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Imperial College London
Centre for Transport Studies
Two PhD studentships in Transport Strategies for Low-carbon Cities
Applications are invited for two PhD studentships with a focus on developing transport strategies for
low-carbon cities. The overall aim of the research is to develop new multi-sectoral decision support
tools for the planning, management and operation of existing cities, oriented at the emerging
adaptation challenges faced by planners, infrastructure operators and managers, service providers
and individual citizens.
The PhDs will be funded by the Grantham Institute for Climate Change. The studentships cover
home/EU student fees and bursary for three years and are open to UK and EU candidates, as well as
overseas candidates who would be able to pay the difference between home and overseas fees.
The Centre for Transport Studies is the focus for transport research at Imperial. It comprises a
vibrant community of over 80 academics, post doctoral researchers and doctoral students
undertaking research across a broad range of topics including transport demand modelling, transport
policy and regulation, transport operations, transport and the environment, transport safety,
intelligent transport systems, railway operations and management, air transport operations and
control, and maritime logistics. Further information can be found on the Centre's website at
www.imperial.ac.uk/cts. The student will also be part of the diverse Grantham community and will be
expected to contribute to the wider activities of the Granthan community; further information about
the Grantham Institute can be found at www.imperial.ac.uk/climatechange. The research will also
involve collaboration with various UK and international partners, including Imperialīs partners in the
European Institute of Innovation and Technologyīs Climate KIC initiative (www.climate-kic.org).
Applicants should hold or expect to obtain a first or upper second class honours degree or equivalent
in a relevant highly quantitative subject (e.g., engineering, mathematics, statistics, natural sciences,
economics) together with strong software and programming skills, ideally in a high level language
such as Java. Applicants should also have an interest in cities, planning and decision support
processes, and the analysis of interactions between human and technological systems. A Masters
degree in a relevant subject is desirable but not essential.
Background to the research
Cities face significant challenges in managing their transition to a low carbon future. These challenges
arises from two distinct but reinforcing pressures (a) the scale, uncertainty and complexity of the
potential direct impacts of climate change on cities, on their hinterlands and on the supply chains
upon which they depend and (b) the changes in society and city organisation and in associated
lifestyles that are likely to accompany the introduction of a wide range of new technological and
policy measures designed to mitigate the contribution of cities to the drivers of climate change.
PhD topic 1: A Participatory Platform for Developing Transition Strategies for Low Carbon Cities
The overall aim of this project is to develop a computational platform supporting novel multi-sectoral
systemic decision support tools for the planning, management and operation of existing cities,
oriented at the emerging adaptation challenges faced by planners, infrastructure operators and
managers, service providers and individual citizens,. The specific objectives include:
1. The integration of cross sectoral city process modelling (transport, energy, water, wastes
etc.), pervasive data collection technologies including dynamic sensor networks and interactive
simulation-based scenario visualisation, participatory evaluation and instant design feedback.
2. The development of appropriate protocols to allow these capabilities to be effectively
deployed in participatory strategy development processes.
3. The application of these capabilities in one or more practical contexts in the UK.
4. The critical evaluation of this experience and recommendations for future deployments.
This system will provide an essential component in the development of Imperialīs capability in the
analysis and modelling of urban systems.
The methodology would leverage a substantial body of work being undertaken in CTS on (a)
integrated urban systems modelling (b) the development and application of pervasive sensing
technologies and (c) advanced decision support techniques. The key deliverable will be the capability
to efficiently integrate pervasively sensed data into existing system modelling tools and use these
tools as a basis for the collaborative development of transition strategies.
PhD topic 2: Mobility and the Grid
The overall aim of this project is to encourage sustainable electric futures by developing the
capability to electric mobility markets and the emerging digital economy. The specific objectives are:
1. To identify opportunities and service models, inspired by the understanding of electric vehicle
mobility patterns, to support the market and enable environmentally friendly behaviours.
2. To design and develop a peer-to-peer aggregation system, that links regional electric vehicle
mobility patterns and the grid, as a basis for the service models.
3. To develop predictive models of electric vehicle use behaviour, the resulting mobility patterns
and consequent energy demand that can support the new service models.
4. This research will provide an essential component in the development of Imperialīs end-to-
end system modelling capability for electric vehicles, and will extend the capability to examine
collaborative mobility networks.
The core methodology would entail the specification and implementation of a random utility based
predictive model system, and the design and implementation of aggregation techniques to support
web-based services. CTS has a very strong background in the application of random utility based
model systems, which are widely used to model activity and mobility demand in many areas of
transport modelling and provide a coherent and flexible framework in which to develop novel
modelling approaches.
Applications
Applicants should send an up to date CV including details of their academic record, a covering letter
stating which topic they are interested in and providing a statement of their motivation and research
ambitions together with the contact details of two academic referees to Prof. John Polak, Centre for
Transport Studies, Skempton Building, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ. E:
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The closing date for applications is 13 February 2011. Short listing will take place shortly after this
date.
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