1. Faculty of Environment
  2. Institute for Transport Studies
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Professor Susan Grant-Muller

  • Position: Chair in Technologies & Informatics
  • Email: S.M.Grant-Muller@its.leeds.ac.uk
  • Phone: +44(0)113 343 6618
  • Location: Room 2.03, Institute for Transport Studies (34-40 University Road)

Profile

Academic Positions

  • 2015: Chair in Technologies and Informatics (current)
  • 2000: Senior Lecturer, Institute for Transport Studies
  • 1995: Lecturer, Institute for Transport Studies
  • 1995: Senior Research Fellow, Institute for Transport Studies
  • 1986-1995: Research Fellow, Institute for Transport Studies, University of Leeds

Academic Leadership 

  • Digital Futures research theme at ITS (2017)
  • EU EMPOWER consortium lead (2015-2019)
  • Consumer Data Research Centre, CO-I (2014)
  • Elected member of Senate (2009-2010, 2012 - 2015)
  • Director of Research, Institute for Transport Studies (2008-2011)
  • University of Leeds Athena SWAN steering committee (2008-2012)
  • University of Leeds Promotions College (2005 -)
  • Research group leader for Traffic, Environment and Informatics Research Group (2008-2010)
  • Research group Leader for Transport Policy Research Group (2007-2008)

Professional Engagements

  • Fellow of the Alan Turing Institute (2018-2020)
  • Academic leader: international WUN network: 'Harvesting transport preference information from web social communities to support sustainable mobility solutions' (with Technion Israel Institute of Technology, University of Haifa, IUAV University of Venice, 2012 - 2017)
  • Member of IBEC Management Committee (International Benefits Evaluation and Costs) of Intelligent Transport Systems (2015)
  • Academic leader: White Rose research network on 'Adapting Transport to a low carbon future', (2011 - 2015)
  • Chair of International Road Federation policy committee on Intelligent Transport systems: subgroup on research, capacity building and knowledge transfer (2009)
  • Founding Editor of European Transport Research Review journal (2008) 
  • Member of the Association of European Transport Committee: Transport Policy and Research (2008-2011)
  • Expert academic advisor to the M42 Automatic Traffic Management project (2004-2008)
  • Academic advisor to the European TRANSFORUM Scientific Forum on Policy Assessment (2005-2007)
  • Expert advisor for numerous national and international funding bodies

Research interests

Susan is Professor of Technologies and Informatics at the Institute for Transport Studies, University of Leeds and a Fellow of the Alan Turing Institute https://www.turing.ac.uk/. She leads a programme of research into large scale data analytics and the role of new forms of technology enabled data in developing sustainable transport policy. A statistician by discipline, she researches within the Intelligent Transport Systems field. Recently this has concerned the use of new and emerging data forms, social media, mobility profiling and the role of web enabled technologies in the transport sector. Her current interests lie in understanding the wider impacts of ICT enabled mobility infrastructure (such as health, energy and carbon impacts), the governance of micro-level user-generated data, and understanding incentivisation as part of behaviourally orientated demand management. Susan is a Co-Investigator for the ESRC Consumer Data Research Centre (CDRC) a member of the Leeds Institute for Data Analytics (LIDA) and the University of Leeds Centre for Integrated Energy Research (CIER) funded by a substantive tranche of University strategic funding 

Research Grants and Contracts

Prof. Grant-Muller has won grants and awards to support her research and build capacity in the field with a value of  circa £20m to date. Her research and that of her team has been sponsored by a wide range of agencies including the National Research Councils, the European Commission and Government/Industry sources.

