Doctoral Student SNSF Positions in Intermodal Transport and Sustainable Mobility

Introduction

UNIL is a leading international teaching and research institution, with over 5,000 employees and 17,000 students split between its Dorigny campus, CHUV and Epalinges. As an employer, UNIL encourages excellence, individual recognition and responsibility.

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Overview

The Department of Operations at the Faculty of Business and Economics (HEC Lausanne), University of Lausanne, invites applications for two fully funded Doctoral Student positions in transportation, mobility, and data science.

These positions are part of the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) project:

“B+RAID – Bike-and-Ride Accessibility and Intermodal Development”.

The project investigates how cycling can enhance public transport systems by addressing the first- and last-mile challenge, a key barrier to sustainable mobility transitions.

The two PhD projects are complementary and focus on:

- PhD 1 (Demand-side): traveler behavior, accessibility, and modal choice

- PhD 2 (Supply-side): shared mobility systems, operations, and station-area planning

Research Project

The project addresses a major paradox: despite high-quality public transport systems, car use remains dominant, partly due to poor first- and last-mile connections. Cycling has the potential to expand station catchment areas, improve accessibility, enable door-to-door intermodal mobility, and support decarbonization goals.

Key research questions include: (1) Where and for whom bike-and-ride is most effective? (2) How should infrastructure and services be designed? (3) How can intermodal systems be optimized at scale?

The successful candidate will work on the completion of a PhD thesis, the content of which will be related to PhD 1 or PhD 2 as defined below.

PhD 1 – Demand-side: Intermodal Travel Behavior

• Focus on the adoption of cycling in multimodal trips, using accessibility analysis, mode choice modeling, and simulation.

PhD 2 – Supply-side: Shared Mobility and Station Areas

• Focus on the design and optimization of intermodal systems, including shared mobility, fleet management, and station-area planning.

Job information

• Start date: September 2026 (or upon agreement)


• Contract duration: 4 years maximum


• Activity rate: 100%


• Workplace: University of Lausanne, HEC Lausanne


• Salary: According to SNSF/UNIL standards, CHF 55'000.- per year + monthly allowance

Both positions are embedded in an interdisciplinary research environment at the intersection of transport economics and data science. The successful candidates will have to apply to the doctoral program in Business Analytics :

https://www.unil.ch/hec/en/home/menuinst/recherche/ecole-doctorale/phd-business-analytics.html

Your responsibilities

• Conduct high-quality research leading to a PhD dissertation


• Develop quantitative models and empirical analyses


• Publish in academic journals and present at conferences


• Contribute to project deliverables and collaborations

Approximately 80% research and 20% teaching and academic support.

Your qualifications

• Master’s degree in Transportation, Engineering, Data Science or related field


• Strong quantitative skills (econometrics, optimization, or data science)


• Interest in sustainable mobility and interdisciplinary research


• Experience (or interest) in GIS, discrete choice modeling, or simulation


• Ability to work independently and collaboratively


• Fluency in English (French is a plus)

What the position offers you

• A highly interdisciplinary and policy-relevant project


• Access to rich datasets (mobility, GIS, shared mobility, surveys)


• Strong academic supervision and international visibility


• Collaboration with public and private mobility stakeholders


• A stimulating research environment at UNIL

Contact for further information

Prof. Virginie Lurkin, HEC Lausanne, University of Lausanne

Email: E-Mail schreiben

Your application

Deadline: May 1st, 2026

Applicants should include:

1. Cover letter (specifying interest in PhD 1 and/or PhD 2)


2. CV


3. Academic transcripts and degrees


4. Writing sample (e.g., Master thesis)


5. Two letters of recommendation or the contact details of two reference persons

Applications should be submitted via the University of Lausanne’s online application system.

The University of Lausanne is committed to equal opportunities and strongly encourages applications from women and underrepresented groups.

Additional information

UNIL is committed to:
•    equality, diversity and inclusion within its community;
•    ensuring an open and respectful environment that is conducive to personal development;
•    offering working conditions that facilitate work-life balance;
•    supporting early career researchers.

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