and post-doctoral research assistants, 10 research students (working for a PhD), 6 post-graduate students (working for an MSc), and 3 academic visitors. All are accommodated in an attractive central area of UCL where regular colloquia and a small library of current journals make an exciting and focused research environment. The Centre has good links with many other research groups both in the UK and abroad, and with a number of engineering companies.