We are inviting applications for a position of a researcher in the Department of Urbanism.

The researcher will join an interdisciplinary team working on several research projects. The main tasks for the researcher is to contribute to two core projects:

1. ‘Democratising jUst Sustainability Transitions’ (DUST), a Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Action project led by TU Delft. The DUST project will develop and operationalise novel participatory instruments for proactive and strategic citizen engagement in sustainability transitions at the regional scale. It will combine design-led territorial tools with digital tools for citizen deliberation at scale. The project addresses a defining societal and democratic challenge for Europe, which is to hear the voices of least engaged communities, especially in structurally weak regions dependent on energy-intensive industries, which will be most affected by transitions towards a more sustainable future. Building on the concept of ‘active subsidiarity’, the project will employ an innovative mix of research methods, and experimental citizen participation, to understand the determinants of participation in decision-making on sustainability transitions at different levels of government, and to develop effective policy recommendations for inclusive engagement of the civil society in anticipation of sustainable regional futures.
2. Ex-post evaluation of EU Cohesion Policy programmes 2014-2020, examining the implementation of instruments that support integrated territorial development. In this project, led by the European Policies Research Centre at the University of Strathclyde, the TU Delft team is involved inter alia in case study research and is responsible production of country and thematic fiches on territorial instruments presenting the main findings and of a ‘cookbook’ bringing together the key lessons and recommendations from the research. 

Research
The researcher will contribute to the DUST project’s work packages, which include case study research into processes involving least engaged communities in multi-level just sustainability transition policies in eight European regions in which a shift away from energy-intensive and/or coal mining activities industries remains a major challenge. The candidate is expected to support work package leaders in empirical research, including a citizen survey, policy document analysis, media analysis, interviews and focus groups. He/she is expected to work independently on research tasks that relate to the Dutch case study. The researcher will also offer organisational support to the TU Delft team leading the DUST project (e.g. contribution to elaboration of deliverables or organisation of project meetings, liaison with stakeholders in the case study areas).

For the ex-post evaluation project, the researcher will contribute to collection and processing of data from case study research and to the elaboration of fiches, policy lessons and recommendations geared towards practitioner audience. In this, he/she will also liaise and collaborate closely not only with the TU Delft team, but also the other project partners.

Both projects will entail working across disciplines and sectors, with academic partners the fields of political science, public policy, spatial planning, urban design, economics, and with civil society organisations and public authorities. The researcher will support the interaction between these diverse consortium members and stakeholders in the case study regions.

The researcher is also expected to co-author academic publications building on both research projects.

The candidate has:

• Expertise in research on spatial planning in Europe and/or European Union’s Cohesion Policy: this is an essential competence for this position; we especially encourage candidates with knowledge and experience in research on territorial instruments as part of Cohesion Policy, such as Integrated Territorial Investment, and on the Just Transition Fund.
• A strong interest in regional development policies, territorial governance, just sustainability transitions and citizen engagement.
• A Master degree, proven research experience or a PhD degree in the social or spatial sciences, for example political science, public policy, spatial planning, regional and urban studies, or another relevant discipline, ideally with an affinity with regional and urban development issues and policies.
• Experience with interdisciplinary work combining knowledge from the above listed fields and/or disciplines that are relevant for the projects mentioned.
• Experience in using qualitative research methods and data analysis techniques (experience in quantitative research and handling quantitative data is not an essential competence but would be an asset).
• Excellent presentation, communication and networking skills.
• Ability to work within interdisciplinary and international research teams.
• Very good writing skills, as demonstrated by peer-reviewed academic publications or by other relevant writing experience (e.g. policy reports).
• Proficiency in the written and spoken use of the English language (knowledge of Dutch would also be an asset).
• Availability to work full time for at least 12 months or up to 24 months on a part time basis, starting in March 2023.

Fixed-term contract: 12 months.

Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities. The TU Delft offers a customisable compensation package, a discount 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. An International Children's Centre offers childcare and there is an international primary school.

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 as one of our core values and we actively engage to be a university where you feel at home and can flourish. We value different perspectives and qualities. We believe this makes our work more innovative, the TU Delft community more vibrant and the world more just. Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale. That is why we invite you to apply. Your application will receive fair consideration.

Challenge. Change. Impact!

Faculty Architecture & the Built Environment

The Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment has a leading role in education and research worldwide. The driving force behind the faculty’s success is its robust research profile combined with the energy and creativity of its student body and academic community. It is buzzing with energy from early in the morning until late at night, with four thousand people studying, working, designing, conducting research and acquiring and disseminating knowledge. Our faculty has a strong focus on 'design-oriented research’, which has given it a top position in world rankings.

Staff and students are working to improve the built environment with the help of a broad set of disciplines, including architectural design, urban planning, building technology, social sciences, process management, and geo-information science. The faculty works closely with other faculties, universities, private parties, and the public sector, and has an extensive network in the Netherlands as well as internationally.

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment.

Department of Urbanism
The Department of Urbanism is one of the four departments at the TU Delft Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment. The Department of Urbanism considers urbanism as a planning and design-oriented activity focused on the (re)making of better urban environments. The Department of Urbanism is a world leading knowledge hub for innovative urban and landscape design and research which is strongly rooted in the Delft Approach to design. This approach is research based and explicitly inter- and transdisciplinary. The mission of the department is to advance, share and apply knowledge on how to adapt the built environment to societal and environmental changes and how to apply design, planning and engineering interventions to better satisfy human needs, and to achieve fairer, healthier, and more resilient urban landscapes.

Section Spatial Planning & Strategy
The researcher will be embedded in the Section Spatial Planning & Strategy (SP&S) of the Department of Urbanism. The SP&S section consists of a team of urbanists and planners from all over the globe. We focus on (i) international and European territorial governance and policy making, (ii) contemporary methods of spatial planning as well as spatial planning instruments, (iii) territorial evidence and (spatial planning) impact assessment, and (iv) the political dimension of planning. By doing so, we contribute to theories of spatial planning and build on the SP&S section’s strong tradition of international comparative approaches, and vision- and strategy-making. Spatial planning in Delft is closely related to the design disciplines focusing on (the development and transformation of) spatial form, patterns, structures and composition.