2 PHD positions on wireless networked intelligence for the xcarcity project

Increasing housing density and decreasing space for transport infrastructure and private parking are threatening the sustainable accessibility of urban regions. Potential smart mobility solutions consist of flexible combinations of walking and cycling, shared electric vehicles, transport hubs, freight delivery and traffic management – but we lack the modelling tools to test these solutions.

In the Xcarcity project we will develop realistic digital replicas of car-low areas in Amsterdam, Almere and Rotterdam. We will use these ‘digital twins’ to study how people use different smart mobility services. This will help cities, area developers and mobility providers to make informed decisions about smart mobility, ensuring that the car-low urban regions of the future remain accessible.

Xcarcity is a joint research project of University of Twente, TU Delft, TU Eindhoven, and the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), also involving a large range of companies, public authorities, knowledge institutes and other organizations. Within the project, the DACS group of the University of Twente is responsible for the research on smart infrastructure, in which we will focus on extensive privacy-preserving mobility data collection and aggregation. This mobility data will be used to feed the digital twin with up-to-date information on the state of the mobility system, and to dynamically control smart mobility infrastructure. As one of the two prospective PhD candidates your research will focus on efficient wireless mobility data collection or on privacy preservation for mobility monitoring. Your work will be on the boundary between the computer science subdisciplines of wireless networking, security and privacy, and machine learning. You will work independently, interacting closely with your supervisors, prof.dr.ir. Maarten van Steen and prof.dr.ir. Geert Heijenk, other members of the Xcarcity team, and your colleagues at the DACS group of the University of Twente.

• You have (or will shortly acquire) a master’s degree in a relevant field such as Computer Science or Electrical Engineering.
• You have knowledge of computer systems and networking, or practical algorithms for systems or network security.
• You have experience with systems programming, and preferably experimental research.
• You are interested in the domain of sustainable mobility.
• You are curious and are highly motivated to address a major science challenge in collaboration with our industry partners.
• You have a good team spirit and like to work in an internationally oriented environment.
• You are proficient in English.

• An inspiring multidisciplinary and challenging international and academic environment. The university offers a fun and dynamic environment with enthusiastic colleagues where collaboration with other researchers is stimulated.
• As a PhD student at UT, you will be appointed to a full-time position for four years, with a qualifier in the first year, within a very stimulating and exciting scientific environment;
• Tailor-made educational/development program of at least 6 months (30 EC), including visits to conferences.
• A professional and personal development program within Graduate School Twente.
• Opportunity for international research exchange.
• Your salary and associated conditions are in accordance with the collective labour agreement for Dutch universities (CAO-NU);
• You will receive a gross monthly salary ranging from € 2.541,- (first year) to € 3.247,- (fourth year);
• There are excellent benefits including a holiday allowance of 8% of the gross annual salary, an end-of-year bonus of 8.3%, and a solid pension scheme
• A family-friendly institution that offers parental leave (both paid and unpaid);
• A minimum of 29 holidays per year in case of full-time employment.

The faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science (EEMCS) uses mathematics, electronics and computer technology to contribute to the development of Information and Communication Technology (ICT). With ICT present in almost every device and product we use nowadays, we embrace our role as contributors to a broad range of societal activities and as pioneers of tomorrow's digital society. As part of a people-first tech university that aims to shape society, individuals and connections, our faculty works together intensively with industrial partners and researchers in the Netherlands and abroad, and conducts extensive research for external commissioning parties and funders. Our research has a high profile both in the Netherlands and internationally. It has been accommodated in three multidisciplinary UT research institutes: Mesa+ Institute, TechMed Centre and Digital Society Institute.

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