Systems approach for intelligent mobility

An opportunity to apply for a funded full-time PhD in the College of Arts, Technology and Environment, UWE Bristol. The studentship will be funded by the Computer Science Research Centre:

Ref 2526-OCT-CATE01

The expected start date of this studentship is 01 October 2025.

The closing date for applications is 11 May 2025.

We are pleased to offer a fully funded PhD studentship for October 2025 as part of our continued research investment in the Smart Cities research theme at UWE Bristol. The successful candidate will join the Computer Science Research Centre and collaborate with experts in smart cities, artificial intelligence, transportation planning, and urban sustainability.

We are seeking applicants interested in developing an efficient system’s approach for optimising urban mobility, integrating advanced AI techniques with real-world urban data. We invite applicants with an interest in one or more of the following areas:

• AI-Driven Sustainable Mobility Planning – Developing reinforcement learning and evolutionary algorithms to balance emissions reduction, safety, commuter convenience, economic factors and policy evaluation to generate optimised sustainable mobility plans.
• Decision support & Policy Evaluation for Urban Mobility – Creating AI-powered decision-support systems by using multi-source transport, emissions, land use, socio-economic and demographic data. Then, using these AI models to simulate mobility scenarios, assess policy interventions, and guide sustainable transport strategies.
• Redesigning Urban mobility in 15 minutes context – Designing a systems approach and AI algorithms to optimise existing mobility systems and urban morphology to achieve climate neutral and liveable urban spaces.

The research will focus on integrating optimisation algorithms and real-time urban data to improve sustainable mobility planning. Candidates will work with datasets from various sources, and will leverage tools like LLMs, SUMO, and MATSim for analysis, modelling, and simulation.

For an informal discussion about the studentship, please email Ahsan Kazmi at Ahsan.Kazmi@uwe.ac.uk or Zaheer Khan at Zaheer2.Khan@uwe.ac.uk.

The studentship is available from 1 October 2025 for a period of three and half years, subject to satisfactory progress and includes a tax exempt stipend, which is currently £19,237 (2024/25) per annum. 

In addition, full-time tuition fees will be covered for three and a half years for the successful Home and International applicants.

Applicants must have an undergraduate or postgraduate qualification in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, or a related field.

Strong communication skills and familiarity with machine learning, optimisation techniques, geospatial systems, and urban mobility modelling are desirable.

This studentship is open to both Home (UK) and international applicants.

A recognised English language qualification is required.

Please submit your application online. When prompted, use the reference number2526-OCT-CATE01

Supporting documentation: you will need to upload the following supporting documents: a 1-page covering letter outlining your suitability for the role, a four-page research proposal detailing the key objectives, background, research questions, methodology and an initial research plan, as well as a current CV. In addition, you must include copies of all degree certificates and academic transcripts and a recognised English language qualification.

References: you will need to provide details of two referees as part of your application.

The closing date for applications is 11 May 2025.

It is expected that interviews will take place in the weeks commencing 26 May 2025. If you have not heard from us by this time, we thank you for your application, but on this occasion, you have not been successful.