Doctoral student in Smart grids and Smart cities - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

The International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics (IIIEE) is an international and interdisciplinary centre of excellence at Lund University. We advance knowledge on how to catalyse the transition to low-carbon and resource efficient economies across different levels of governance and management. We conduct research across the themes of international and national policy intervention, urban governance and experimentation, business management and practice, and consumption governance.

Subject description

The doctoral student will work in the area of sustainable urban governance with a focus on smart cities and smart grids. Smart grids connect supply, distribution and use of electricity through various IT solutions.

The PhD project has three focuses: 1) mapping and analyzing the actions of both established and new actors; and how new and established actors interact in the design of smart grids in relation to smart cities 2) analyze barriers and opportunities for different actors to participate in the design of the future smart grid and how open the system is for innovative solutions 3) analyze how new players experience incentive structures and regulations linked to the design and use of smart grids

Work duties

The PhD position will be placed at the IIIEE at LU and be part of the project "Resistance and effect - on smart electricity grids for the many people", funded by the Kamprad family research foundation. The project is conducted in collaboration with Chalmers, KTH, Linköping University and Uppsala University.

Several actors have had an influence on how the smart grid and the mart cities have been and will be designed in the future. Urban energy systems are in constant transformation and the future will bring new forms of cooperation and knowledge exchange between actors. Such knowledge exchange is needed to create co-production processes contributing to learning and innovation in the system. New forms of collaboration are required to respond to lock-in effects in previous technical and organizational systems. Central actors for such processes are public organizations (such as municipalities, regions, states and EU), commercial actors (such as producers, service developers and service providers, property owners, consultants) and civil society (such as tenant associations, environmental movement, energy cooperatives).

For the design of the future sustainable energy system, it is important to study several perspectives linked to public and private actors at different levels of society and at different geographical locations. Perspectives that are both coherent and in conflict with each other are needed in this work. Examples on relevant perspectives are collaborative and participatory planning. Other approaches possible are policy analysis (policies and regulations can act both obstructing and supporting), political controversies and market conditions which can encourage or inhibit innovations and new actors to enter the market.

Against this background, the project addresses how both established and new actors act and interact in the design of smart grids and in relation to smart cities. Which barriers and enablers exist for different actors to participate in the design of smart grids and smart cities? Which actors are easily accepted and established and which actors have difficult to be in included in the smart grid? How and by whom are issues included and excluded on the smart grid’s agenda? How does the entry of new actors change the incentives and rules of the game for smart grids and smart cities?

Different methods can be used for data collection and analysis, such as case studies, survey, participatory observations, focus groups, interviews and workshops.

The main duties of doctoral students are to devote themselves to their research studies which includes participating in research projects and third cycle courses. The work duties will also include teaching and other departmental duties (no more than 20%).

Admission requirements

A person meets the general admission requirements for third-cycle courses and study programmes if he or she:

• has been awarded a second-cycle qualification, or
• has satisfied the requirements for courses comprising at least 240 credits of which at least 60 credits were awarded in the second cycle, or
• has acquired substantially equivalent knowledge in some other way in Sweden or abroad.

A person meets the specific admission requirements for third cycle studies if he or she has:

• Hold a Master’s degree in a relevant, preferably multi-disciplinary, field
• Degree or a course related to sustainability or environmental policy is a requirement.

Additional requirements:

• Very good oral and written proficiency in English.

Assessment criteria

Selection for third-cycle studies is based on the student’s potential to profit from such studies. The assessment of potential is made primarily on the basis of academic results from the first and second cycle. Special attention is paid to the following:

Knowledge and skills relevant to the thesis project and the subject of study. An assessment of ability to work independently and to formulate and tackle research problems. Written and oral communication skills Other experience relevant to the third-cycle studies, e.g. professional experience.

Other assessment criteria:

Experiences from interdisciplinary projects Swedish language skills is a merti

Consideration will also be given to good collaborative skills, drive and independence, and how the applicant, through his or her experience and skills, is deemed to have the abilities necessary for successfully completing the third cycle programme.

Terms of employment Only those admitted to third cycle studies may be appointed to a doctoral studentship. Third cycle studies at LTH consist of full-time studies for 4 years. A doctoral studentship is a fixed-term employment of a maximum of 5 years (including 20% departmental duties). Doctoral studentships are regulated in the Higher Education Ordinance (1993:100), chapter 5, 1-7 §§.

Instructions on how to apply

Applications shall be written in English and include:

• CV
• a cover letter stating the reasons why you are interested in the position and in what way the research project corresponds to your interests and educational background
• An outline of a research design corresponding to the project description above and related to the research conducted at IIIEE (max 3 pages)
• degree certificate or equivalent
• other documents you wish to be considered (grade transcripts, contact information for your references, letters of recommendation, etc.).
• Relevant thesis must be attached (master thesis and/or bachelor thesis).

We encourage the applicants to apply to both announced positions on Smart grids! You need to submit the application twice, one to each announcement.