  • PI Turing Institute (2018-2020): KARMA, circa £450k  
  • PI: ESRC HABITS (2017-2018): Improved policy to mitigate pollutant and inactivity related health burdens through new big data, (circa £250k)
  • CO-I: Innovate UK (2016-2017): CATCH! Citizens at the Heart (circa £1.5m)
  • PI and consortium leader: H2020 EMPOWER: Empowering a Reduction in the use of Conventionally Fuelled Vehicles using Positive Policy Measures (2015-2018) http://empowerproject.eu/ Circa €4.9m
  • CO-I: ESRC/oL/otUhers (2014 -) Consumer Data Research Centre (CDRC) (with School of Geography, Business School, School of Earth and Environment), circa £7m
  • Leeds PI: CEDR (Transnational Road Research Programme) (2014 - 2015) Understanding New and Improving Existing Traffic Data (with Mott McDonald), circa €360k.
  • PI: EU Marie Curie IIF (2013 -2015) MOPED (Mobility Optimization: Permits for Emissions from Driving), circa €278k
  • Leeds PI: EU (2011 - 2014) SUNSET (with Stichting Novay (NL), DOCOMO, Communications Laboratories Europe GmbH (DE), Queen Mary and Westfield, College, University of London (UK), University of Leeds (UK), Eco2Win AB (SE), LocatieNet (NL), Universiteit Twente (NL), Gemeente Enschede (NL), Viktoria Institute (SE)), circa €3.4m. http://ec.europa.eu/sunset.pdf
  • CO-I: University of Leeds Transformation fund (2010 - ) Centre for Integrated Energy Research. (With Energy Research Institute (ERI), Institute for Particle Science and Engineering (IPSE), , Institute of Engineering Systems and Design, Institute of Engineering Thermofluids, Surfaces and Interfaces, Institute of Geophysics and Tectonics, School of Earth and Environment, School of Mechanical Engineering, School of Process, Environmental and Materials Engineering (SPEME) and Sustainability Research Institute (SRI), £1.3m
  • PI/Director: White Rose Universities Studentship Network Award (2010 - 2014) Transport in a low Carbon Future (with universities of Sheffield, Hull and York), £240k.
  • PI: Rail Standards and Safety Board (RSSB) (2009 -2010) Updating of Transport Surface Costs and Charges, £127k
  • Leeds PI: Department for Transport (2009) Evaluation of Airport Master Plans. (with IPSOS-MORI), 65k
  • PI: Department for Transport (2008) Multimodal Travel Time Variability, £17k
  • Leeds PI: (2007) Airport evaluation methodology (with LNEC, National Laboratory for Civil Engineering, Portugal), £7.9k
  • PI: Scottish Executive (2006) Measuring the Costs of Congestion, £10k
  • PI: East Riding County Council (2004) Analysis of Accident data. (£10k)
  • PI: EU FP6 (2003-2009) Marie Curie EST research training site in Policy, Economics and Transport (PEAT), €1.2m. 8 full PhD scholarships
  • PI: EU FP5 (2002-2005) Marie Curie ITN Training site in Economics, Policy and Appraisal site (EPA), €211.2k. 12 PhD training actions
  • PI: EU FP5 (2002-2005) Marie Curie Training ITN site in Traffic Modelling and Safety (TMS), €240k. 17 PhD training actions
  • Leeds PI: Highways Agency (2002) M42 ATM Monitoring and Assessment project (with Mott McDonald), circa £2m
  • PI/Consortium Leader: EU FP5 EU (2000 - 2003) SPECTRUM (Economic instruments, regulation and physical measure for achieving transport policy objectives), Circa €2m.
  • PI: Department for Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR) (2000) Outliers and Travel time Variability, £39.5k
  • PI: Highways Agency (1999) Lane Specific Speed Study, £13k
  • CO-I: TINA Secretariat (1999) Transport Infrastructure needs assessment - Appraisal Guidelines, £13k
  • PI: Highways Agency (1998) Investigation of a dynamic learning algorithm for network prediction (extension), £30k
  • PI: Highways Agency (1997-1998) Short term prediction of traffic flows, £62k
  • Leeds PI: DOT (1996). Removing double counting from RSI databases (with Sandman consulting), £3k
  • PI: DOT (1994): Review of Statistical Standards in Transport Data, £13k
  • PI: SERC (1991) Outlier detection in Transport data, £26k

