PhD student (w/m/d) for the ifo Center for Energy, Climate, and Resources

To strengthen our team, we are looking for a doctoral candidate for a doctorate in economics at the chair of Prof. Dr. Karen Pittel at the LMU as well as for cooperation in research projects in the field of climate and energy economics.

How can climate protection and the restructuring of the energy system be made economically efficient, sustainable and socially balanced? Our ifo Center for Energy, Climate and Resources investigates these questions. In particular, we analyze the effectiveness and distributional effects of climate protection measures, as well as the transition from fossil energy systems to alternative energy sources. As part of your doctorate, you are working on a project funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection on investment behavior and actor heterogeneity in the European energy transition.

We, the ifo Institute, are one of the leading economic research institutes in Europe. We work on issues relevant to economics and economic policy at the highest scientific level and with an international reach, and develop research-based recommendations for action for policymakers, business and society. Through our five fields of activity - research, promotion of young researchers, policy advice, participation in public debates and information/service - we contribute to maintaining and increasing sustainable economic prosperity and social participation under constantly changing conditions.

Want to know more about us and your career opportunities? Meet us at https://www.ifo.de/en/about-us/ifo-careers

Your new job includes

• research in the field of energy economics, in particular on the transformation and modeling of energy systems, to advance your own research and develop your own research profile.
• the doctorate in economics with your ifo department head Prof. Dr. Karen Pittel at the LMU chair.
• participation in the structured doctoral training program of the Munich Graduate School of Economics (MGSE) at LMU.
• making your research results accessible to the public through various channels. The ifo will actively support you in this.

What we expect from your profile

• a degree with excellent grades, preferably in economics or mathematics, physics or a related field, particularly in the areas of computational economics, econometrics and energy economics.
• interest in the econometric analysis of business organization and the role of finance.
• interest in the application and further development of numerical methods in the field of energy systems modeling.
• excellent language skills in English (written and spoken) so that you can move confidently in the international network of researchers. Knowledge of German is welcome.
• that you value the professional exchange with your colleagues, are a team player, like to take responsibility for yourself and others, and that mutual respect is a matter of course for you.
• that you enjoy learning from and through discussions and are convinced that excellent and effective research is created in exchange with others.

Our doctoral students

• work on exciting questions in practically all areas of economics.
• are part of one of the best addresses for economics in Germany with MGSE and LMU Munich.
• receive top placements as graduates of the MGSE.
• have the opportunity to receive various ifo awards with prize money for their research.
• can achieve higher remuneration through top publications of their research in specialist journals.

• have the opportunity to use the CESifo research network with more than 2,000 members from all over the world
• regularly take part in international conferences and can meet researchers from all over the world.
• have various other opportunities to further their research and broaden their horizons.

• receive a three-year contract (75%; 30.075 hours/week) with the possibility of extension.
• receive a starting salary according to TV-L E 13 (approx. € 41,000.00 per year including annual bonus).
• are supported in their professional and personal development with flexible working hours, the possibility of mobile working and many further training opportunities and are provided with the best possible, modern and comprehensive equipment.
• benefit from our company "holidays" during the year (half a day on Shrove Tuesday and a full day on December 24 and 31).
• are entitled to a relocation allowance after passing their probationary period if they move to Munich or the surrounding area from a radius of 200 km or more.
• are supported with evening German courses if required.

In 2019, we were awarded the "HR Excellence in Research" prize by the European Commission. Our membership of the Bavarian Family Pact strengthens our measures to reconcile family and career. We promote professional equality regardless of ethnic origin, gender, religion or ideology, disability, age or sexual identity. We strive to increase the proportion of women in research and therefore expressly encourage women to apply.

How to apply

Have we attract your attention? Then we look forward to receiving your application documents with the reference number 2024-005 EKR-Dok by April 21, 2024 using the form here .

Your application should include a letter of motivation, CV, testimonials and letter of reference. Letters of reference can be sent directly from the creator to the following e-mail address: Recruiting(at)ifo.de . The letters will then be added to your application in our system and forwarded to the relevant persons.

Please ensure that you only use .pdf files, Word documents and images in .jpg format. Please also ensure that you use short file names. File names that are too long can lead to errors when sending the application. Please read the document " Information on system naming "  carefully so that your application can be sent to us without errors. Please use "Mozilla Firefox" or "Microsoft Edge" as your browser. In case of problems, please check whether you are using the latest browser version.

If you have any technical questions, please contact Recruiting(at)ifo.de .