We are offering a PhD position at the interface of science, civil society and policy as a part of the Horizon 2020 Energy Citizens for Inclusive Decarbonization (ENCLUDE) project.  You will become part of an international consortium of researchers and practitioners that across 13 institutions within the EU and beyond (including Greece, Switzerland, Romania, Belgium, Macedonia, Canada and among other countries). We are interested in expanding the countries of analysis, including but not limiting to Ukraine, with the intention to support potential scholars who have been forced to flee due the invasion of Ukraine. You will be expected to assess and consolidate the social and environmental impact of bottom-up decarbonization activities across the EU. You should have an interest in the energy transition, the role of the individual and collective in social transformation and open to working with both qualitative and quantitative methods.

Motivated by achieving an equitable and sustainable future and the fulfillment of individual
potential, ENCLUDE will contribute to the upcoming transformation of energy use by: 1)
Assembling, aligning and adapting disparate energy citizenship concepts for diverse
communities of citizens and for different scales of policy making, lowering the barrier for
action, 2) Operationalizing the energy citizenship concept at all scales of policy making for
decarbonization, and 3) Catalyzing a chain reaction of decarbonization actions across the
EU. The PhD position will be focused on bringing together objectives 2 and 3 and contribute to assessing a program to support citizens from around the EU and internationally in realizing local initiatives for the energy transition. In support of these objectives, the ENCLUDE Academy for Energy Citizen Leadership seeks to create a network of “decarbonization ambassadors”, who will spread the knowledge of energy citizenship to seed future collective action. You will assess the impact of social learning processes relevant for supporting energy citizenship that are a part of the Academy, define the main barriers in the implementation of bottom-up decarbonization actions and identify methods of collaborative decision making most effective for addressing these barriers.

This research will take place within the the Policy Analysis section within the faculty of Technology, Policy and Management. The section focuses on innovative concepts and methods to improve public decision making under uncertainty in complex multi-stakeholder situations. This section is a part of the Multi-Actor Systems (MAS) Department and focuses on socio-technical systems’ governance. By governance, we mean the use of instruments, strategies, and structures to shape or change socio-technical systems or parts thereof. Research at MAS addresses how, in such an environment, decision-making, change and coordination of and in socio-technical systems happen. We are actively working in application domains such as water, climate change, energy, cyber security, transport and logistics, and resilience. MAS provides education to students in all the master and bachelor studies taught at the Faculty of Technology, Policy & Management. 

Please check our web page for further information on the department and our work.  
https://www.tudelft.nl/en/tpm/about-the-faculty/departments/multi-actor-systems/

We welcome highly motivated, curious and creative candidates with a Master's degree in (but not limited to) engineering sciences, environmental sciences/studies and those who have a multidisciplinary background. Applicants should have an interest in exploring and developing both qualitative and quantitative social science methodologies, along with having the capacity to understand outputs of agent-based models and integrated model assessments. We particularly encourage applicants who have personal experiences with energy challenges related to fuel poverty, energy access and implementing measures for the energy transition to apply. An aim of your work is to contribute to understanding how we can more effectively bring in the perspectives of marginlised communities in discussions and actions related to the energy transition. 

You should show great interest in not only academic research, but also in building a science-policy interface with a wide array of stakeholders. Previous experience with stakeholder engagement is a plus. Solid statistical skills are also a plus, as well as having some familiarity with different social research methods (surveys, interviews etc.). Applicants should be open to/comfortable working in interdisciplinary settings. Working in a multi-disciplinary team, interacting with diverse stakeholders and negotiating complex social situations should be a draw rather than a barrier for you. Excellent English skills (TOEFL score of 100 or IELTS of 7.0) are mandatory. 

Doing a PhD at TU Delft requires English proficiency at a certain level to ensure that the candidate is able to communicate and interact well, participate in English-taught Doctoral Education courses, and write scientific articles and a final thesis. For more details please check the Graduate Schools Admission Requirements.

Fixed-term contract: 4 years.

Doctoral candidates will be offered a 4-year period of employment in principle, but in the form of 2 employment contracts. An initial 1,5 year contract with an official go/no go progress assessment within 15 months. Followed by an additional contract for the remaining 2,5 years assuming everything goes well and performance requirements are met.

Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, increasing from € 2443 per month in the first year to € 3122 in the fourth year. As a PhD candidate you will be enrolled in the TU Delft Graduate School. The TU Delft Graduate School provides an inspiring research environment with an excellent team of supervisors, academic staff and a mentor. The Doctoral Education Programme is aimed at developing your transferable, discipline-related and research skills.

The TU Delft offers a customisable compensation package, discounts on health insurance and sport memberships, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged. For international applicants we offer the Coming to Delft Service and Partner Career Advice to assist you with your relocation.

Delft University of Technology

Delft University of Technology is built on strong foundations. As creators of the world-famous Dutch waterworks and pioneers in biotech, TU Delft is a top international university combining science, engineering and design. It delivers world class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges in the areas of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society. For generations, our engineers have proven to be entrepreneurial problem-solvers, both in business and in a social context. At TU Delft we embrace diversity and aim to be as inclusive as possible (see our Code of Conduct). Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale.

Challenge. Change. Impact! 

Faculty Technology, Policy and Management

With its excellent education and research at the intersection of technology, society and policy, the Faculty of TPM makes an important contribution to solving complex technical-social issues, such as energy transition, mobility, digitalisation, water management and (cyber) security. We combine insights from the engineering sciences, the social and the humanities. We develop robust models and designs, are internationally oriented and have an extensive network with knowledge institutions, companies, social organisations and governments.

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management.