Doctoral Training:

  • EU FP7 Marie Curie Incoming Fellowship (MOPED) 2013-2015 (£352k, 1 Fellow)
  • White Rose Universities studentship network award (2010) 'Transport in a low carbon future', jointly with universities of Sheffield, Hull and York, value £240k approx. (Academic lead, 4 studentships)
  • Member of the steering group for the EPSRC (2008) Doctoral Training Centre: ENERGY: Technologies for a Low Carbon Future, Earth, Energy & Environment (E3): University Interdisciplinary Institute, PI: Prof P Williams (50 studentships, £12.05m FEC)
  • EU FP6: Award and Directorship of Marie Curie EST research training site in Policy, Economics and Transport (PEAT), 2003-2009), €1.2m. 8 full PhD scholarships
  • EU FP5: Award and Directorship of Marie Curie ITN Training site in Economics, Policy and Appraisal site (EPA, 2002-2005), €211.2k 12 hosted PhD student visits
  • EU FP5: Award and Directorship of Marie Curie Training ITN site in Traffic Modelling and Safety (TMS, 2002-2005), €240k. 17 hosted PhD student visits

Research student examination

Prof Grant-Muller has acted as external examiner to numerous PhD student examinations held in Universities in the UK and in Europe.

Research student supervision

  • Dos Reis, R: Acceptance of positive incentives for mobility behaviour change (lead supervisor, current)
  • Anwer, I: The Effective Use of ITS and Other Advanced Communication Technologies in Reducing the Transport Impacts of Disasters (lead supervisor, University of Leeds 2018)
  • Huang, Y-M: Improving Resilience of Transportation Systems by Incentive Driven Travel Behavioural Change Programmes (co-supervisor, University of Leeds)
  • Norris, J: Car clubs and Renewable Energy Generation: Maximising their Combined Potential (co-supervisor, University of Leeds)
  • Linton, C: Modelling the CO2 emissions reduction potential of enhanced utilisation of urban transport capacity: pathways to 2030 (lead supervisor, University of Leeds, 2016)
  • El Rashidy, R: Use of Digital Data and ICT Systems to Improve Resilience of the Transport System to Future Climate Extremes (lead supervisor, University of Leeds, 2015)
  • Tomlinson A: inferring personal movement patterns using locational data captured from mobile devices for transportation data collection (co-supervisor, University of Leeds, 2014)
  • Lu, C: Autonomisation of Traffic Incident Management (co-supervisor, University of Leeds, 2014)
  • Koloz, B: Development of Low Energy and Carbon indicator for intelligent transport on the strategic highway (lead supervisor, University of Leeds, 2014)
  • Thomopoulos, N: Incorporating equity considerations in appraisal of large transport infrastructure projects (lead supervisor, University of Leeds, 2010)
  • Wang, J Model of Motorway Merging (internal examiner, University of Leeds, 2006)
  • Putranto L: Model of Indonesian car ownership (lead supervisor, University of Leeds, 2003)
  • Fang, C W: Impacts of rubbernecking (lead supervisor, University of Leeds, 2001)
<h4>Research projects</h4> <p>Some research projects I'm currently working on, or have worked on, will be listed below. Our list of all <a href="https://environment.leeds.ac.uk/dir/research-projects">research projects</a> allows you to view and search the full list of projects in the faculty.</p>

Student education

Taught Masters: 

Professor Grant-Muller teaches on the masters programme at the Institute for Transport Studies, previously having taught at undergraduate level in the Faculty of Engineering, School of Statistics and Business School at the University of Leeds. 

Research groups and institutes

  • Social and Political Sciences

Current postgraduate researchers

<h4>Postgraduate research opportunities</h4> <p>We welcome enquiries from motivated and qualified applicants from all around the world who are interested in PhD study. Our <a href="https://phd.leeds.ac.uk">research opportunities</a> allow you to search for projects and scholarships.</p>