PhD scholarship at the Department of Economics, University of Copenhagen (UCPH)

Applications are invited for a PhD scholarship at the Department of Economics.

The position starting date is on January 1, 2023, or as agreed.

Green transition of the car fleet
Applications are invited for a PhD scholarship at the Department of Economics, UCPH, in connection with the research project “GreenCar – green transition of the car fleet” funded by the Danish Council for Independent Research.

The ongoing green transition puts tax reform of the car market on the policy agenda, in Denmark and elsewhere. This implies a need for micro-economic models that can support the design of such reforms. The models must be able to encompass the rich complexities of the car market, while exploiting the Danish register data, tracking ownership and use of all Danish cars over a long time span.

The GreenCar research project aims to build high-dimensional models of car ownership and use. The models will be based on perturbed utility models, a new generation of microeconomic models of discrete choice, which allows complex substitution patterns to be described. Important issues include the demand for green cars, interaction between ownership and use, as well as the interactions in multi-car households.

The range of topics allows sufficient elbow room that the PhD student can develop an independent research agenda on well-motivated and engaging issues within the broader research agenda. At the same time, the PhD project will benefit from being part of a team effort

The PhD student will join a team of researchers within the Centre for Computational Economics, collaborating internationally with top researchers from around the world. 

Summary of the research agenda:
Passenger cars account for 14% of total Danish CO2 emissions, which makes the transition of the car fleet to zero-emissions vehicles (ZEVs) very important for the Danish goal of 70% CO2 reduction by 2030 and further until the last fossil car exits the road by 2050 or later. Taxation is the main policy tool for achieving this transition. However, we face considerable uncertainty regarding the future technological progress as well as regarding how the car market develops and responds to policy. Not least, the political constraints are very hard. Hence there will be an ongoing need during the transition to adapt tax instruments.

In Denmark, the vehicle registration tax, annual taxes, and fuel taxes raised 50 billion DKK in revenue (2019). The tax system is complicated, with many provisions for promoting cleaner and safer cars, supporting enterprises, and for closing loopholes.  Tax reforms are evaluated and ultimately decided, not just based on their effect on the speed of the green transition, but also on their effect on tax revenues, mobility and inequality. These policy goals are in conflict. Politically, they are also all potential deal breakers.

To support policy design while navigating these conflicting goals, policy makers need economic models to help predict and evaluate the effects of policies under consideration. However, the currently available tools for quantitative policy analysis are severely lacking. This is not just an issue with the Danish capacity, there are hard methodological issues that have not yet been resolved scientifically.

The car market is challenging to model for several reasons. i) The range of options available to consumers is extremely large. ii) Substitution patterns are complicated as cars are heterogeneous across many dimensions. iii) Cars are durable goods, most are traded several times during their lifetime, and the value of used cars depends strongly on tax reforms. iv) Households substitute usage between cars and may use ZEVs for different purposes than conventional vehicles, such as shorter trips. v) Producers set prices strategically in response to tax incentives and used car prices react to supply and demand conditions for both new and used cars. Consequently, standard statistical procedures are invalid and special methods are required to predict the effect of tax changes. 

In a team comprising world leading competencies and building on multiple lines of research in empirical industrial organization, machine learning, consumer demand, information economics, and structural econometrics, we resolve these methodological challenges, thereby contributing to fundamental research. Our contributions will be important for the green transition of the car fleet, in Denmark and elsewhere. They will also have broader impact as they will be relevant for the prediction of consumer demand in any market for differentiated goods and for durable goods.

Utilizing the high-quality Danish register data, we develop new quantitative policy analysis tools. The policy analysis tools developed, as well as the insights gained about the car market, can contribute substantially to the green transition, guiding policy by quantifying a range of effects of tax reforms. This will enable policymakers to design reform steps over the coming decades that ensure a speedy transition while meeting goals regarding tax revenues, mobility and inequality.

Potential applicants are strongly encouraged to contact Professor and principal investigator (PI) Mogens Fosgerau ([email protected] ) for further information.

Job description

The position is available for a 3-year period (for applicants holding a master’s degree in economics).

 The tasks of the PhD student are to

• Participate in our research team and contribute to subprojects within our research agenda
• Write scientific articles that are included in the PhD thesis of the applicant
• Attend PhD courses
• Participate in congresses/workshops/seminars
• Teach and disseminate your research
• Visit another international research institution for at least a few months

Qualifications
We seek candidates with a strong academic background in Economics, qualifying for enrolment in the 5+3 program (3-year PhD program) in Economics. In the assessment of the candidate’s qualifications, emphasis will be on creativity, grade performance in relevant courses, and not least skills relevant for working with complex econometric models.

