Systematic Biases in transport models - PhD

Job description:
Systematic Biases in transport models

The PhD stipend is available within the general study programme "Planning and Development".

The PhD project is a part of a larger research project entitled "Uncertainties in Transport Project Evaluation" carried out by Aalborg University and Denmark´s Technical University in cooperation with few universities and research institutes in other countries. The political goals within the transport sector often conflict with the general trend development, e.g. the increasing transport demand and volumes that lead to increasing congestion and CO2 emissions. The users´ responses to policy initiatives and the derived impacts can be difficult to forecast due to complex causal relationships. Traffic forecast models and socio-economic cost-benefit analyses have been increasingly applied as tools for decision support, and they are often used to justify new transport infrastructure projects.

However, experience from a number of large-scale investment projects has shown that the traffic forecasts on which decisions to implement the projects were based, have often been insufficient and sometimes misleading.

The purpose of the PhD project is to investigate why traffic forecasts are wrong, and how they can become significantly more accurate. To understand this, forecasted versus actual traffic are studied: How do traffic volumes after project opening compare to the forecasts? Is there any systematic pattern in deviations between forecasted and actual traffic volumes? How is this explained? What are the consequences? The aim is to show whether decisions to build are well-informed or not. Therefore the forecasts available to decision makers at the time of making the decision to build are compared to actual outturn traffic.

Organizational affiliation:
The PhD fellow position is organizationally anchored in the Department of Development and Planning, Aalborg University, where some teaching will occur and the research project to which the PhD stipend is connected will be carried out. The PhD fellow will be a member of the Research Group for Urban Planning and Mobility Studies.

Qualification requirements:
PhD stipends are allocated to individuals who hold a Masters degree. PhD stipends are normally for a period of 3 years. It is a prerequisite for allocation of the stipend that the candidate will be enrolled as a PhD student at the Doctoral School of the Faculties of Engineering, Science and Medicine, in accordance with the regulations of Ministerial Order No. 18 of January 14, 2008 on the PhD Programme at the Universities. According to the Ministerial Order, the progress of the PhD student shall be assessed every six months. It is a prerequisite for continuation of salary payment that the previous progress is approved at the time of the evaluation.

The qualifications of the applicant will be assessed by an assessment committee. On the basis of the recommendation of the assessment committee, the Dean of the Faculties of Engineering, Science and Medicine will make a decision for allocating the stipend.

Appointment and salary acc. to the Ministry of Finance Circular of January 11, 2006 on the Collective Agreement for Academics in Denmark, Appendix 5, regarding PhD fellows, and with the Ministry of Finance Circular of June 13, 2007 on the employment structure at Danish Universities.

For further information about stipends and salary contact Ms. Tine Lützhøft, The Faculties of Engineering, Science and Medicine, email: tl@adm.aau.dk, phone: +45 9940 7380.

The PhD application form can be downloaded from the following address:
http://www.phd. ins.aau.dk/ get-a-phd/ 3591832

The faculty has a research school, The Doctoral School of Engineering, Science and Medicine: http://www.phd. ins.aau.dk and a Network for all PhD students: http://pau.aau. dk

You may obtain further information from Professor Petter Næss, Department of Development and Planning, phone: +45 9940 8373, email: petter@plan. aau.dk concerning the technical aspects of the stipend.
Application marked with the PhD stipend No. 562/06-20-29124, should include in four copies: the PhD application form, the Masters diploma including grades, publications, Curriculum Vitae, proposal for a PhD study plan and any other material, as well as a list of submitted material. Due to legal constraints electronic applications will not be accepted. The application must arrive at Aalborg University with the morning post by the 1.7.2009.

Application is to be forwarded to :
Aalborg Universitet
De Ingeniør-, Natur- og Sundhedsvidenskabel ige Fakulteter
Niels Jernes Vej 10
DK-9220 Aalborg Øst