At TU Delft, we are looking for 2 bright postdocs for our exciting new TPM Energy Transition Lab. In case you are interested or know relevant candidates, I’d really like to hear from you!! –

Looking for a challenge? Our brand new TU Delft TPM Energy Transition Lab is looking for two fulltime enthusiastic postdocs. This is your chance to contribute to the worldwide energy transition in an interdisciplinary, innovative research lab at TU Delft. More information about the lab: https://www.tudelft.nl/tpm/energy-transition-lab/

All information about the vacancies and how to apply: https://www.tudelft.nl/over-tu-delft/werken-bij-tu-delft/vacatures/details/?jobId=534&jobTitle=Postdoc(s)%20Energy%20Transition%20Lab

The first position relates to a research project with the objective to capture behaviour in the energy transition, led by Gerdien de Vries. Capturing behaviour in the energy transition is increasingly important as actors at all levels need to take action. Policies on energy behaviour could benefit strongly from behavioural insights. Unfortunately, research that could provide these insights is often discipline-specific and fragmented, making it hard to use. At the faculty of Technology, Policy, and Management, we study different types of behaviour on multiple levels from a variety of scientific disciplines. For example, conscious, individual behaviour is often approached from an ethical perspective. Whereas collective, automatic behaviour is often approached from an (institutional) economy or social perspective. As a post doc in this research project, you are challenged to integrate research perspectives, methods, tools, and analyses from different scientific disciplines to capture and explain a broad range of behaviour of multiple actors in the energy transition to increase the (short-term and long-term) effectiveness of energy-transition policies. Furthermore, you are largely responsible for the coordination of this research project.

The second position relates to a research project on design of the energy transition, led by Emile Chappin. Designing the energy transition, in terms of ‘comprehensive engineering’ is fundamental for the functioning of our society in the coming decades. However, no comprehensive methods exist to come to appropriate designs of such complex, large/multi-scale, multi-carrier, multi-actor, multi-infrastructure, value-laden systems. Very many socio-technical scenarios are feasible under different sets of assumptions. Different kinds of uncertainties (policy, decision, systemic, normative etc.) limit, on a fundamental level, what comprehensive designs are ‘good’. “It depends” no longer suffices, we need to be precise and specific about what are promising strategies for the energy transition. As a post doc in this research project, you are challenged to integrate quantitative methods and data in a multi-modelling design framework. These methods are all present at the faculty of TPM but so far, mainly developed in silos. This framework, including the supporting tools (hardware, software), enable us to set up, execute, and study testable designs that integrates those methods and perspectives on the energy transition. This leads to a data and model-driven design approach. By doing this systematically, best practices for design in socio-technical systems are extracted. Furthermore, you are largely responsible for the coordination of this research project.

The post docs in both projects work in close collaboration with each other, the lab directors, and the lab associates, including staff and students from different scientific backgrounds. The lab has a Master Thesis Circle (with circa five students). You will be encouraged to co-supervise students on research projects that are closely related to your own research.

You will be working for the TPM Energy Transition Lab. This lab is initated by the faculty of Technology, Policy, and Management of Delft Technology of University in April 2020. The lab has the ambition to perform innovative and interdisciplinary research on the development of new approaches, methods and tools for fostering an effective, fair, legitimate energy transition. From various perspectives and with various (multi)methods, the lab studies behavior in and design of the energy transition. The TPM Energy Transition Lab aims to develop out-of-the-box, high risk activities that connect energy researchers of the TPM faculty. The Lab is directed by energy researchers from different scientific backgrounds and from different departments of the faculty.

For more info about the vacancies: see https://www.tudelft.nl/over-tu-delft/werken-bij-tu-delft/vacatures/details/?jobId=534&jobTitle=Postdoc(s)%20Energy%20Transition%20Lab