PhD Project "The Afterlives of Technologies for Sustainable Transitions"

Are you interested in what happens in the afterlives of technologies designed and implemented to achieve sustainable transitions? Is it your ambition to become a good researcher, work in an interdisciplinary team, and work with different stakeholders to investigate the outcomes of technological innovations when they become obsolete, fail, and/or are discarded?

The afterlives of technologies for sustainable transitions
We are seeking a motivated PhD candidate for the project: “The afterlives of technologies for sustainable transitions”, which is embedded in the Centre for Sustainable Development Studies (CSDS) and the Research Priority Area: Bridging Social and Behavioural Science Disciplines to Galvanize Sustainability (BRIDGES) of the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences.

The project has an interdisciplinary focus and a supervision team consisting of supervisors from Urban Planning (Dr. Mendel Giezen – main supervisor), International Development (Dr. Karen Paiva Henrique), Sociology (Dr. Catherine Wong) and Communication Science (Dr. Anke Wonneberger). You will be a member of the Amsterdam Institute of Social Science Research (AISSR) and will be based in the program group Urban Planning, but you will also be invited to join meetings and activities across all disciplines involved in the project.

Project description

In recent years, technological innovations have become central to planning and realizing sustainable transitions across scales, from the global to the community levels. As societies face the multifaceted and compounding effects of socioenvironmental crises (e.g., resource depletion, climate change, pollution, contamination), the search for the ‘right’ technologies to address these challenges while redefining human-environment relations towards achieving sustainable futures increasingly gain center stage in politics, finance, governance, and public discourses. Yet, less attention has been paid to the by-products, unintended outcomes, and final destinations of technologies still in use or that have become obsolete, came to the end of their life cycle, and have been discarded.

Attention to the ‘afterlives’ of technologies raises questions about geographical location (how discarded materials travel from one place to another, and their origin/destination points?), markets (what new formal and informal markets come into being through the discard of by-products and obsolete components?), discourse and value (what frames and values are attributed to technology in media discourses, who defines their success/failure, and how value is transformed across technological life-cycles?), governance (how do different actors manage and negotiate technologies as an strategic issue?) and impact (what are the trade-offs and who pays the price for unwanted technologies?). To answer these questions, this project aims to bring together and develop cross-fertilizations across urban planning, international development, sociology, and communication science, both conceptually and methodologically.

The selected candidate will develop a project on a topic of their choice within the broader theme “the afterlives of technology for energy transitions”. Proposed topics must be related to a concrete technological intervention that has either been implemented and has reached the end of its life (by becoming obsolete or being rejected as a failure) or that has generated undesirable by-products. Specifically, the candidate will be asked to examine the ‘afterlife’ of their proposed technology along four disciplinary lines of inquiry:

• Value and market-making processes (Sociology)
• Framing in public debate and decision-making circles (Communication Science)
• Knowledge, material, and policy flows (International Development)
• Impacts on local communities (Urban Planning)

The scientific approach of this project is marked by its multidisciplinary methodological design and includes qualitative (e.g., fieldwork including in-depth interviews, focus group discussions) and quantitative (e.g., content analysis, surveys, experiments) methods. Through these, the project aims to generate robust findings and a comprehensive understanding of (the effects of) technological innovations and their outcomes.

What are you going to do
During your PhD, you will:

• complete a PhD dissertation consisting of research articles within the official appointment period of four years
• gain knowledge of the field through literature research, discussion with team members, and internal research meetings
• contribute to the design of empirical studies (mixed-methods approach)
• plan, organize, and conduct data-collection, analyse and interpret results of the different studies
• present results at local, national and international scientific meetings
• submit research articles to esteemed international peer-reviewed journals
• engage in valorisation activities; contribute to the vibrant academic life in Amsterdam in terms of events, workshops, meetings, activities, and lectures
• contribute to the management of the Centre for Sustainable Development Studies.

What do you have to offer
You are enthusiastic about conducting empirical research about sustainable transitions and their (planned and/or unintended) outcomes. You thrive in interdisciplinary environments, collaborating as a team player with excellent communication skills. Proactive by nature, you autonomously pursue necessary tasks while remaining open to seeking assistance when required. You are unhesitant to build networks with relevant stakeholders (e.g., policy makers, residents, industry).

Your experience and profile:

• MSc in Urban Planning, Urban Studies, International Development, Human Geography, Communication Science, Sociology, or a related field or will obtain this degree before the start of the project
• experience with qualitative and quantitative research and data analyses
• affinity with sustainability-related topics
• good analytical, writing, and presenting skills
• good project and time management skills enabling you to meet the projects’ deadlines for finishing analyses, reports and other deliverables
• eager to learn new things, conscientious, flexible, and a collaborative attitude
• fluency in English, both written and spoken
• strongly committed to methodological rigor and scientific integrity
• motivated to exchange knowledge with academic and non-academic audiences.

What else do we offer you

• A challenging work environment with ample scope for individual initiative and development within an inspiring organization
• an interdisciplinary setting, where you will be part of the CSDS and AISSR (Program Group: Urban Planning), and are welcome to join research meetings across the disciplines involved in the call
• working on a unique project, combining insights from different fields, working with stakeholders from practice, and contributing to shaping the content of the PhD project
• an enthusiastic and warm team that is welcoming to new colleagues
• an inspiring academic and international working environment in the heart of Amsterdam.

The starting date is flexible, but the aimed starting date is March 1st, 2026. The position concerns temporary employment of 1.0 fte (38 hours per week) for a maximum term of 4 years. The initial employment is for one year. Following a positive assessment and barring altered circumstances, this term will be extended by a maximum of 36 months, which should result in the conferral of a doctorate. We will put together a curriculum which will also include the opportunity to attend training courses and both national and international events. You will also be tasked with managing responsibilities for the Centre for Sustainable Development Studies. For this position the University Job Classification profile “promovendus” applies.

Your salary will be €3.546 gross per month in the first year and will increase to €3.881 in the final year, based on full-time employment and in keeping with the Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities. We additionally offer an extensive package of secondary benefits, including 8% holiday allowance and a year-end bonus of 8.3%. The UvA offers excellent possibilities for further professional development and education.

You will work here
The project is embedded in the Amsterdam Institute of Social Science Research and the CSDS at the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences. The Amsterdam Institute of Social Science Research (AISSR) is the research institute for the Social Sciences in the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences at the University of Amsterdam.

Do you recognize yourself in the job profile? Then we look forward to receiving your application by 12 January 2026. You may apply online by using the link below.

Applications in one bundled .pdf should include:

• Curriculum vitae including contact details for two references (no letters needed as this point). On your CV, please state whether you have completed your degree or include a letter from the supervisor in which the expected date of completion of your degree is stated
• Letter of motivation (max 750 words)
• Research statement where you share your first ideas on how you would approach the project including suggestions for relevant (and feasible, given your experience and skills) proposed technology (max 500 words)
• Writing sample in English (e.g., an article, chapter of thesis, book chapter, or assignment).

The bundled document in PDF must be uploaded under the mandatory field CV*.

Short-listed applicants will be contacted by 22 January 2026. Job interviews will take place on 29 January 2026 preferably in person in Amsterdam. Please note that we will not reimburse travel expenses.

The UvA is an equal-opportunity employer. We prioritise diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for everyone. We value a spirit of enquiry and perseverance, provide the space to keep asking questions, and promote a culture of curiosity and creativity.

No agencies please.

Questions
Do you have any questions, or do you require additional information? Please lease contact Dr. Karen Paiva Henrique and Dr. Mendel Giezen (make sure to include the vacancy number in the title of your email).