PhD Developing decision support models to decarbonize freight transport (1.0 FTE) (V24.0233)

Since its foundation in 1614, the University of Groningen has enjoyed an international reputation as a dynamic and innovative center of higher education offering high-quality teaching and research. Belonging to the best research universities of Europe and joining forces with prestigious partner universities and networks, the University of Groningen is truly an international place of knowledge.

Faculty of Economics and Business
The Faculty of Economics and Business offers an inspiring study and working environment for students and employees. International accreditation enables the faculty to assess performance against the highest international standards. It also creates an exciting environment of continuous improvement. FEB's programs, academic staff and research do well on various excellence ranking lists.

FEBRI, the graduate school and research institute of the Faculty of Economics and Business has one PhD position available in the field of Developing decision support models to decarbonize freight transport.

Project description
Governmental and societal pressure to reduce emissions from freight transport is intensifying. However, economic and technical barriers impede the adoption of sustainable alternatives to fossil fuels in both road and maritime industries. Traditional fossil fuels remain prevalent due to supply shortages, infrastructure limitations, high investment costs, and operational expenses associated with alternative fuels. Moreover, the high energy intensity required for transporting heavy goods over long distances presents additional hurdles for adopting cleaner technologies. Compared to the personal and public transport sector, the freight transport sector is lagging behind in embracing cleaner technologies.

This PhD project aims to tackle the challenges hindering the decarbonization of the freight transport sector. To do so, the candidate is expected to leverage (analytical) quantitative research and/or data-driven approaches to support decision makers in problems such as identifying optimal locations for refuelling/recharging stations, planning fleet replacements, and optimizing transport activities involving multiple vehicle types. Within those problems, we are interested in considering different alternative fuels/technologies such as hydrogen, synthetic fuels, ammonia, electricity, etc. The scope of the project may encompass road and/or maritime transport.

The PhD position is embedded in the research programme Operations Management and Operations Research (OPERA) of FEB’s Research Institute. The project will be supervised by Prof. I.F.A (Iris) Vis and Dr J. A. Lopez Alvarez.

We are looking for candidates with

• a (Research) Master's degree in Technology and Operations Management, Operations Research, Industrial Engineering, Applied Mathematics, or related fields
• preferably, a background in logistics
• excellent English language skills in speaking and writing
• affinity or experience with working in innovation projects with partners from practice.

We offer you in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities:

• a gross monthly salary from a minimum of € 2,770 which increases yearly to a maximum of € 3,539
• an additional 8% holiday allowance each year in May, and an additional 8.3 % end of year bonus in December
• a temporary full-time appointment for a period of four years, under the condition of a positive assessment at the end of the first year. PhD candidates contribute 20% of their time to teaching in years 2-4.

Starting date: Preferably per 1 September 2024

The application package consists of the following separate documents:

• a motivation letter (1A4 max)
• your cv
• a scan of your diploma including transcripts
• proof of English proficiency
• other relevant documents.

The documents 1-4 are compulsory and please note that incomplete application packages will not be taken into account.

You may apply for this position until 12 May 11:59pm / before 13 May 2024 Dutch local time (CEST) by means of the application form (click on "Apply" below on the advertisement on the university website).

An assessment may be part of the procedure, consisting of psychological tests and an interview.

The University of Groningen strives to be a university in which students and staff are respected and feel at home, regardless of differences in background, experiences, perspectives, and identities. We believe that working on our core values of inclusion and equality are a joint responsibility and we are constructively working on creating a socially safe environment. Diversity among students and staff members enriches academic debate and contributes to the quality of our teaching and research. We therefore invite applicants from underrepresented groups in particular to apply. For more information, see also our diversity policy webpage: https://www.rug.nl/about-ug/policy-and-strategy/diversity-and-inclusion/

Our selection procedure follows the guidelines of the Recruitment code (NVP): https://www.nvp-hrnetwerk.nl/nl/sollicitatiecode and European Commission's European Code of Conduct for recruitment of researchers: https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/charter/code

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