PhD position in sustainable mobility

Do you have an interest in bicycle planning and the future of urban transportation? Are you interested in working on an exciting international project that will help advance the implementation of sustainable transportation solutions in European cities? In this PhD position, you will have the opportunity to work with international partners in Sweden, Norway, Germany, and Hungary as we explore how cargo bike mobility can contribute to the future of sustainable transportation. You will work closely with research partners and those in municipalities, mobility companies, and others on the challenges of real-world implementation of shared mobility. You will also have the opportunity to explore innovative methods for planning shared mobility systems and engaging the public in issues related to cycling and sustainable mobility.

About the position
As a PhD student in Sustainable Mobility, you will engage in collaborative, interdisciplinary research investigating the impacts of such measures and strategies. Specific research topics center around the provision of shared mobility, cargo bikes, parking reform, neighborhood accessibility, and broader issues about the interactions between transport and urban environments. You will work mainly on the project “Car-goNE City”, an international project funded through the Driving Urban Transitions (DUT) programme of JPI Urban Europe. Car-goNE City is an applied research project that investigates the extent to which shared cargo bike mobility can increase accessibility by active transport to essential urban functions in 15-minute cities, lower transportation costs, and reduce private car use. The goals of the project include (1) studying time-based accessibility of 15-minute cities by developing innovative methods that incorporate shared mobility; (2) understanding the potential for shared cargo bike mobility to reduce car use and its interactions within multi-modal transport systems; (3) engaging residents in participatory design of shared mobility using digital participation methods, gamification, pilot projects, and living labs; and (4) identifying effective approaches for accelerating shared mobility implementation. International project partners are located in Sweden, Germany, Norway and Hungary, providing opportunities to engage in research based in different European contexts.

As a PhD student, you will also have the opportunity to collaborate on related projects that investigate the role of parking and mobility services in shaping travel behaviors, and broader issues around parking reform in Swedish municipalities and internationally. This work is related to multiple projects working in collaboration with the City of Gothenburg, housing companies, and others, with the goal of informing policy making efforts that support more sustainable mobility through reductions in parking.

As a PhD student in Physical Resource Theory, your main responsibility is to pursue your own doctoral studies, which includes work in the research project but also to undertake doctoral courses. You are expected to work independently, have the ability to plan and organize your work, to work in close collaboration with other group members and project partners, and to be able to communicate scientific results, both orally and in written form, in English. The doctoral program leads to a doctoral degree in Energy, Environment and System and is equivalent to four years of full-time studies, which includes research, coursework, and participation in seminars and conferences. Including teaching obligations (about 20%), the position is expected to be five years.

Major responsibilities
You will conduct research in the area of sustainable mobility, analyzing results and writing papers in collaboration with the Sustainable Transport and Mobility research group at Physical Resource Theory.

The position will focus on some of the main tasks of the Car-goNE City project. You will work closely with all project partners in various aspects of the research: research design, data collection, data analysis, etc.

You will also work closely with Swedish project partners, collecting and analyzing data from cargo bike pilot projects.


Qualifications
A master's degree in transportation, engineering, urban planning or related field, with a proven interest in sustainable transportation systems. The position requires basic knowledge of statistical analysis and/or spatial analysis (GIS) methods, interest in working with mixed methods research, ability to work independently and collaboratively, proven experience of writing in English, excellent academic track record, and strong motivation and commitment to scientific inquiry. Experience with different aspects of project management and knowledge of a language spoken in one of the Car-goNE City partner countries is desirable, but not required.

Contract terms
Full-time temporary employment. The position is limited to a maximum of five years.

For more information about what we offer and the application procedure, please visit Chalmers web page.
See link: PhD position in sustainable mobility