Vacancy for PhD Candidates

Open position for PhD Candidates

The Transport Strategy Centre (TSC), led by Co-Director Professor Dan Graham, Head of the Centre for Transport Studies, are announcing an open position within the TSC for a full-time PhD Candidate in one of the following areas of transport research.

Research Subjects

1. Statistical Modelling and Network Performance Analytics
2. Data-Centric Engineering and Complex Systems
3. Resilience, Safety, and Risk
4. Causal inference and prediction

Working in our research group

Professor Dan Graham’s research group (Academic research within the TSC) currently employs three postdoctoral research associates and six PhD candidates. Group members have a diverse background in engineering, economics, statistics and natural sciences. The group’s research profile includes a range of subjects in transport science: empirical as well as theoretical areas of transport economics, the measurement of wider economic benefits of transport and agglomeration economies, statistical modelling and causal inference econometrics applied on large-scale automated transport data, among others.

The PhD Candidate will carry out leading research in the subject selected, under the supervision of Professor Dan Graham and an assistant supervisor. The group’s research findings are disseminated at leading scientific conferences around the world and published in top-tier academic journals. 

Beside research activities, PhD candidates have the opportunity to work on a range of research themes related to aspects of urban mass transit systems and the wider implications of these systems for cities and for social and economic wellbeing. PhD candidates are involved in teaching activities, including lectures and tutorial sessions in quantitative methods, econometrics, microeconomics and transport economics, for both graduate and undergraduate students. Successful candidates are also expected to contribute to grant applications and specific external research assignments.

The research group's offices are located within Skempton Building, South Kensington Campus, in close proximity to Hyde Park, the Royal Albert Hall, and the Natural History Museum.

Requirements

• Applicants are expected to hold an MSc degree by summer 2025 in a related discipline.
• Fluency and full proficiency in written and spoken English (English language requirements - IELTS 6.5 overall, minimum 6.0 in all elements).
• Applicants must be self- motivated and have excellent skills in academic writing and in communicating research findings.
• Outstanding academic record in previous studies. Industrial experience in the transport sector is considered as an advantage.
• Applicants must fulfil the general requirements of postgraduate research admissions at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Imperial College London: https://www.imperial.ac.uk/civil-engineering/prospective-students/postgraduate- research-admissions-phd/

Funding and scholarships

Information on the annual cost of living in London and PGR tuition fees can be found on the College fees and funding pages. For outstanding PhD candidates, the TSC may provide funding for up to 3.5 years, including tuition fees (3 years) and a tax-free stipend at the standard UKRI London rate. Please contact us for further details as part of your application.

How to apply

Applicants wishing to be considered for this opportunity should send the following application documents to Professor Dan Graham at d.j.graham@imperial.ac.uk.

1. Current CV including details of their academic record, and if possible, class ranking
2. Covering letter explaining their motivation, suitability, skills and/or experiences (1 page maximum)
3. English testing results, i.e. IELTS or TOFEL (if any).
4. Contact details of two academic referees (including name, affiliation, phone number and email address).

Application via the Imperial College Registry is not necessary at the initial stage. Applications will be regularly reviewed until the position is filled. Please contact Professor Dan Graham at d.j.graham@imperial.ac.uk for further details, discussions and information about the opportunity.