Quality of Life and Travel Complexity in the Changing Urban Environment (In collaboration with MRC-McLean Hazel Ltd, an Edinburgh-based transport consultancy)

This PhD studentship will use complex secondary datasets to explore how travel patterns and behaviour (including commuting and other trips) have changed over time in urban Britain. The project will study the effect of demographic restructuring, including the growth of more single person households, on travel patterns, as well as geographical variations in travel behaviour between cities, towns and rural areas in Britain. Of particular interest will be the links between travel behaviour and quality of life, including health, housing, social inclusion and general well-being. It is hypothesised that because of demographic and societal restructuring travel behaviour is becoming more complex, and transport policy therefore much more interdependent with a range of urban policy areas. By unpacking the explicit links between transport and other aspects of quality of urban life, more efficacious urban policies can be defined, implemented and evaluated.

[University Supervisors: Paul Boyle and Maarten van Ham]

The successful applicant will join the School's Population, Health and Welfare Research Group, and will also play an active role in the ESRC-funded Longitudinal Studies Centre – Scotland and the ESRC-funded Centre for Population Change. The School is an internationally renowned, exciting and innovative centre which is well resourced and provides a supportive environment for postgraduate study. The successful applicant will work closely with academic staff at the forefront of the discipline.

The studentship is offered as +3 award, and requires the applicant to have a Masters degree in a relevant social science discipline.

Applications from individuals with applied or business/industrial experience are also welcome.

The studentship will start in October 2008 and includes payment of tuition fees (at the EU rate) and an annual stipend of £14,300. Further details can be obtained from Paul Boyle (P.Boyle@st-andrews. ac.uk).

Deadline for submission of application: Wednesday 30th July at 5pm

Submission of Application

Application for this position should include: (i) a full CV (including a full academic history and contact details of 2 referees including their email addresses) and (ii) a brief covering letter explaining why you are interested in the project and how your skills, attributes and experience make you a good candidate for the award.

Once completed return them to:
Helen Olaez
School of Geography and Geoscience
University of St Andrews
St Andrews KY16 9AL
or electronically to Helen at ho10@st-andrews. ac.uk.
Please note that an offer of a studentship is dependent on acceptance of your application by the University at which time you will be required to provide evidence of qualifications.






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