PhD project: Accelerating the energy transition in the Province of North-Holland

Are you attracted by a socio-political analysis of actors and their choices regarding the techno-economic and governance aspects of infrastructures for sustainable energy systems?

Do you have affinity with design thinking and its application to transformative, contested change? 

Are you a person who can do academically interesting research, embedded in stakeholder engagement in an interdisciplinary setting?

Are you interested in the energy transition as a multi-scale (local, provincial, national and transnational) phenomenon?

The Department Political Science of the faculty is looking for a PhD student for a project on the energy transition in the province of North-Holland.

This Province of North Holland needs support in designing a novel, flexible and hybrid energy infrastructure that is able to accommodate social-economic functions while simultaneously implementing, and speeding up, the energy transition. As explained here this poses significant coordination challenges between different regions, as well as between actors, practices, institutions and infrastructures at the regional, provincial, national and (trans-)national level.

This project is to analyze governance dilemmas and explore opportunities to deal with them. It will involve desk research, iteratively embedded in a process of stakeholder engagement. The PhD student will help shape that process.

The PhD candidate will be embedded in the Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research (AISSR ) at the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences. More specifically, the PhD will be part of the AISSR programme group Transnational Configurations, Conflict and Governance . Senior staff from the faculties of Economics and Business and Law will contribute their expertise on the business, economic and legal issues, and participate in supervision. There will be collaboration with energy researchers from all UvA faculties in the context of the UvA Institute of Advanced Studies.

What are you going to do

As a first step, the PhD student will mapexisting plans with a focus on the supposed infrastructure, and explore its system efficiency (economic, energetic and infrastructural), land use, and public support ramifications. On that basis key challenges for the province’s energy transition and its governance will be identified, and some well-delineated cases will be defined that enables further exploration of these issues. For these cases, solution alternatives will be elaborated and evaluated, using design methodology and (qualitative) complex systems thinking. This process will be embedded in structured interaction (mostly in Dutch) with policy makers and other stakeholders. 

Some background information may be found here .

You will/tasks:

• do desk research, interviews and field visits to map the existing and emerging energy infrastructure in the province of North Holland;
• use design methods to elaborate and evaluate alternative options for the energy infrastructure;
• help set up and run a structured process of involvement of policy makers and stakeholders, and embed one’s own research in this process
• write a PhD dissertation in English, including four articles based on the above, to be published in international, refereed academic journals.
• participate in meetings with a wider (IAS) community of the UvA energy researchers.

What do you have to offer

Give a description of your successful candidate.

Our successful candidate combines strong analytical capacities with a proper sense of practice.

S/he/they is well able to collaborate with a variety of societal, governmental and business actors, while keeping the own plan and planning in focus. S/he/they can function well in an interdisciplinary context. S/he/they is able to finalize a PhD dissertation within four years.

Your experience and profile:

• Master’s degree in one of the social sciences (e.g., planning studies, political science, science and technology studies, sociology, business administration)
• a demonstrable affinity / background in planning and design thinking;
• proficiency in Dutch that is good enough to read policy documents, attend meetings and communicate with stakeholders in Dutch;
• capacity to communicate about research with non-academics and with academics from different disciplines
• affinity with at least one of the following themes: collaborative planning and design; energy transition or a similar socio-technical innovation; complexity thinking in social(-technical) systems

What can we offer you

The position concerns a temporary appointment of 38 hours per week for a maximum term of four years. The initial appointment is for one year. Following a positive assessment after 12 months and barring other unforeseen circumstances, your appointment will be extended by a maximum of 36 months, at the end of which a doctorate should be conferred.

You will follow a curriculum with other AISSR PhD candidates. You will also have the opportunity to attend additional training courses, summer schools and both national and international conferences.

You will also be tasked with teaching Bachelor's students.

For this position the University Job Classification profile PHD applies. 

The gross monthly salary, based on 38 hours per week and relevant experience, ranges from € 2541 up to a maximum of € 3247. This sum does not include the 8% holiday allowance and the 8,3% year-end allowance. A favourable tax agreement, the ‘30% ruling’, may apply to non-Dutch applicants. The Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities is applicable.

The UvA offers excellent possibilities for further professional development and education.

What else do we offer

• a position in which initiative and input are highly valued
• an enthusiastic and warm team that is open to new colleagues
• an inspiring academic and international working environment in the heart of Amsterdam.

About us

The University of Amsterdam is the largest university in the Netherlands, with the broadest spectrum of degree programmes. It is an intellectual hub with 39,000 students, 6,000 employees and 3,000 doctoral students who are all committed to a culture of inquiring minds.

About the faculty

A challenging work environment with a variety of duties and ample scope for individual initiative and development within an inspiring organization. The social and behavioral sciences play a leading role in addressing the major societal challenges faced by the world, the Netherlands and Amsterdam, now and in the future.

Want to know more about our organisation? Read more about working at the University of Amsterdam.

Questions

Do you have any questions or do you require additional information? Please contact: prof dr. John Grin, [email protected] , 020 – 525 2108

Job application

Do you recognize yourself in the job profile? Then we look forward to receiving your application by 4 September 2022. You may apply online by using the link below.

Applications in 1 bundled pdf file should include:

• a curriculum vitae;
• a letter of motivation;
• a substantive outline of 2-3 A4 with first ideas on a research design.

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

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