TU Delft, the Netherlands, invites applications for a fully funded PhD position in the European project “SHAPE-IT: Supporting the interaction of Humans and Automated vehicles”.

The PhD candidate - ESR10 in the SHAPE-IT project - will examine how communication from automated vehicles (AVs) to bicyclists can be enhanced using on-bicycle human-machine interfaces (HMIs). He or she will establish what modalities are useful for the HMI, and how the HMI should interact with the bicyclist. Apart from direct AV-to-cyclist communication, the HMI will also incorporate communication from road infrastructure, such as traffic lights. The candidate will evaluate bicyclist’s safety, transparency of interactions, trust, and acceptance among different cycling groups. Experiments will be conducted in virtual environments and the real world.

SHAPE-IT is recruiting 15 PhD candidates in Sweden, the Netherlands, UK, and Germany, collaborating through internships and joint training. SHAPE-IT is funded by a European Commission Horizon 2020 program for research and innovation: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action (MSCA) Innovative Training Network (ITN).

Vehicle automation has been identified as a game-changer in transport, promising substantial reductions in road-traffic fatalities while improving mobility. However, the processes of integrating automation in transport have been primarily technology-focussed, with insufficient consideration to how humans will interact with automated vehicles (AVs).

SHAPE-IT aims to facilitate the safe, acceptable (and, ideally, desirable) integration of user-centred and transparent AVs into tomorrow’s mixed urban traffic environments, studying and modelling human behaviour to design advanced interfaces and control strategies.

Please check https://www.shape-it.eu/ for more information about the project.

We are looking for an enthusiastic candidate with a MSc degree in psychology/behavioural sciences or an engineering discipline with knowledge of human factors. The candidate should be both an independent thinker and a team player, who likes to work with participants in experiments and collaborate with colleagues both within TU Delft and internationally, and be motivated to find creative solutions.  Fluency in English is required.

Requirements from the EU programme are that the candidate

• Be within the first four years (full-time equivalent) of their research career;

• Not yet have been awarded a doctoral degree;

• Not have resided in the country of the recruiting host (in this case The Netherlands) for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately before the recruitment date (and not have carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in that country) – unless as part of a procedure for obtaining refugee status under the Geneva Convention.

Fixed-term contract: 4 years.

TU Delft offers a customisable compensation package, a discount for health insurance and sport memberships, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged. Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities. During the first three years, the salary will be covered via the Marie Curie Project allowances. The salary mentioned as the maximum will be your gross monthly salary in your fourth year.

All ESRs will participate in a wide-range of educational programmes, including secondments, summer schools, and project workshops. Each ESR will complete 2 or 3 secondments with the associated partners of SHAPE-IT, with each secondment lasting between 1 and 4 months.

 As a PhD candidate you will be enrolled in the TU Delft Graduate School. TU Delft Graduate School provides an inspiring research environment; an excellent team of supervisors, academic staff and a mentor; and a Doctoral Education Programme aimed at developing your transferable, discipline-related and research skills. Please visit www.tudelft.nl/phd for more information.

Delft University of Technology

Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) is a multifaceted institution offering education and carrying out research in the technical sciences at an internationally recognised level. Education, research and design are strongly oriented towards applicability. TU Delft develops technologies for future generations, focusing on sustainability, safety and economic vitality. At TU Delft you will work in an environment where technical sciences and society converge. TU Delft comprises eight faculties, unique laboratories, research institutes and schools.

https://www.tudelft.nl

Faculty Civil Engineering and Geosciences

The Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences (CEG) is committed to outstanding international research and education in the field of civil engineering, applied earth sciences, traffic and transport, water technology and delta technology. The research covers global social issues and is closely connected to education as well as the work of a wide range of knowledge institutions. CEG is convinced that Open Science helps to realise these goals and supports its scientists in integrating Open Science in their research practice. The Faculty of CEG comprises 28 research groups in the following seven departments: Materials Mechanics Management & Design, Engineering Structures, Geoscience and Engineering, Geoscience and Remote Sensing, Transport & Planning, Hydraulic Engineering and Water Management.

The Transport and Planning Department (T&P) aims to provide top-level fundamental research and education that contributes to a more efficient, safe and robust design and reliable operation of transport systems that meet mobility demands and respect scarce resources of land, environment and people. T&P was awarded the maximum score for all research assessments during the last 15 years. The faculty was ranked second in the latest QS world university ranking. T&P has a strong track record in traffic flow theory, traffic simulation, dynamic traffic management, intelligent transport systems and traffic safety. A trademark of the department is the use of empirical data, incorporating human factors and advanced modelling tools. The group (~100 members) study the whole transportation field, creating opportunities for fruitful collaborations. Research at T&P is conducted across a multitude of relevant research themes, organized via eleven collaborative labs (the so-called T&P labs), and led by one or two Principle Scientists.

Learn more about the Shape-it programme on https://www.shape-it.eu/

https://www.tudelft.nl/en/ceg/