Are you interested in conducting research that will contribute to the energy transition and more sustainable lifestyles? We are looking for an enthusiastic and ambitious graduate research assistant (has completed or is close to completion of their MA or MSc) who will join our project on promoting the adoption of digital tools for the energy market.

The research assistant will be part of a new Horizon Europe project called ENERGENIUS that starts in September 2024. The ENERGENIUS consortium combines 17 partners from 10 EU member countries with strong expertise in digital twins, artificial intelligence, social sciences, and digital markets. Erasmus University Rotterdam serves as a consortium partner in the project, bringing a social science perspective to innovation adoption.

The project seeks to establish a holistic ecosystem, integrating cutting-edge and comprehensive digital tools & services that inspire and equip citizens towards the energy transition. ENERGENIUS is fostering a culture of sustainability, inclusiveness, and energy-efficient living, by translating insights from diverse cross-sectoral domains into enriched user experiences.

Job description
The researcher will work on Work Package 2 which focuses on the ENERGENIUS blueprint. Specifically, the researcher will help to develop ways to collect and implement feedback from users and the broader energy community to foster adoption and use of digital tools that address the energy transition.

Tasks include:

• Establish the ENERGENIUS COMMUNITY rich knowledge base and the communication and feedback channels that will guide the design of the ENERGENIUS innovations and services.
• Implement surveys and co-creation workshops happening at key moments, creating forms of participatory engagement of community members with the project. These engagement efforts will promote the diversity of participants, both in terms of their socioeconomic backgrounds and their digital and energy literacy.
• Monitor usage of digital tools to enhance engagement and feed information back to the users.

To be eligible for this role, you must meet the following criteria:

• A Master’s degree in Communication, Media Studies, Social Psychology, Business, Management or the Social Sciences, preferably a research master;
• Quantitative and qualitative research methods and data analysis skills;
• Strong communication and writing skills in English;
• Openness to engage with research partners from multiple field and cultural contexts;
• Willing to travel for consortium meetings or events;
• be organised, reliable and flexible;
• be available starting in September 2024.

We offer you an internationally oriented and varied job in an enthusiastic team, with excellent working conditions in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU).

The start date of this position is 1 September 2024 and you will be based at he Media and Communication department in Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication (ESHCC). This position is for 0.8 fte - 1 fte. The salary is dependent on your experience and knowledge and ranges from a minimum of € 3.226 to a maximum of € 5.090 gross per month Scale 10 on a fulltime basis (38 hours), in accordance with the CAO-NU. The contract is entered into for the duration of 1 year.

Everything else we offer you, you can find below!

• Everything you need for a good work-life balance: the option to work from home in consultation with your manager, 41 days of paid leave with a 40 hour contract, 8% holiday pay and an 8.3% end-of-year bonus, and a significant discount on a subscription for our on-campus sports centre!
• Sustainable, inclusive and diverse work environment with an open culture, where you can be yourself and we pay attention to each other and to the world around us. Make the most of our bicycle budget, or join networks such as Young@EUR, FAME or QuEUR.
• Time and space for your development in the broadest sense: development days and a personal career budget, foreign exchange opportunities with most costs paid by EUR, and free access to our university library.
• Good pension with ABP that EUR contributes 2/3rds towards, discounts on various collective insurances with Zilveren Kruis Achmea, Loyalis, and Allianz, and compensation for travel, working from home and home internet use.
• Are you currently combining your job with parenthood, or do you want to do so in the future? EUR offers partially paid parental leave and fully paid additional birth leave for partners, and our campus features a daycare.
• Moving to the Netherlands for your job with EUR? Then you may be eligible for the 30%-ruling if you meet the requirements of the Belastingdienst (Dutch tax agency), and with our Dual Career Programme we will also help your partner find the right job for them.

Erasmus University Rotterdam

Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) is an internationally oriented university with a strong social orientation in its education and research, as expressed in our mission ‘Creating positive societal impact’. EUR is home to 4.100 academics and professionals and almost 33.000 students from more than 140 countries. Everything we do, we do under the credo The Erasmian Way – Making Minds Matter. We’re global citizens, connecting, entrepreneurial, open-minded, and socially involved. These Erasmian Values function as our internal compass and create EUR’s distinctive and recognizable profile. From these values, with a broad perspective and with an eye for diversity, different backgrounds and opinions, our employees work closely together to solve societal challenges from the dynamic and cosmopolitan city of Rotterdam. Thanks to the high quality and positive societal impact of our research and education, EUR can compete with the top European universities. www.eur.nl.

Faculty / Institute / Central service
The Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communicationl (ESHCC) is part of Erasmus University Rotterdam. The school has three departments: History, Arts and Culture and Media and Communication.

ESHCC offers high quality education based on scientific research at the intersection of the Humanities and Social Sciences. Our ambitious Dutch and international students are educated in a stimulating learning environment. Upon graduation, they have acquired the knowledge, insight and skills to make important and inspiring contributions to an increasingly international society in which diversity plays a major role.

The faculty offers three bachelor's programs and three master's programs with a total of seven specializations, as well as two Erasmus Mundus programs and a research master. Most programs are internationally oriented and taught in English.

ESHCC hosts the research institute ERMeCHS (Erasmus Research Institute for Media, Culture, History & Society). Researchers at ERMeCHS are dedicated to conducting interdisciplinary research in the fields of media, communication, culture, history, and society. Our research agenda focuses on strengthening interdisciplinary research, increasing external funding, and enhancing our societal impact.

ESHCC is housed in the Van der Goot (M) Building on the Woudestein campus of Erasmus University Rotterdam. Approximately 2400 students study there, and there are 240 staff members.

This position will contribute and participate in the newly formed ERMeCHS cluster REACT (Responsible Engagement with AI, Culture and Technology).

Department
The Media and Communication Department is a dynamic, internationally oriented department within the ESHCC. The department offers five international degree programmes: the International Bachelor’s programme in Communication and Media (IBCoM), four international Master’s programmes in Media Studies (Media & Business, Media & Creative Industries, Media, Culture & Society, Digitalisation, Surveillance & Society) and the Research master in the Sociology of Culture, Media and the Arts. The department has close ties with ERMeCHS.