This PhD position is part of the RAISE Franco-German research program funded by ANR (the French National Research Agency) and led by IFP Energies nouvelles (IFPEN) and TU Dresden. The project investigates how Shared Autonomous Electric Vehicles (SAEVs) can improve the resilience of urban mobility systems when disruptions occur, such as extreme weather, infrastructure failures, or sudden congestion. Because SAEV fleets are electric, connected, and centrally managed, they offer new possibilities for flexible and adaptive transport services.
The goal of the thesis is to design models and algorithms for the optimal deployment, routing, and charging of SAEV fleets operating in multimodal urban environments interacting with road traffic and public transport. The research will combine traffic flow modeling, mathematical optimization, and reinforcement learning to develop adaptive strategies capable of responding to time-varying demand and traffic conditions.
What you will work on :
• Modeling large-scale urban mobility systems and SAEV operations
• Designing optimization and reinforcement learning methods for fleet management
• Determining optimal fleet size and charging strategies under energy and infrastructure constraints
• Evaluating solutions using simulation and a case study based on the Lyon metropolitan area
What we offer :
• A PhD within an international Franco-German research collaboration
• A stimulating research environment at IFPEN and Université Gustave Eiffel
• Opportunities to publish in leading scientific conferences and journals
• Contribution to the development of next-generation sustainable mobility systems
• Competitive salary and benefits packages, as well as dedicated seminars and training sessions.
Keywords: Autonomous mobility, shared electric vehicles, urban resilience, traffic modeling, optimization, reinforcement learning
- Academic supervisor Dr. Nadir FARHI, Université Gustave Eiffel, Cosys/Grettia, ORCID: 0000-0002-0309-8942
- Doctoral School ED532 MSTIC, Université Gustave Eiffel
- IFPEN supervisor Dr. Giovanni DE NUNZIO, ORCID: 0000-0003-1179-8735
- PhD location Université Gustave Eiffel, Marne-la-Vallée, France, and IFPEN, Rueil-Malmaison, France
- Duration and start date 3 years, starting in the fourth quarter 2026 (November 16)
- Employer IFPEN
- Academic requirements University Master degree in Computer Science, Applied Mathematics, Operations Research, Electrical Engineering
- Language requirements English level B2-C1. Willingness to learn French is a plus.
- Other requirements Good programming skills (Matlab/Python)
To apply, please send your cover letter and CV to the IFPEN supervisor indicated here below.