PhD Studentship - Decarbonising Urban Transport: Behaviour Change for Net-Zero

The Centre for National Training and Research Excellence in Understanding Behaviour (Centre-UB) is inviting applications for a Doctoral Studentship in association with our collaborative partner Birmingham City Council to start in October 2025.

This PhD project aims to investigate how changes in travel modes can contribute to achieving net-zero emissions in urban transport. Specifically, it will assess global urban transport policy implementations and integrate these insights into the context of Birmingham, identifying policy opportunities to foster behavioural change in use of transport modes through a systematic review. A questionnaire survey will be conducted among key population sub-groups in Birmingham to identify the factors influencing individuals’ adoption of low-carbon travel modes. The resulting dataset will be analysed using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) to quantify the relationships between these factors and uncover both direct and indirect pathways affecting behaviours. Additionally, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Environmentally Extended Multi-Regional Input-Output (EE-MRIO) models will be employed to calculate the carbon footprints of various low-carbon travel modes and further explore the emission reduction potential within the UK’s urban transport sector, considering the effects of supply chains. We highly appreciate comparative analysis in other cities (e.g., Beijing, Jakarta, Amsterdam), enhancing the understanding of how to decarbonize urban transport across diverse urban contexts.

About our team:
The candidate will be based at the School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Birmingham. The supervisory team includes experts from both the University of Birmingham and Birmingham City Council. A broad range of training and professional development opportunities will be provided to ensure you get the most out of your PhD experience. Furthermore, we will support you in publishing your results in academic journals and conducting public engagement activities.

Eligibility:

• We are looking for a highly talented and dedicated PhD student with a bachelor’s degree of 1st class or 2:1 equivalent degree (the standard UK grading system). A postgraduate master’s degree of distinction would be an advantages, especially in the fields of Geography and Climate Change, Management Science, Environmental Science, Health sciences or related disciplines.

• The ideal candidate will possess strong statistical and analytical skills (as mentioned above) and excellent English communication abilities. He/she should also demonstrate the ability to assess datasets, use resources efficiently, and clearly convey complex information.

• Previous experience with decarbonization in the transport sector, LCA, EE-MRIO models, sampling design, and emerging cities including working with stakeholders would be desirable.

• Previous experience of collecting primary qualitative data collection (including questionnaire design) and data analysis is desirable.

• Experience of working with underrepresented groups, including socially disadvantaged populations and minoritised ethnic groups is desirable.

• A good publication record, showcasing the candidate’s ability to produce impactful research. 

Supervisors: Dr. Yuli Shan, Prof. Zongbo Shi and Dr. Suzanne Bartington.

Funding notes:
Centre-UB studentships cover tuition fees, a maintenance stipend, support for research training, as well as research activity support grants. Due to funding stipulations set by UKRI, we are only able to recruit home students. You can find further details on our website https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/centre-ub/centre-ub-phd-studentships

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