Decentralized Aviation
Research & Education Lab.

DARE Lab is a global, decentralized non-profit community of ambitious young and high-caliber researchers dedicated to top-quality scientific outputs across the aviation ecosystem.

The Laboratory

Scientific Governance
Official Description

High-Caliber Ambition

DARE Lab is a global, decentralized non-profit community of ambitious young and high-caliber aviation researchers dedicated to producing top-quality scientific outputs across the aviation ecosystem—spanning air transport, ATM, airport operations, safety, and sustainability.

We empower early-career talent alongside established experts, sharing datasets, simulation environments, and domain expertise globally.

Network Model

Decentralized.

Designed for flexibility and scale. Topic-driven working groups enable cross-pollination between teams and faster translation of ideas into publications.

Priority

Quality-First.

Rigorous standards in research design, methodological transparency, and reproducibility aiming for high-impact scholarly assets.

Roadmap

Building an international footprint.

Focusing on regular webinars, focused workshops, and producing edited volumes that set new directions for the aviation research community.

Laboratory Structure

Founders & PIs
Kadir Dönmez
Education & Community Founder & Co-Director Samsun University

Kadir Dönmez

Assoc. Prof. // Vice Dean at Faculty of Aeronautics and Astronautics. ATM researcher.

Google Scholar
Hasnain Ali
Quality & Strategy Co-Founder & Co-Director

Hasnain Ali

Lead – Data Science & Optimization | Machine Learning + Operations Research | Building Next-Gen Decision Systems.

Google Scholar
Mustafa Özdemir Principal Investigator The University of Tokyo

Mustafa Özdemir

Postdoctoral Researcher | PhD in ATM | Fulbright Alumnus.

Google Scholar
Mahmut Bakır Principal Investigator Samsun University

Mahmut Bakır

Assoc. Prof. // Head of Aviation Management Department.

Google Scholar
Saqib Gulzar Principal Investigator Colorado State University Pueblo

Saqib Gulzar

Assistant Professor. Lead on Decision Support.

Google Scholar
Mohammad Rauf Sheikhi Principal Investigator Samsun University

Mohammad Rauf Sheikhi

Assistant Professor at Faculty of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

Google Scholar
Hakan Aygün Principal Investigator Fırat University

Hakan Aygün

Assoc. Prof. // Energy-exergy, aviation fuels, emissions research.

Google Scholar
Gökhan Tanrıverdi Principal Investigator Erzincan Binali Yıldırım University

Gökhan Tanrıverdi

Assoc. Prof. // Aviation Management, Air Cargo, Strategic Decision-Making, Decarbonization.

Google Scholar
Ramazan Kürşat Çeçen Principal Investigator Eskisehir Osmangazi University

Ramazan Kürşat Çeçen

Assoc. Prof. // Optimization, Meta-Heuristic Algorithms, Air traffic Flow Management, Aircraft Conflict Resolution.

Google Scholar

Working Groups

Research Areas
Group 01

Air Transport & ATM

Network planning, capacity balancing, and global trajectory operations.

Group 02

Surface & Airline Ops

Gate, taxi, and runway integration combined with airline recovery strategies.

Work in Progress
Group 03

Safety & Human Factors

Operational risk management and human-AI teaming in complex systems.

Group 04

Sustainability

Fuel and emissions-aware operations and green aviation pathways.

Work in Progress
Group 05

Data Science & AI

Decision support, machine learning pipelines, and digital twin frameworks.

Group 06

Education

Monthly clinics, webinars, and mentorship for research maturity.

Group 07

Urban Air Mobility

Advanced air mobility, eVTOL operations, and UAM traffic management integration.

Work in Progress

Collective Output

Scientific Impact
Journals

Publications

Rigorous peer-reviewed papers in top-tier aviation journals.

Industry

Projects

Funded collaborations delivering real-world operational impact.

Academia

Books

Comprehensive handbooks setting the international research agenda.

Latest Updates

News & Announcements

Governance & Growth

Policy & Programs
Quality & Policies

Internal Quality Gate

All outputs undergo rigorous internal review for method rigor and clarity before external submission.

Authorship & Ethics

Fair credit based on substantial intellectual contribution and ethical data handling.

Programs

Monthly Webinars

Guest speakers, clinics, and internal talks on the latest research.

Mentoring

Support for early-career researchers and proposal writing.

Scientific Protocol

Ethics & Legal Framework
Legal Disclaimer

Institutional Independence.

DARE Lab is a decentralized research collective. Institutional affiliations of members are for identification purposes only. The Lab does not legally represent the universities or organizations where its members are employed. All research findings, opinions, and outputs are solely the responsibility of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policies or positions of their respective institutions.

Ethical Code

COPE Guidelines.

We adhere to the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines. Our members commit to intellectual honesty, data integrity, and transparent conflict-of-interest disclosures in all scholarly activities.

Limited Liability

The DARE Lab provides a collaborative platform for academic exchange. Under no circumstances shall the Lab or its founders be held liable for any direct, indirect, or consequential damages arising from the use or interpretation of the research outputs or datasets provided on this platform.

Join the Lab

Membership

Participation is based on research maturity, contribution intent, and cultural alignment with the DARE principles.

Protocol

Application Process

Interest Form → Alignment Call → First Contribution.