This position is a joint proposal by two departments from two faculties of TU Delft: Transport & Planning (CITG) and Engineering Systems and Services (TPM). The general idea is to bring together expertise in transportation system simulation from T&P and in user behavior from ESS to investigate the network impacts of travelers’ preferences for social routing. The postdoc position is partly funded by the Transport Institute of TU Delft. The duration of this postdoc project is 1 year. 

Local authorities are looking for new mobility management strategies to improve traffic conditions and reduce the overall carbon footprint from transportation systems. One promising option is social routing, which consists in implementing route guidance that favor collective optimum instead of the classical individual shortest path in time. Besides the calculations of social routes, which may be challenging in real-time, another question is how users would react to such route options and what would be the effect of their reactions at the network level. This postdoc proposal aims to answer the latter question through simulation studies.

Recent advances in behavioral studies have shown that users may have different reactions to social routing schemes. When a social routing scheme is framed and designed as an altruistic effort requesting personal sacrifices for the benefit of other travelers, people who strongly adhere to care related notions of morality are attracted to such a scheme. On the contrary, a scheme that is designed and framed as a collective endeavor which would also benefit participating travelers, attracts those who strongly adhere to moral notions related to fairness. Depending on the moral profile of the population, long-term effect on the network conditions may be very different. The objectives of the postdoc position are:

• Investigating if social routing can be efficient in the long run to reduce traffic congestion in urban networks, focusing on different types of schemes (focused on altruism vs on collective good).
• Exploring how recent results from behavioral studies about users' moral motivations behind whether or not to participate in a social routing scheme, affect transportation network equilibrium
• Performing sensitivity analysis to connect users' moral profiles to network performance on a long run, allowing for the design of optimal social routing schemes. This includes investigating potential developments in users’ decision process or moral orientation in the long run, in terms of, e.g., their orientation toward altruism and fairness.

To this end, the postdoc will use existing dynamic simulation tools and test case scenarios. The framework to account for different moral schemes in the day-to-day equilibration process has already been implemented and only requires final testing and tuning. So, the postdoc can fully concentrate on designing and running the simulation experiments and analyzing the results. We expect significant insights in the relations between users' morality and the network equilibrium on a long run that is expected to lead to at least one journal publication in a leading journal.

We are looking for highly talented and motivated PhD graduates in Transportation Modelling and Simulation or Computational Science. Advanced skills in data analysis are mandatory as the primary objective is to perform simulation studies. Excellent English skills (speaking and writing) is required, as are strong analytical skills. This postdoc requires collaborating with different professors with different expertise. Excellent communication skills and abilities to work in team are critical for success.

Fixed-term contract: 1 year.

Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities. The TU Delft offers a customisable compensation package, a discount on health insurance and sport memberships, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged.

For international applicants we offer the Coming to Delft Service and Partner Career Advice to assist you with your relocation. An International Children's Centre offers childcare and there is an international primary school.

Delft University of Technology

Delft University of Technology is built on strong foundations. As creators of the world-famous Dutch waterworks and pioneers in biotech, TU Delft is a top international university combining science, engineering and design. It delivers world class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges in the areas of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society. For generations, our engineers have proven to be entrepreneurial problem-solvers, both in business and in a social context.

At TU Delft we embrace diversity as one of our core values and we actively engage to be a university where you feel at home and can flourish. We value different perspectives and qualities. We believe this makes our work more innovative, the TU Delft community more vibrant and the world more just. Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale. That is why we invite you to apply. Your application will receive fair consideration.

Challenge. Change. Impact!

Faculty Technology, Policy and Management

With its excellent education and research at the intersection of technology, society and policy, the Faculty of TPM makes an important contribution to solving complex technical-social issues, such as energy transition, mobility, digitalisation, water management and (cyber) security.
We combine insights from the engineering sciences, the social and the humanities. We develop robust models and designs, are internationally oriented and have an extensive network with knowledge institutions, companies, social organisations and governments.

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management.