PhD Position AI to Mitigate Driver Distraction and Drowsiness at Different Levels of Automation

Would you like to make an impact in the reduction of road traffic fatalities around the world?  Are you ready to become one of the future leading researchers in the field of AI in road safety?

Within the IVORY doctoral network, this PhD position aims to understand factors contributing to driver distraction and drowsiness at different levels of automation (e.g., Advance Driver-Assistance Systems, driver’s readiness in SAE level 2 vs levels 0 & 1). In addition, it aims to understand the relationship between distraction/drowsiness and other risky driving behaviours such as speeding, short headways, delayed reaction time etc. in order to develop AI-based models to detect, monitor and predict the precursors of distraction and drowsiness among drivers.

The position contributes to road safety research by capturing the interaction between the diverse factors contributing to drowsiness and distraction, and developing cutting-edge analytical models for predicting distraction and drowsiness and their impact on road safety. It contributes to road safety policy too, in providing recommendations about distraction and drowsiness in the presence of technology, AI, and automation.

IVORY is a Horizon Europe MARIE SKLODOWSKA-CURIE ACTION Industrial Doctoral Network consisting of 22 partners (universities, industry, and non-governmental organizations). The project aims to develop a new framework for the integration of AI in road safety and train a new generation of leading researchers in the field, in order to address the UN Sustainable Development Goals target 3.6 (halving the number of traffic fatalities by 2030) and EC ‘Vision Zero’ strategy (eliminating traffic fatalities by 2050).

PhD students will obtain their PhD degree from the relevant academic partner, and spend at least 50% of their PhD time at the relevant non-academic partner.

Academic host:

Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), Delft, The Netherlands

Faculty of Technology Policy and Management

Months 1-12 and 37-48 of PhD

Industry host:

Groupement d’intérêt économique de recherches et d’études PSA RENAULT (LAB), Paris, France,

Months 13-36 of PhD

The LAB (Laboratory of Accidentology, Biomechanics and Study of Human Behavior) is a research laboratory created jointly by Renault and PSA Peugeot Citroën (now Stellantis - https://www.stellantis.com/en). Its centers of expertise are 1) Accidentology, 2) Biomechanics and 3) the study of driver behavior that aims at analyzing risk management from in-depth observations in real driving situations, as well as the construction of theoretical models, reading grids and behavior analysis.    

Eligibility criteria:

• A Master's degree (or equivalent);
• Not in possession of a doctoral degree at the date of the recruitment;
• Recruited applicants can be of any nationality and must undertake trans-national mobility (i.e., move from one country to another) when taking up the appointment. In particular, at the time of selection, the recruited applicant for this position must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the Netherlands for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to their recruitment. Short stays, such as holidays, are not taken into account.

Required skills:

• A Master's degree (or equivalent) in transport engineering / data science with a background (ideally BSc) in civil engineering / computer science
• Familiarity with big data in transport applications
• Familiarity with road safety / human factors
• Experience with data analysis (statistical analysis, machine learning, etc.)
• Applicants with MSc in human factors and with demonstrable data handling skills can also apply
• Strong conceptual and analytical skills
• Strong motivation and some experience to undertake research
• Excellent writing and presentation skills
• The ability to work both independently and as part of a team
• High level of proficiency in English
• Coding skills in Python programming language

Optional skills (preferred but not required):

• Professional working proficiency in French (or willingness to learn French)
• Familiarity with advanced statistics (econometric models)

English language requirements:

Proof of English language proficiency at a Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) level of C1, or an MSc degree in English, or IELTS: minimum 7.0 / TOEFL: minimum 100 

Doing a PhD at TU Delft requires English proficiency at a certain level to ensure that the candidate is able to communicate and interact well, participate in English-taught Doctoral Education courses, and write scientific articles and a final thesis. For more details please check the Graduate Schools Admission Requirements .

Doctoral candidates will be offered a 4-year period of employment in principle, but in the form of 3 employment contracts. An initial 1 year contract at the academic host. Followed by an additional contract for 2 years at the industry host, with an official go/no go progress assessment within 15 months from the start of the PhD. At the end, another 1 year contract at the academic host, assuming everything goes well and performance requirements are met.

The successful candidate will receive an attractive salary following the MSCA regulations for doctoral candidates. The exact salary will vary depending on the country of the host partner and will be confirmed upon appointment. The salary includes a living allowance, a mobility allowance, and a family allowance (if the recruited doctoral candidate has or acquires family obligations during the duration of the fellowship).

In addition, the doctoral candidate will benefit from further training within the IVORY network, which includes internships/secondments in other laboratories, a variety of training courses (including transferable skills), and active participation in workshops and conferences.

As a PhD candidate you will be enrolled in the TU Delft Graduate School. The TU Delft Graduate School provides an inspiring research environment with an excellent team of supervisors, academic staff and a mentor. The Doctoral Education Programme is aimed at developing your transferable, discipline-related and research skills.

The TU Delft offers a customisable compensation package, discounts on health insurance, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged.

For international applicants, TU Delft has the Coming to Delft Service . This service provides information for new international employees to help you prepare the relocation and to settle in the Netherlands. The Coming to Delft Service offers a Dual Career Programme for partners and they organise events to expand your (social) network.

Delft University of Technology is built on strong foundations. As creators of the world-famous Dutch waterworks and pioneers in biotech, TU Delft is a top international university combining science, engineering and design. It delivers world class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges in the areas of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society. For generations, our engineers have proven to be entrepreneurial problem-solvers, both in business and in a social context.

At TU Delft we embrace diversity as one of our core values  and we actively engage  to be a university where you feel at home and can flourish. We value different perspectives and qualities. We believe this makes our work more innovative, the TU Delft community more vibrant and the world more just. Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale. That is why we invite you to apply. Your application will receive fair consideration.

Challenge. Change. Impact!

The Faculty of TPM provides an important contribution to solving complex technical-social issues, such as energy transition, mobility, digitalisation, water management and (cyber) security. TPM does this with its excellent education and research at the intersection of technology, society and policy. We combine insights from both engineering and social sciences as well as the humanities. TPM develops robust models and designs, is internationally oriented and has an extensive network of knowledge institutions, companies, social organisations and governments.

Click here  to go to the website of the Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management.

For more information about this vacancy, please contact Dr. Eleonora Papadimitriou [email protected] or Dr. Amir Pooyan Afghari [email protected] . 

Are you interested in this vacancy? Please apply no later than 31 January 2024 via the application button and upload:

• Detailed CV, including information on the candidate’s proficiency in English;
• Motivation letter (1 page), describing why the position fits the applicant;
• Contact information of 2 references who may be contacted later in the procedure.

Please note: 

• A pre-employment screening can be part of the selection procedure.
• You can apply online. We will not process applications sent by email and/or post.
• Please do not contact us for unsolicited services.