PostDoc position: Value-sensitive design of CO2 conversion with a focus on sustainability

Updated: over 2 years ago
Deadline: 13 Dec 2021

With a growing global energy demand and climate change challenge, emerging technologies in the field of renewable energy storage must be sustainable. The storage of renewable electricity in chemical bonds is a compelling technological option that combines flexibility, synthesis of high energy dense fuels and chemicals and may use CO2 as raw material. However, the electrochemical conversion of CO2 is an emergent technology, and favourable societal implementation conditions are still unknown. Critical knowledge on the sustainable implementation of CO2 electrochemical devices for a variety range of stakeholders is therefore needed. This is a key first step in the understanding of the role and contribution of CO2 electrochemical reduction by the near future, within the different CO2 mitigation options in place.

In this research project, the PostDoc will work on the social and ethical perspective of CO2 electrochemical implementation. You will apply a value-sensitive design or design for values approach to the electrochemical conversion of CO2. You will perform stakeholder interviews and do literature review, and on basis of this you will make an overview of the moral and social values that should be taken into account in the design of this new technology. For a number of values, including at least the value of sustainability, you will do a conceptual analysis based on relevant (e.g., philosophical) literature, and you will further specify these values in terms of (design) requirements for the new technology taking into account relevant (e.g., technical) literature. You will formulate these requirements in close cooperation with the rest of the research team and relevant stakeholders (e.g. through workshops).

The PostDoc position belongs to the NWO social responsible granted project "Sustainable design of multi-scale CO2 electrochemical conversion", whose principal investigator is Dr. Mar Pérez-Fortes and include researchers from TU Delft and TU Eindhoven. Your work will be supervised by Prof. Ibo van de Poel and you will work together with other researchers within the framework of the abovementioned and other related NWO project. 



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