Doctoral student in Technology and Society with a focus on Circular Real Estate

Description of the workplace

The doctoral candidate position is placed at the Department of Technology and Society, which employs around 80 senior lecturers, doctoral candidates, and administrative staff. The candidate will be appointed to the research field of Technology and Society. Technology and Society is a novel third-cycle subject that encompasses multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary studies of technology’s role, interplay, and importance in different sectors of society.

The CIRcular Real Estate (CIRRE) research group is focused on circular economy in the real estate and construction industry. We are particularly interested in ways to optimize the use of our existing building stock, through different circular solutions such as sharing and adaptive reuse. Our research is transdisciplinary, and we prefer mixed methods, including qualitative analyses and lifecycle assessment. You can read more about the research group on our website.

The position will also be linked to the LTH Profile Area Circular Building Sector, which addresses the building industry's major challenges: carbon impact and energy use, use of natural resources, and waste generation. The Profile Area contributes new knowledge on circular solutions and approaches, bridging the gap between industry and academia. You can read more about the profile area on our website.

As a doctoral candidate you will work with the research project Adapting to Creative and Collaborative Use in Rural Areas for CircularitY (ACCURACY), funded by the Kamprad Family Foundation. ACCURACY will establish, through transdisciplinary research and case studies in Sweden, how to develop and implement novel concepts that can be used for optimising the use of existing vacant space in rural areas. One concept are rural co-working hubs, but also other types of creative and collaborative use will be explored in the project.

Work duties

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 may 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 the applicant: 

• 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 in Technology and Society if the applicant has: 

• at least 30 credits awarded in the second cycle relevant to the subject area.

Additional requirements:

• Excellent oral and written proficiency in English.
• Good oral and written proficiency in Swedish, to carry out case studies in Sweden.

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: 

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

Other assessment criteria:

• We consider it an additional qualification if you have experience of working with qualitative methods and collecting data through e.g. workshops, interviews, or focus groups.
• We consider it an additional qualification if you have experience of working with quantitative and mixed methods (e.g., LCA and S-LCA), and;
• We consider it an additional qualification if you have professional experience in the built environment domain.

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

We offer

Lund University is a public authority which means that employees get particular benefits, generous annual leave and an advantageous occupational pension scheme. 

Read more on the University website about being a Lund University employee Work at Lund University. 

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 §§.

Start January 2025.

How to apply

Applications shall be written in English and include 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. The application must also contain a CV, degree certificate or equivalent, and other documents you wish to be considered (e.g. Bachelor’s thesis, Master’s thesis, grade transcripts, contact information for your references, letters of recommendation, etc.).

The deadline for applications is 15 August 2024. We plan for interviews in September 2024.

Welcome to apply!