Modelling the movements of goods between locations and countries

The aim of this project is to create an agent-based model that mimics the movement of goods between locations and trading individuals in a given country-specific setting. The idea of this model is to supplement the existing migration models that we have in our groups, and to approximate e.g. food market dynamics, or the propagation of illicit or infected goods from one location to another.

The student will require a BSc degree from a relevant discipline (e.g., Computer Science, Public Health, Data Science or Economics), and will need to have either programming expertise (ideally Python), and/or a basic economics background. The student also needs to have prior experience with academic writing, e.g. through a well-written BSc or MSc dissertation.

Lastly, the student will work in the context of a larger research group, and should feel confident working in collaboration with others in the group. We can provide additional training on a range of these topics as part of the PhD

How to apply

If you are interested in applying for the above PhD topic please follow the steps below:

Contact the supervisor by email or phone to discuss your interest and find out if you would be suitable. Supervisor details can be found on this topic page. The supervisor will guide you in developing the topic-specific research proposal, which will form part of your application.
Click on the 'Apply here' button on this page and you will be taken to the relevant PhD course page, where you can apply using an online application.
Complete the online application indicating your selected supervisor and include the research proposal for the topic you have selected.

Good luck!

This is a self funded topic

Brunel offers a number of funding options to research students that help cover the cost of their tuition fees, contribute to living expenses or both. See more information here: https://www.brunel.ac.uk/research/Research-degrees/Research-degree-funding. The UK Government is also offering Doctoral Student Loans for eligible students, and there is some funding available through the Research Councils. Many of our international students benefit from funding provided by their governments or employers. Brunel alumni enjoy tuition fee discounts of 15%.