PhD Candidate in Vehicle Systems and Driving Simulation

VTI, the Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute, is a government agency conducting applied research and qualified investigations in the transport sector. We have approximately 250 employees and an annual turnover of around 300 million SEK. The main office is located in Linköping, with additional offices in Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Lund.

We are now looking for an additional employee for the Vehicle Systems and Driving Simulation unit (FSK). The unit conducts leading research in vehicle systems, vehicle technology, and simulation. Applications exist across all modes of transport and often focus on technology development in electrification, autonomy, digitalization, and the transition to a sustainable transport system. Much of the work is conducted in collaboration with other units and external partners, often related to behavioral science issues or research concerning environmental and energy matters. The unit develops and operates some of VTI's important research equipment; advanced driving simulators, VR/XR labs, and equipment to measure road and tire interaction. Much of the software for this equipment is developed in-house, which constitutes a significant part of the operation. The unit has about 20 employees and is located in Linköping, Gothenburg, and Lund.

The position is based in Linköping.

About the Role

The research focuses on high-capacity transport vehicles (HCT), their performance on the road, and aspects to consider for the automation of these vehicles. HCT vehicles have been shown to be important for reducing emissions and fuel consumption in freight transport. The automation of HCT vehicles should be designed to meet future transport needs and further enhance their efficiency and traffic safety. Examples of relevant research topics for the position include collecting and analyzing data from HCT vehicles operating in real traffic under various conditions, identifying critical scenarios, developing scenario-based testing methods for automated HCT vehicles, and modeling driver behavior for autonomous functions.

As a PhD candidate, you will be enrolled as a doctoral student in the Vehicle Systems department at the Department of Systems Engineering at Linköping University. Your doctoral education includes several components, such as completing doctoral courses and conducting applied research of high quality under the supervision of VTI and LiU. Your work will involve planning research projects, collecting and analyzing data, and developing new models and methods. The work also includes writing articles and presenting research and research results.

About You

You have a Master's degree or equivalent in vehicle engineering, mechanical engineering, engineering physics, computer engineering, or a related field. You are interested in vehicle and craft technology, data analysis, control engineering, model development, and simulation, are analytically minded, and are open to new challenges.

You will have many contacts with internal and external partners, researchers, and collaboration with other PhD candidates. Therefore, we place great importance on your ability to collaborate, communicate, take initiative, and work independently. You express yourself well in both spoken and written English and Swedish. We place great emphasis on your personal qualities.

Appointment Duration

As a PhD candidate, you will be employed at VTI while being admitted to the doctoral program in the Vehicle Systems department at the Department of Systems Engineering at Linköping University. The employment is time-limited to four years full-time. Initially, you will be employed for one year, and thereafter the employment will be renewed for a maximum of one year at a time, based on the achieved study plan.

More Information

More information about VTI and specifically the FSK unit can be found here: FSK (FSK)

More information about the Vehicle Systems department at Linköping University can be found here: Vehicle Systems (FS) (Fordonssystem%20(FS))

Information on how we handle your personal data can be found at Personal Data (Personuppgifter).

We kindly decline all offers of advertising or recruitment assistance in connection with this recruitment.

Ref. no: 2025/0183-3.1

Application

We welcome you to submit your application by April 27, 2025, including a personal letter, CV, degree certificate, and copies of transcripts and other documents you wish to refer to. Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.