This PhD position is embedded in a large Dutch project, 7.5 M€, co-funded by the Dutch national science foundation (NWO) and industry. In the consortium, various Dutch universities, applied research institutes and agro businesses cooperate. The project will employ 24 PhDs and 3 Postdocs. This specific PhD will closely cooperate with one Postdoc at Wageningen University.
The Science, Technology and Policy Studies department at the University of Twente is looking for a (4 year) PhD candidate to study expectations and imaginaries and explore possible transition pathways related to the new concept of ‘Technology-4-Ecology-based farming’ (T4E). The PhD project is part of the Synergia project, which aims to develop ecological forms of arable, dairy and horticulture farming and new types of technological and socio-technical systems that challenge current forms of agriculture. The successful candidate will investigate the implicit and explicit concepts and visions of these new forms of farming and identify challenges and tensions. These insights will feed into exploration of socio-technical scenarios and transition pathways, which will be conducted together with stakeholders and partners in the project. This will serve as a basis to deduce requirements and options for responsibly governing transformative change. This PhD is part of the Science, Technology & Policy Studies (STePS) group, and supervised by prof.dr. S. Kuhlmann and dr. Kornelia Konrad.
The Synergia project is a crossover program funded by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO). For more information see https://technology4ecology.org.
Your profile
- You have a master degree in science, technology and innovation studies, policy studies or a closely related field;
- You have experience with qualitative research methods such as interviewing and discourse analytical methods;
- You have an interest in innovations and their societal implications;
- Knowledge in the agricultural sector and technologies is a pre;
- You are an excellent team-player and are excited about working with scientists from different backgrounds;
- You are proficient in English, preferable also in Dutch.
Information and how to apply
Please apply via https://www.utwente.nl/en/organisation/careers/!/1308605/phd-transition-pathways before September 18,2020. The application should include :
- A motivation letter emphasizing motivation and qualifications,
- A detailed CV, summarizing your education, previous work experience and contact details of at least 2 referees,
- A list of all courses attended and grades acquired during your MSc and BSc courses.
Additional information is provided via the link above. For further questions, please contact dr. K.E. Konrad, email k.e.konrad@utwente.nl, phone: +31 53 489 3906. General information about the Science, Technology & Policy Studies group can be found on https://www.utwente.nl/en/bms/steps.