Master's degree on gender inequalities in cycling
We are currently seeking a Master's candidate for a two-year research project in collaboration with Vélo Québec. The successful candidate will be co-supervised by Professors Geneviève Boisjoly (Polytechnique Montréal) and Lea Ravensbergen (McMaster University), and will have the opportunity to work in partnership with Vélo Québec on the following research project: Gender inequalities in cycling: Documenting the long-term impacts of the Toutes à vélo program.
The program Toutes à vélo by Vélo Québec aims to combat gender inequalities in mobility issues by implementing measures to address the main barriers to cycling for Quebec women. The core of the program, to be rolled out in 2021, consists of a month's worth of bike-learning sessions for women who have never had the opportunity to learn, or who don't feel comfortable riding on the road in their environment. More recently, a series of complementary workshops have been set up to encourage the adoption of cycling, particularly from an active commuting perspective.
The central objective of the proposed research project will be as follows: Analyze the obstacles and levers that influence women's utilitarian use of bicycles. A mixed approach will be used. First, secondary data collected by Vélo Québec will be analyzed. Next, a survey will be distributed to all participants in the program. Finally, focus groups will be set up to gain a better understanding of the women's experiences.
Profile required:
- Undergraduate or graduate degree in civil engineering, geography, transportation planning, urban planning, environment or other related field;
- Strong interest in working in an interdisciplinary team and excellent interpersonal skills;
- Keen interest in developing skills in qualitative and quantitative data analysis;
- Strong interest in travel behavior, gender inequalities, land use planning, transportation planning and sustainable development;
- Ability to work in a team as well as in the fall;
- Excellent writing and communication skills.
The successful candidate will be funded at a rate of 22,500 $ (master's) or 26,000 $ (doctorate), in accordance with Polytechnique Montréal's standards.
If you are interested, please contact Professor Geneviève Boisjoly ([email protected]) with a cover letter (describing your motivations, specific research interests and qualifications) and curriculum vitae.