Building a community of scientific research and and enabling a network of PhD (academia teaming with industry)

With this Research and Innovation Action, the Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking intends building a rail research and innovation “community” (cooperation/network/alliance) of scientific research entities (cooperation/network)

1. to strengthen, expand and optimise raylway’s research and innovation capabilities through the sharing of world-class national facilities in Europe to contribute to the EU-Rail Programme or other funded multi-national programmes
2. to team up with industry for at least 6 -10 PhD positions.

To apply under this Call topic, the related entities are requested to establish a Consortia with the aim to promote fruitful collaboration and share of knowledge on any topics in the area of works related to the EU-Rail Programme^[1]or relevant in the context of other European rail research and innovation activities.

In order to achieve the expected outcomes described above, proposals shall build a “community” of scientific research and creation of a network of Universities/Academia from different Member States and Associated Countries to Horizon Europe as well as the creation of at least 6 – 10 PhDs positions.

It is therefore expected that the PhD programmes stemming from this topic will have the possibility to interact with the Funding Members of the Europe’s Rail JU.

The PhD researchers are expected regularly to liaise with the Europe’s Rail JU and to present their research findings to the Europe’s Rail JU events and submit scientific papers to relevant conferences (e.g. TRA, WCRR, etc. but also non-rail related). This action may be requested to provide relevant inputs to the Europe’s Rail Scientific Steering Group and with ERRAC. The Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking expects to finance successful proposals from universities or similar high-level institutes covering each at least one PhD student in the following areas or additional areas to be proposed, always in relation to the EU-Rail Programme:

PhD Topic 1 – Aerodynamics and aeroacoustics

This topic aims to provide innovative and breakthrough concepts from a non-linear approach to the state of the art of research in the field and the analysis and implementation of those into the railway sector. The proposal should address the research and development of new technologies facing the improvement on aerodynamics and aeroacoustics (noise control) behaviour from a comfort point view of the passenger.

Proposals addressing this PhD topic should contribute through research activities to one or more of the following non exhaustive list:

• Improvements on the aerodynamics and aeroacoustics behaviour on railway rolling stock in terms of design of vehicles
• New and innovative solutions required to match and exceed the development of passenger comfort and acoustic performance VS other modes of transport
• Increase aerodynamics and acoustics comfort performance in railways and measure the improvements achieved
• Implementation of tools for improved aerodynamic behaviour and acoustic noise emission prediction and reduction
• Characterisation by simulation for the baseline design of selected concepts and validation of aerodynamics and acoustics performance characterization of new design variants

PhD Topic 2 - Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC)

All electric devices or installations influence each other when interconnected or close to each other, or even at single component level based on its design/layout. The purpose of electromagnetic compatibility (EMC)^[2] is to keep all those side effects under reasonable control. EMC designates all the existing and future techniques and technologies for reducing disturbance and enhancing immunity. This topic aims to challenge the traditional rail approach with innovative and breakthrough concepts from a non-linear approach to the state of the art of research in the field and the analysis on the transferability and implementation of those into the railway sector.

Proposals addressing this PhD topic should contribute through research activities to one or more of the following non exhaustive list:

• Scientific discoveries towards the understanding of the effects in a specific rail domain, e.g. interference from traction power equipment, braking systems may affect the signalling system
• Solutions to ensure EMC under reasonable control, prediction and reduction of interferences
• Research on Electromagnetic Compatibility modelling of the railway infrastructure to ensure EMC between electrical/electronic systems and correct operation
• The solution to overcoming challenges in designing products in a way that ensures good EMC lies in the overall product layout (requiring sound and state of the art engineering practices)
• Immunity measures to ensure EMC in railway components
• Identification of external and new technology/trends that could potentially create EMC issue leading to functional safety problems and risks (e.g. use of electrical vehicles near a railway crossing that could be disturbed by passing electric trains, anti-brake lock systems that could risk interference from EM disturbance, influence of Wireless Power Transfer (WPT) technology for EVs charging interfering railway installations, etc).

PhD Topic 3 – Material science

This topic aims to challenge the traditional rail approach with innovative and breakthrough concepts, from a non-linear approach to the state of the art of research in the field. The action should address new techniques, studies and research leading to exploitation of new materials and the analysis on the transferability and implementation of those into the railway sector.

