Are you motivated by the challenge of enhancing the resilience of vital Dutch transportation systems to climate change? Do you have a passion for mathematical modelling and decision-making in the face of uncertainty? In close collaboration with Rijkswaterstaat, we are offering a PhD position in (Stochastic) Operations Research. This position focuses on developing robust, climate-adaptive management strategies for the Dutch transportation networks, ensuring reliable and resilient operations well into the next century.
Information The Dutch transportation infrastructure—comprising waterways, highways, and railways—is vital for our economy and society. However, climate change poses increasing risks, from extreme weather events to long-term shifts in environmental conditions. What is the challenge? Developing robust, data-driven strategies to ensure the resilience of our transportation networks while making optimal investment decisions in the face of uncertainty.
As a PhD candidate, you will be engaged in a cutting-edge research project focused on stochastic modelling, network optimization, and decision-making under uncertainty to quantify and mitigate climate-related vulnerabilities in our transportation systems, closely collaborating with the government agency Rijkswaterstaat. You will work on:
- Developing a stochastic disruption model to assess system-wide vulnerabilities.
- Creating a multi-modal network flow model to understand how failures in one system (e.g., water) affect others (e.g., road or rail).
- Designing adaptive investment strategies for infrastructure resilience, considering long-term climate scenarios.
This position is in the Statistics, Probability and Operations Research (SPOR) cluster in the Mathematics and Computer Science (M&CS) Department at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e). The SPOR cluster has a vibrant research environment, accommodating strong scientists with diverse backgrounds from Applied Probability, to Discrete Optimization, to Statistics. You will primarily be embedded in the Stochastic Operations Research group, which focuses on evaluating and optimizing the performance and reliability of large-scale systems that operate in the presence of randomness and uncertainty. We develop mathematical models and methods for the design, analysis, optimization and control of such systems with techniques at the intersection of Applied Probability and Operations Research. Yet, to tackle this challenge, you will also work closely with members of the Statistics and Optimization groups. At the heart of the SPOR cluster is the workshop institute EURANDOM, offering major opportunities for you to learn through various international workshops and even co-organize workshops.