The 5+3 PhD study programme

In order to be eligible for a scholarship in the 5+3 PhD study programme the applicant must have completed a two-year MSc degree programme or have earned 120 ECTS credits at an equivalent academic level before starting his or her employment. Applicants should check the PhD curriculum for more detailed descriptions of the entry requirements (see “duties and responsibilities” below). PhD students are paid a salary in accordance with the agreement between the Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (AC). The PhD student has a work obligation of up to 840 hours over the 3-year period of time without additional pay. The work obligation can include for instance teaching or tasks related to the project “The role of networks in shaping health inequality.” 

Applications should include the following enclosures:

• CV
• Degree certificates and transcripts of all relevant course work
• List of publications (if any)

The University of Copenhagen wishes to reflect the surrounding society, and invites all qualified applicants, regardless of personal background, to apply for the positions. In order to be awarded a PhD scholarship the applicant has to enrol as a PhD student at the Faculty of Social Sciences, cf. the rules of the Danish Ministerial order No 1039 of 27 August 2013.

After the expiry of the deadline for applications, the authorized recruitment manager selects applicants for assessment on the advice of the Appointments Committee. All applicants are then immediately notified whether their application has been passed for assessment by an expert assessment committee.

The following criteria are used when shortlisting candidates for assessment:

Selected applicants are notified of the composition of the assessment committee, and each applicant has the opportunity to comment on the part of the assessment that relates to the applicant him/herself. You can read about the recruitment process at http://employment.ku.dk

A number of candidates will be invited for a job-interview. A few days prior to the interview, the candidates will be asked to outline how the person would address a specific research project that will be part of the candidate’s work portfolio in the beginning of the PhD process. The applicant should present the result at the interview. 

Duties and Responsibilities
The PhD will be part of the PhD-programme at the Economics Department. Further information about the PhD study programme is available on the website of Copenhagen Graduate School of Social Sciences:
https://samf.ku.dk/phd-skolen/english/

https://samf.ku.dk/phd-skolen/

Under "Legal basis" on the website you will find information about the rules and guidelines for the PhD programme and the Danish Ministerial Order on the PhD programme at the Universities. 

Information about the PhD study programme is also available on the PhD website of the Department of Economics.
https://www.economics.ku.dk/phd/

https://www.econ.ku.dk/phd/

Applicants should familiarise themselves with admission requirements specified in the PhD curriculum:
https://www.economics.ku.dk/phd/programme/curriculum/

https://www.econ.ku.dk/phd/phd/detaljeret/

Applicants should also familiarise themselves with the research strategy and the ongoing research at the Department before submitting their application. Further information can be found:  

 https://www.economics.ku.dk/research/

https://www.econ.ku.dk/forskning-og-publikationer/

An Equal Opportunity Workplace
The University of Copenhagen is committed in its pursuit of academic excellence to equality of opportunity and to creating an inclusive working environment and therefore encourages all qualified candidates to apply, regardless of personal background, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, ethnicity etc. For more on the diverse working place environment at the University and the University’s participation in the HRS4R HR Excellence in Researrch, see https://employment.ku.dk/working-at-ucph/eu-charter-for-researchers/

International applicant?
The University of Copenhagen offers a broad variety of services for international researchers and accompanying families, including support before and during your relocation and career counselling to expat partners. Please find more information about these services as well as information on entering and working in Denmark here: https://ism.ku.dk/

Contact information
Information about the recruitment process is available from HR, e-mail: [email protected] .Please  refer to ID number: 211-1234/22-2H #1

Applications

Applications must be submitted electronically no later than 1st of November 2022 through the electronic application system, which you access through the below link.

Please note that it is only possible to upload one document per attachment category. If more than one document has to be uploaded in the same category, please make sure that they are scanned and collected into one file. Applications sent by regular mail or by email or received after the deadline will not be taken into account.

Part of the International Alliance of Research Universities (IARU), and among Europe’s top-ranking universities, the University of Copenhagen promotes research and teaching of the highest international standard. Rich in tradition and modern in outlook, the University gives students and staff the opportunity to cultivate their talent in an ambitious and informal environment. An effective organisation – with good working conditions and a collaborative work culture – creates the ideal framework for a successful academic career.