Department for Transport (UK)

Research Problem

What is the best way to maintain and develop the software suite that supports the development of business cases, such as Transport Users Benefit Appraisal (TUBA) and Wider Impacts in Transport Appraisal (WITA)? What is the best avenue to communicate the Department’s methodologies to stakeholders?

Research Problem

How can we develop a more detailed understanding of the benefits that modernising UK airspace will bring, including carbon reductions, noise impacts, reduced delays, increased resilience, and increased capacity to allow for growth?

Research Problem

How do we ensure UK continues to be recognised as the global leader in maritime safety? What is the safety culture in the industry as it stands?

Research Problem

How will societal and economic changes vary regionally and how will they affect the financial health of the transport system? What do these changes mean for the funding model of public transport? Will a fundamentally different approach be required to funding public transport? 

Research Problem

How important is transport to trade flows? How might international trade evolve and how might this affect our transport network requirements?

Research Problem

What needs to be true of demand modelling for the estimates produced to capture long run changes in demand for road schemes that may change the spatial distribution of economic activity? To what extent do estimates from conventional user benefits approximate the total welfare impacts of transport schemes on users, considering the impacts of changing land use? 

Research Problem

How can we reduce the risks faced by motorcyclists, who are the most vulnerable to death on our roads? What role can the use of personal protective equipment have (including innovations in this equipment) in reducing the risk of serious injury and death amongst motorcyclists?

Research Problem

What is the economic value of the different parts of the aviation sector, including ‘general aviation’, and what Government intervention will enable the sector to support innovation and skills development as the “grass roots” of the aviation sector?

Research Problem

What role can transport play in levelling up left-behind places in the context of changing travel/commuting patterns?

Research Problem

How can a Whole Life Carbon Assessment for AI be established?

Research Problem

What are the strengths and limitations of advanced and emerging vehicle designs and technologies, from personal electric vehicles through to automated shuttles, and how can we enable their safe and secure use on roads?

Research Problem

How much does active travel for recreational purposes lead to people using active travel for work and other non-recreational purposes?

Research Problem

How can quantum based cyber security systems protect the transport sector beyond that of current classical cyber security?

Research Problem

How have the introduction of new technologies such as micromobility impacted transport users and the requirements of the broader transport system?

Research Problem

How can we develop a better understanding of what people want and need from their entire journey – their end-to-end journey from the moment they leave the house to the moment they arrive at their destination – covering rail, road and bus, parking, ticketing, etc? What are the implications for the transport system?

Research Problem

What would happen to casualty trends if there were no policy interventions?  

Research Problem

What is the role of roadway design and traffic management on local PM2.5 concentrations?

Research Problem

How can information on the safety of motorcycle helmets and new cars be used to assist consumers to make better choices and choose safer products? Which regulatory compliant motorcycle helmets and cars on the UK market offer the best, and which offer the poorest levels of safety in the event of a road collision?