PhD position on Transition Pathways and Stakeholder Participation for Circular Use of Biowaste

PhD position on Transition Pathways and Stakeholder Participation for Circular Use of Biowaste

Do you want to contribute to the transition to a circular bioeconomy by stakeholder workshops, pathway development, and research on innovation ecosystems for upcycling biomass waste?

Job description

If this question sparks your interest and you are motivated to pursue a PhD in innovation systems and the transition to a circular bio-economy, you might be our new colleague for the ABEL (Ab Initio Biowaste Loop) project. We are seeking an excellent candidate for a 4-year PhD study as part of the ABEL project, an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research project funded by NWO under a call on the National Science Agenda (NSA).

ABEL involves several faculties of TU Delft, as well as other Dutch universities, universities of applied sciences, companies, and other stakeholders from the biowaste upcycling sector. It includes 9 PhD positions and 8 Postdoc positions. The purpose of ABEL is to develop new technologies to convert low-grade organic waste into high-performance biomaterials that can be reused and easily recycled at end-of-life, while improving business, social, and environmental aspects. It also includes developing circular biowaste strategies, transition pathways, and policy mixes. The aim is to make the industry less dependent on fossil fuels and scarce raw materials, while also reducing waste incineration and greenhouse gas emissions.

The PhD researcher at the Energy and Industry group of TU Delft’s Faculty of Technology, Policy & Management will develop future visions, transition pathways, policy mixes, and circular biowaste strategies, and will employ stakeholder participation, gamification and serious gaming, backcasting, and transition management, and will build upon innovation ecosystems thinking, transitions, and innovation learning. You will map the current innovation ecosystem and identify barriers and conditions for the upscaling and upgrading of biowaste. You will also develop pathways that address these barriers and conditions in a responsible way, and you will evaluate the transition learning among stakeholders and other parts of the project. You will collaborate with other early-career and senior researchers in the project, as well as other consortium partners. You will also reach out to relevant stakeholders, innovating companies, and policymakers to gather data and validate results. Your main supervisors will be Assistant Professor Jaco Quist and Associate Professor Emile Chappin.

Job requirements

You must have a Master's degree, or a similar degree with an academic level equivalent to a Master's degree. We are seeking candidates with a Master’s degree in Inter/trans-disciplinary Sciences, Transition or Innovation Studies, Complex Systems Engineering and Management, Engineering & Policy Analysis, Management of Technology, Industrial Ecology, or a relevant Social Science discipline.

The following further qualifications will be considered in the assessment, while the profile of the candidate will be taken into account for developing the direction of the research:

• Documented experiences and skills in one or several types of methods, e.g., qualitative research methods, participatory research, quantitative modelling research methods.
• Strong background and interest in the transition to a circular economy, circular innovation ecosystems, and participatory approaches.
• Ability to thrive in a technical environment.
• Excellent writing, presenting, and communication skills.
• Open-minded team player, able to work in multidisciplinary teams and to collaborate with stakeholders.

The working language in the project is English, so the candidate must have strong skills in both written and spoken English, while sufficient proficiency in Dutch is considered an advantage for stakeholder interactions.

Conditions of employment

Doctoral candidates will be offered a 4-year period of employment in principle, but in the form of 2 employment contracts. An initial 1.5 year contract with an official go/no go progress assessment within 15 months, followed by an additional contract for the remaining 2.5 years assuming everything goes well and performance requirements are met.

As a PhD candidate you will be enrolled in the TU Delft Graduate School. The TU Delft Graduate School provides an inspiring research environment with an excellent team of supervisors, academic staff and a mentor. The Doctoral Education Programme is aimed at developing your transferable, discipline-related and research skills.

The TU Delft offers a customisable compensation package, discounts on health insurance, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged.

Additional information

j.n.quist@tudelft.nl