Call for applications for Short Term Scientific Missions
September 2018 – STSM2 Round 1
Wider Impacts and Scenario Evaluation of Autonomous and Connected Transport Short Term Scientific Missions (STSM) are funded as part of the COST Action CA16222 Wider Impacts and Scenario Evaluation of Autonomous and Connected Transport (WISE-ACT).
This is a research network funded by COST European Cooperation in Science and Technology. The Action aims to build a European network of experienced scholars, young researchers and industry representatives working on the transition to autonomous and connected transport.
Short-Term Scientific Missions (STSM) allow scientists to conduct short research and study visits to a research institution or laboratory in another COST Country in order to strengthen the existing networks and to foster collaboration, to learn a new technique or to use instruments and/or methods not available in their own institution and to contribute to the scientific objectives of the Action.
The COST Action CA16222 has a number of working groups. STSMs are considered a great opportunity for participants to focus their work in research interests that have been highlighted by WGs or introduce new ones in light of the COST Action objectives (for details visit http://www.cost.eu/COST_Actions/ca/CA16222).
In this Call, the Action wishes to focus on a number of tasks as outlined in the MoU and WBP2. Applicants may focus on all or part(s) of the proposed topics to fulfil Action tasks and objectives. Note that this does not exclude other topics, which might also be funded through this, or other
Calls in the course of this Action.
1. STSM Topic: “Legal framework and ethical issues concerning Artificial Intelligence and Robotics in Autonomous Connected Transport”
Description: The STSM will draw a preliminary study on legal and ethical issues concerning Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, focusing on its application in Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS). As an outcome, the STSM will provide a map of EU institutions, research centers and universities involved in research projects on Artificial intelligence and Robotics, and a literature review of EU academic publications and institutional reports on the social impact of such technologies, with a particular regard to safety and security of infrastructure and vehicles.
Potential Host: University of Udine, Udine (IT)
2. STSM Topic: Literature review, data sets identification and/or data analysis regarding Automated
Vehicles’ (AV) Implications on Travel Behaviour
Description: The STSM will perform a comprehensive literature review regarding the implications of automated vehicles on activity and travel behaviour, and methods of data collection and modelling to better understand such implications. It will also try to identify existing data sets that can be used for this purpose, and analyse the results of surveys distributed among COST countries in relation to these issues. Through an extensive review of academic and grey literature as well as contacts with leading researchers in the field, this STSM will compile a:
1. Review of current evidence and research evaluation of potential impacts of AV on activity and travel behaviour, including emerging travel services such as Uber and Mobility as a Service (MaaS).
2. Review of data set, data types, methods used, and methods suggested to study AV implications on travel behaviour.
3. List of potential data sets to be used to study the implications of AV on travel behaviour.
4. Analysis of responses to a questionnaire on these topics distributed among WISE-ACT participants and/or the general public.
Potential Hosts: University of the Aegean, Chios (EL), Sorbonne Universités – UTC (France), Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa (IL), Politecnico di Torino (IT)
3. STSM Topic: Fleet Scheduling and Traffic Simulation for Assessing ACT Scenarios
Description: The STSM will leverage the complementarity and possible interactions between traffic simulation models and fleet scheduling models for the assessment of ACT scenarios. More specifically, this STMS will focus on specifying the parameters and criteria for interfacing academic and open-source traffic simulation engines with scheduling engines. The outcome of this STSM will emphasize the potential benefits of combining the two approaches for the simulation and evaluation of a wider range of ACT scenarios.
Potential Host: Technical University of Munich, Munich (DE)
4. STSM Topic: Extending a simulation-based platform to include Mobility as a Service for the evaluation of ACT scenarios. Issues and possible solutions
Description: The STSM will leverage and extend an existing open-source platform for the interactive control of a traffic simulation model from suitable programming languages, with the aim of creating a “simulation laboratory” for the evaluation of algorithms and scenarios. The objective is to provide the additional functionality, so that the platform is suitable for the evaluation of ACT scenarios. The tasks include: identification of suitable inputs and parameters, verification of those already covered, implementation of those missing. The resulting platform will be freely available to WISE-ACT participants, and other interested researchers.
Potential Hosts: JRC, Ispra (IT)
Those interested in submitting an application should consult the CA16222 STSM Guidelines attached to this Call for details about eligibility, grants, criteria for evaluation of applications/proposals and how to apply.
Grant Period: This Call covers the grant period 1st May 2018 – 31st March 2019 and any STSM should be completed during this period.
This Call will fund STSMs up to a total value of EUR 2,500 according to relevant COST guidelines.
Deadline: Applications should be received by e-mail until 8th October 2018.
Decisions will be announced by 12th October 2018.
Contacts:
STMS Coordinator: Prof. Maria Attard (stsm@wise-act.eu)
MC Chair: Dr Nikolas Thomopoulos (chair@wise-act.eu)
Download STSM Application Guidelines
Additional information on the COST Action CA16222: http://www.cost.eu/COST_Actions/ca/CA16222
Additional information on COST Vademecum http://www.cost.eu/Vademecum