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Phd Position Within Science and Technology Studies

Employer
NORWEGIAN UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY - NTNU
Location
Dragvoll, Norway
Closing date
1 Nov 2019

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About the position

A 3-year temporary position as PhD candidate in STS at the department of interdisciplinary studies of culture: Integrating consumer (end-user) knowledge in demand-response technology and service design

At NTNU, dept. of interdisciplinary studies of culture (www.ntnu.no/kult), there is a 3-year vacancy in science and technology studies (STS). The PhD will be part of the centre for technology and society and the research group on energy and environment. The candidate will focus on challenges and opportunities of integrating social scientific insights into the design and implementation of smart energy technologies across the energy system. A particular focus will be given to the epistemic, technological and practical foundations of what is often called flexibility in the power system.

The PhD is funded by the Centre for intelligent electricity distribution (FME CINELDI, www.cineldi.no), where the candidate will be part of WP3 (Interaction TSO-DSO). CINELDI is a multidisciplinary research centre focusing on future intelligent electricity distribution grid. The PhD will work closely with other PhDs/PostDocs and researchers within CINELDI and other projects on energy transitions at the department. The candidate will also participate in activities organized through FME NTRANS (www.ntrans.no).

This PhD will focus on what is called Demand Response technologies and services. These typically seek to influence the timing and intensity of energy demand and the potential for offering so-called flexibility to the power system. Flexibility can both be implicit (indirect response) and explicit (direct response),and include examples such as time of use (TOU) tariffs, critical peak pricing, feedback technologies and automated demand controllers. Such solutions represent technological and economic interventions explicitly targeting energy related practices and social order across sectors and scales. However, despite the clear social ambitions and contingencies of such solutions, their construction, design and implementation tend to be guided primarily by insights from techno-economic sciences.

This PhD project will probe opportunities and challenges for interdisciplinary work in developing demand response technologies and services. The candidate will a) study the institutional context and conditions for such interdisciplinary work, b) study the practical strategies of innovation and implementation within and beyond CINELDI, and c) work practically to integrate knowledge about societal processes into technology and service development in order to ensure inclusive forms of transition, and through this increase the chances of realizing the flexibility potential in the power system.

Main duties and responsibilities

The successful applicant must

  • Conduct empirical data collection through qualitative methods such as interviews and focus groups, potentially in combination with quantitative methods.
  • Be able to analyse such data through theories and concepts from science and technology studies
  • Complete the obligatory coursework in the ph.d.-program for interdisciplinary studies of culture
  • Produce a PhD thesis, preferably based on peer reviewed articles published in key international journals
  • Present and disseminate work at relevant national and international venues
  • Be an active participant in the day-to-day activities at KULT, the centre for technology and society and in relevant research groups at the department including FME CINELDI and NTRANS

Qualification requirements

  • Applicants must hold a MA or equivalent in Science and technology studies (STS), or another other relevant social scientific or humanities background. Examples are sociology, anthropology, political science or human geography. Candidates with a different academic background might be considered if they can document relevant research experience from related research activities.
  • We will emphasize completion of the MA on time, and with good results.
  • Applicants should have knowledge of or interest in social scientific studies of energy, the power system, demand response technology and service design, and interdisciplinarity.
  • The applicant should have an interest in, and experience with qualitative research methods
  • We emphasize the documented ability to collaborate with others e.g. through co-authoring research papers, as well as individual ability to conduct independent research.  
  • Fluency in a Scandinavian language will be considered an advantage
  • Excellent English skills (written and oral)

The PhD-position's main objective is to qualify for work in research positions. The qualification requirement is completion of a master’s degree or second degree (equivalent to 120 credits) with a strong academic background in Science and technology studies (STS) or equivalent education with a grade of B or better in terms of NTNU’s grading scale. Applicants with no letter grades from previous studies must have an equally good academic foundation. Applicants who are unable to meet these criteria may be considered only if they can document that they are particularly suitable candidates for education leading to a PhD degree.

The employee must complete the PhD in interdisciplinary studies of culture within three years. The appointment period is divided with ½ year for compulsory course work and 2 ½ year for completion of the PhD project.

We offer

Salary and conditions

PhD candidates are remunerated in code 1017, and are normally remunerated at gross from NOK 479 600,- per annum before tax. From the salary, 2% is deducted as a contribution to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund.

The period of employment is 3 years. Appointment to a PhD position requires admission to the PhD programme in interdisciplinary studies of culture (https://www.ntnu.no/kult/forskerutdanning). As a PhD candidate, you undertake to participate in an organized PhD programme during the employment period. A condition of appointment is that you are in fact qualified for admission to the PhD programme within three months.

The appointed candidate is required to have dept. of interdisciplinary studies of culture as a daily working place.

The engagement is to be made in accordance with the regulations in force concerning State Employees and Civil Servants, and the acts relating to Control of the Export of Strategic Goods, Services and Technology. Candidates who by assessment of the application and attachment are seen to conflict with the criterias in the latter law will be prohibited from recruitment to NTNU. After the appointment you must assume that there may be changes in the area of work.

CINELDI works closely with key players in the Norwegian electricity supply sector, who manage critical infrastructure. A comprehensive risk assessment of the candidates' research interests and potential activities related to national threat assessments will therefore also form basis for the final selection of candidates.

About the application

The application should contain:

  • CV
  • A short letter of motivation describing your scholarly profile (1-2 pages).
  • References
  • A list of publications (if any)

The application with attachments should be marked HF 19-035 and must be sent electronically via Jobbnorge. For relevant applicants we will gather references and conduct interviews.

General information

Working at NTNU

A good work environment is characterized by diversity. We encourage qualified candidates to apply, regardless of their gender, functional capacity or cultural background. Under the Freedom of Information Act (Offentleglova), information about the applicant may be made public even if the applicant has requested not to have their name entered on the list of applicants.

The national labour force must reflect the composition of the population to the greatest possible extent, NTNU wants to increase the proportion of women in its scientific posts. Women are encouraged to apply. Furthermore, Trondheim offers great opportunities for education (including international schools) and possibilities to enjoy nature, culture and family life (http://trondheim.com/). Having a population of 200 000, Trondheim is a small city by international standards with low crime rates and little pollution. It also has easy access to a beautiful countryside with mountains and a dramatic coastline.

CINELDI works closely with key players in the Norwegian electricity supply sector, who manage critical infrastructure. A comprehensive risk assessment of the candidates' research interests and potential activities related to national threat assessments will therefore also form basis for the final selection of candidates.

More information can be obtained by contacting prof. Tomas Moe Skjølsvold, email: tomas.skjolsvold@ntnu.no, or prof. Marianne Ryghaug, email: marianne.ryghaug@ntnu.no

Deadline 1st November 2019
Employer NTNU - Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Municipality Trondheim
Scope Fulltime
Duration Temporary
Place of service NTNU Dragvoll

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