[DMANET] Ph.D. position on Public Transport Optimization at the University of Pisa, deadline October 15

The Doctorate School of the Universities of Pisa, Firenze and Siena has opened a special Ph.D. bourse on the topic "For an efficient decarbonisation of Local Public Transport".

Detailed description: The "Fit for 55" package has set ambitious emission reduction targets that can only be achieved with a multifactorial approach. Local Public Transport (LPT) already offers much lower emissions per passenger / km than owned cars. Increase penetration of electric cars will lead, at constant rates, to a reduction in emissions; but the electrification of the LPT fleet and the increase in the share of multimodal journeys would lead to much greater reductions. However, electrifying the LPT entails considerable problems, related e.g. to the need for frequent charging stops, which could lead to cost increases or decreases in Quality of Service (QoS), and therefore to a decrease in the use of LPT which would be detrimental to the decarbonisation objectives.

The Department of Computer Science of the University of Pisa (DI) has a long-standing collaboration with MAIOR SRL, which in over 30 years has built a significant reputation in the market for Decision Support Systems (DSS) for LPT companies. A crucial component of the DSS is a suite of solvers for the complex optimization problems that arise in organizing the LPT by combining high levels of QoS and low operating costs through the efficient use of vehicles and personnel. These problems become more and more challenging as the share, for now still minor, of electric LPT vehicles increases. The project addresses the challenges posed by the solution of these problems by developing a suite of interoperable algorithms capable of making the most of the multiple forms of structure present in them. For this it will also exploit the Structured Modeling System++ software framework, developed by the DI and capable of facilitating the implementation of sophisticated algorithmic approaches (based on Lagrangian relaxation, column generation, large-scale local search, and other techniques) for problems with multiple and nested structure forms, such as those addressed by MAIOR. The project therefore combines a high scientific interest with a clear relevance for the decarbonification of our society: increasing the electrification of LPT while improving its efficiency can free up resources to increase the QoS, triggering a virtuous cycle that contributes both to the achievement of objectives "Fit for 55" and to improve the quality of life in our urban centres.

About the Institute: The Department of Computer Science of the University of Pisa is the oldest of its kind in Italy, and the Computer Science Ph.D. School has the same distinction. The Doctorate accepts applications for all areas of Computer Science, Optimization and Numerical Analysis.

Duration: Three years. The deadline for the application is October 15, 2021. The selection process is expected to be performed swiftly thereafter and the activity to start before year's end.

Compensation: Standard Italian Ph.D. student fare, about 1150 Euro/month net. No the stay abroad is foreseen, but the candidate is supposed to spend between 6 and 12 months at the industrial partner MAIOR.

Requirements for the PhD position: basically any STEM Master degree (Engineering, Mathematics, Computer Science, ...), decent English level and very good academic record. Knowledge of optimization techniques and software is a plus, as is resilience and a taste for discovery.

Further information can be found at

https://dottorato.di.unipi.it/6-special-scholarships-for-the-ph-d-school-in-computer-science-at-the-universities-of-pisa-florence-and-siena-on-innovation-and-green-research-projects/

This is an University-wide call for many bourses, the one of interest here is "Per un'efficiente
Decarbonizzazione del Trasporto Pubblico Locale" at p. 40. The instruction to participate to the call can be found at Articolo 3, p. 3 of the document. Unfortunately the document is Italian-only for now (an English translation may appear, but this is not certain). Basically, the candidates need to upload their CV and a copy of the certificate that they have the requisite Master degree, indicating which of the bourses (s)he applies to. A Research Project can also be uploaded. Further instructions will be available when logging in the system as per the instructions on the document.

For any enquiries on the research project or assistance with signing up in the selection process (in particular for non-Italian candidates) do not hesitate to contact Antonio Frangioni (frangio@di.unipi.it).


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