Proposals addressing this PhD topic should contribute through research activities to one or more of the following non exhaustive list:

• Provide state of the art activities and research of smart materials and processes
• Further improve, develop, and implement approaches to gain an understanding of how the use of alternative materials contribute to increase the overall performance of the railway system
• Advanced manufacturing techniques (e.g. additive manufacturing and evolutions as well as new processes)
• Scientific discoveries on crack initiation and propagation by rolling contact fatigue, thermo mechanical treatments for increasing metallic component performance, laser-based surface treatment to reduce wearing, etc.
• Pre-standardisation tasks for new material and new technologies to be implemented.

PhD Topic 4 – Power electronics

This topic aims to challenge the traditional railway approach to power electronic devices for propulsion systems (traction motors, traction converters, and traction transformers) and auxiliary power supply systems (performance, reliability and enhanced functionality with IT) within the railways. The proposal should address the technologies and state of the art initiatives that facilitate energy-savings and harmonization with the environment as well as provide the needed levels of safety and reliability demanded from public transportation systems. In addition to these demands, the market is requiring a diversity of enhancements in economic efficiency, speed, size and weight savings, maintainability and ride quality and comfort.

Proposals addressing this PhD topic should contribute through research activities to one or more of the following non exhaustive list:

• Research on new generation of semiconductor products based on Wide Band Gap (WBG) materials (i.e. silicon carbide (SiC), gallium nitride (GaN), gallium arsenide (GaS), indium phosphide (InP)) and its reliability
• Research on power electronics equipment for railway vehicles as an eco-friendly means of transportation contributing to the protection of the global environment by energy savings
• Provide solutions that have reduced size and weight, high performance, high functionality, low maintenance and a high level of comfort (i.e. Power electronics solutions contributing to LCC and TCO of railway components)
• Promote research and development anticipating the market needs. Characterisation and future trends of efficient power electronics within railways while providing guaranteed functional safety.

PhD Topic 5 – Social media strategies for Railways

The use of social media today is a significant communication tool which is consulted at daily basis. Social media is used to communicate, create, share, and collect information. It can support businesses to reach out a wide audience, attract customers and get feedback to further improve their services. Therefore, social media can support the rail sector to better gain knowledge on customers’ needs and feedback as well as communicate its advantages and positive impact on society.

Proposals addressing this PhD topic shall develop a strategy in the social media to increase the perception of railway contribution to healthy and sustainable society as well as user acceptance. Proposals addressing this PhD topic should contribute to:

• Benchmark the social media strategies within the rail sector and other transport modes so best practices can be identified, as well as differences and success factors
• Identify the necessary steps to build a suitable social media strategy including performance indicators
• Collect and propose the most relevant areas and topics that matter to rail customers and can attract the attention on the positive impact of rail.

PhD Topic 6 – Scouting and connecting national – regional – European rail R&I projects

This topic should complement the Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking Programme (as well as the running projects from the S2R Programme) by exploring and promoting synergies with nation and regional R&I activities. The work should enable fostering inter-regional and national cooperation activities complementary to EU-Rail programme. Proposals addressing this PhD topic should provide:

• Mapping of regional/national programmes, technologies and capabilities by area and TRL in order to facilitate potential synergies with the EU-Rail programme. Dissemination and communication activities of those regional/national programmes should be performed to the related complementary of the R&I projects of EU-Rail and S2R Programmes;
• Promote at national / regional level the EU-Rail and S2R programme expected and already achieved outputs;
• Propose best practices, processes and procedures to achieve an effective level of complementarity and cooperation between EU and national/regional R&I programmes in the rail field, taking stock of the actions already undertaken by the JU with its State Representative Group;
• Analyse and recommend synergies possibility with European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), including concrete proposals of priority areas to be addressed in the current and future framework, supporting the definition of priorities of the national/regional Research and Innovation Smart Specialisation Strategy (RIS3).

Other PhD works can be proposed in the proposal.

Research results are expected to contribute to the Europe’s Rail Programme and explore new possibilities and ideas. At the same time, the PhD researchers who are part of the Europe’s Rail JU activities, are expected to become European ambassadors of the possible bright and innovative future that the rail sector has in the years to come.

Gender dimension

In this topic the integration of the gender dimension (sex and gender analysis) in research and innovation content is not a mandatory requirement.

[1] https://rail-research.europa.eu/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/EURAIL_MAWP_final.pdf

[2] The electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) Directive 2014/30/EU ensures that electrical and electronic equipment does not generate, or is not affected by, electromagnetic disturbance. The main objectives of the directives are to regulate the compatibility of equipment regarding EMC.