External Doctoral Student in Transportation Engineering

UNIL is a leading international teaching and research institution, with over 5,000 employees and 17,000 students split between its Dorigny campus, CHUV and Epalinges. As an employer, UNIL encourages excellence, individual recognition and responsibility.

To complete the team, the Department of Operations at the Faculty of Business and Economics (HEC) at the University of Lausanne invites applications for a PhD position in Transportation Engineering.

The position is funded as part of the project "La Suisse vélo! For an Ecological and Social Transformation of Mobility," financed for 4 years by the STRIVE program (www.unil.ch/strive). The individuals involved in this project are part of the University Observatory of Cycling and Active Mobility (OUVEMA), an interdisciplinary research platform on cycling and active mobility (www.unil.ch/ouvema).

• Start date: 01.01.2025 (or on a mutually agreed date)
• Contract duration: 48 months
• Activity rate: 100%
• Salary : Gross salary starting at CHF 48606.- per year + an indemnity of CHF 776.-
• Workplace: University of Lausanne, HEC, Chamberonne Campus

The successful candidate will be affiliated to the doctoral program in Business Analytics :

https://www.unil.ch/hec-phd/en/home/menuinst/programs/phd-in-business-analytics.html

- 85% of the regular working hours will be dedicated to the completion of the PhD thesis.

- 15% of the regular working hours will be dedicated to teaching as well as supporting the research activities of Professor Virginie Lurkin.

You will be part of the consortium of the project "La Suisse vélo! For an Ecological and Social Transformation of Mobility," which brings together 6 professors from 5 faculties at UNIL, 3 early-career researchers, and numerous field partners.

You will work on Module 2 of the project, titled "Travel," which aims to understand and analyze:

1. The potential of cycling for modal shift based on the Mobility and Transport Microcensus,
2. The conditions to promote its combination with public transport,
3. New mobility scenarios and their health and environmental impacts.

This module is organized around a 4-year doctoral thesis, supervised by Prof. Virginie Lurkin (HEC), in collaboration with Honorary Prof. Bengt Kayser from the Institute of Sport Sciences of the University of Lausanne for public health aspects.

The anticipated tasks, directly related to the doctoral thesis, are as follows:

• Analysis of the Mobility and Transport Microcensus,
• Discrete choice analysis (based on a survey),
• Agent-Based Modeling (ABM),
• Quantification of the effects of an increase in the cycling modal share on public health and the CO2 balance.

• A Master's degree in Engineering or Transportation Economics,
• Research experience in the field of mobility,
• Ability to take initiatives and work both independently and in a team,
• Desired skills in the field of surveys and interviews,
• Interest in interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches,
• Proficiency in French and English.

A stimulating environment and a culture conducive to the development of a research career. Numerous opportunities for interaction with the nine industrial partners of this project, who represent key stakeholders in the development of cycling in Switzerland.

• Contact person: Prof. Virginie Lurkin, Write an email
• LinkedIn page: Virginie Lurkin
• STRIVE program page: www.unil.ch/strive
• OUVEMA page: www.unil.ch/ouvema

Interested individuals are requested to submit the following documents – in PDF format – via the University of Lausanne's online system before October 10th, 2024.

• A cover letter,
• A one-page A4 document outlining your vision for Module 2 of the STRIVE project,
• A complete curriculum vitae,
• A sample of publication (thesis, dissertation, or other),
• A copy of university degrees obtained.

Interviews will be held on November 1st, 2024 (or date to be discussed).

Only applications submitted via the online system will be considered.

Seeking to promote an equitable representation of men and women among its staff, the University encourages applications from women.

UNIL is committed to equal opportunities and diversity.
www.unil.ch/egalite

UNIL supports early career researchers.
www.unil.ch/graduatecampus