Mobility is critical to economic and social well-being. Our lives and businesses are structured around expectations of the availability of infrastructure and transport services which are affordable and convenient. However, congestion is prevalent in major towns and cities and across main inter-urban connections affecting both freight and passengers. In addition to the variability caused by demand growth, the existing infrastructure networks themselves are subject to increased vulnerability as they were not designed for the severity and/or frequency of extreme weather scenarios that have been experienced to date. The economic, social and environmental impacts of these events are significant. Climate science suggests that such events will become more frequent and more extreme in coming decades.
The coming decades also present new challenges as transport infrastructure systems become increasingly coupled with IT systems and the electricity system. This coupling brings many new opportunities for enhancing the way we manage and use our infrastructures, but also create new inter-dependencies between sectors which are not well understood.
This post is for a highly promising academic who will bring new insights into the study of resilience. The nature of the challenge means that we welcome applicants from a broad range of backgrounds including, but not limited to, socio-technical systems, economics, logistics, emergency management, civil engineering and transport studies. Resilience as a topic area is a major feature of the European Horizon 2020 programme (e.g. smart governance and network resilience) and the EPSRC priorities (e.g. postdoctoral fellowship priority area) and we expect you to be able to demonstrate a clear connection to these opportunities. You would also be expected to work closely with colleagues from across campus in the School of Earth and Environment, Civil Engineering and Leeds University Business School as part of the development of an internationally excellent research grouping in this area.
You will develop a research profile that will contribute to the University’s ambition to excel at REF2020, with a sustained record of internationally excellent (and some world-leading) publications and a strong record of presentations at international conferences. You will be expected to develop a strong impact agenda, for example in the development and testing of new approaches for areas, businesses or communities affected by weather extremes or other vulnerabilities; and you will also play a significant role in the establishment of a new Masters programme in Resilient Infrastructure for which there is an outline proposition already developed with the School of Civil Engineering.
With a PhD in a topic area focussed around resilience, you will have a strong research record which can be applied to the field of resilience and mobility, the ability to teach at both Undergraduate and Postgraduate level, as well as a clear and compelling vision for personal academic development.
University Grade 8 (£38,511 to £45,954)
For informal enquiries about the role please contact Professor Greg Marsden, tel: +44 (0)113 343 5358, email: G.R.Marsden@its.leeds.ac.uk.
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