By Trine Jensen, AAU Kommunikation og Public Affairs

The Inge Lehmann grant is awarded to some of the most talented early-career researchers, aiming to support a more balanced gender representation in research environments. A total of DKK 85.5 million has been awarded to 28 projects led by female researchers.

For Yan Zhao, the grant is a milestone in her research career:

“Receiving the Inge Lehmann grant is an incredible honor and a deeply meaningful milestone in my career. It validates my work and contributions in a field where women are often underrepresented, particularly in STEM, and aligns me with the legacy of Inge Lehmann, a trailblazer who broke barriers in science, says Yan, proud to follow in these footsteps.”

What is spatial crowdsourcing?

Yan Zhao researches spatial crowdsourcing, which is about distributing tasks such as delivery and transport through a central service, which we know for example from JUST EAT or FlexTrafik. The research project aims to develop a framework to distribute the incoming tasks to workers so that the tasks can be carried out as efficiently as possible while taking the workers' premises and flexibility into account.

“My goal is to create a framework that not only improves efficiency but also promotes equity and adaptability, addressing real-world challenges in dynamic markets like on-demand transportation. The grant is pivotal in enabling me to achieve this vision by providing the resources to tackle complex research questions and develop advanced machine learning models,” Yan Zhao says.

By combining spatial crowdsourcing and AI algorithms that determine optimal pick-up times, locations, optimal traffic conditions with algorithms that consider workers’ preferences for tasks, fairness, the future workers and tasks, this project will develop an efficient spatial crowdsourcing framework to achieve effective task assignments enhancing the future transportation area taken into account workers and clients.

Diversity within research

Yan sees the grant as an opportunity to promote inclusion in a field where women are still underrepresented. She explains what makes her challenge the norms in this area:

“It is the belief that diversity is essential for innovation and progress. As a woman in STEM, I see my journey as an opportunity to break barriers and inspire others to pursue their ambitions, regardless of societal expectations or stereotypes. I am motivated by the chance to demonstrate that talent and determination transcend gender, and I hope my work can pave the way for a more inclusive future. Facing challenges in a male-dominated field fuels my resilience and pushes me to prove that women can excel and lead in these areas.”

Solutions to complex problems

Yan herself is driven by the dynamism of her field, where new data, behavior and scenarios constantly reshape the landscape and keep her curiosity alive. About her motivation she explains:

“What motivates me the most about my research is the opportunity to solve complex problems that have real-world implications, particularly in optimizing systems like on-demand transportation. The thought of creating solutions that balance efficiency with fairness inspires me to keep pushing forward, even when challenges arise.” says Yan Zhao.

The grant enables her to share her results, expand her professional network, collaborate with experts, and gain leadership and project management skills. This way, her research can bridge theoretical innovation and practical application, benefiting both academia and industry.

“I hope my research inspires others to pursue equitable and forward-thinking solutions in technology-driven fields. Ultimately, I aspire to contribute to a future where technology meets human-centered values, and this grant helps make that possible,” she concludes.