Eawag, the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, is an internationally networked aquatic research institute within the ETH Domain (Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology). Eawag conducts research, education and expert consulting to achieve the dual goals of meeting direct human needs for water and maintaining the function and integrity of aquatic ecosystems.
The Department of Environmental Social Sciences (ESS) has a vacancy for a
PhD position on multi-scalar sustainability transitions in urban mobility
The PhD student will work in the Innovation Studies group (Cirus) at Eawag under the supervision of Dr Christian Binz and will also be formally enrolled at the University of Zurich's Graduate School in Geography/Earth System Science. The position is fully funded through a Swiss National Science Foundation's research grant for four years with a preferred start date in August 2023. The thesis project will be set up in conjunction with a second PhD student working in the urban water sector and will consist of a collection of four peer-reviewed scientific articles.
The project will focus on developing novel conceptual and methodological inroads for analyzing transition dynamics across places and spatial scales and for exploring how they differ between key infrastructure sectors like water, energy or transport. Together with the project team, the PhD student will develop novel conceptual frameworks for assessing and comparing transition dynamics between sectors and apply them to in-depth empirical case studies in urban mobility. A novel methodology under development at the PI's research department (socio-technical configuration analysis, STCA) and qualitative expert interviews shall be used to induce innovative theorizing on how and where sustainability transitions are more or less likely to occur, at what spatial scales leverage points for transformative change reside and on the role that urban / regional experiments play in transforming the respective sectors. The PhD student will closely interact with the research team at Cirus, which focuses on environmental innovation and sustainability transitions in the water, transport, construction and chemical sectors with a particular focus on advancing theorizing on the geography of transitions.
We are looking for a highly motivated, enthusiastic and independent PhD student interested in exploring contemporary (green) innovation, globalization and sustainability transition dynamics. The student should be able and willing to conduct mixed-methods research in the urban transport sector and be open to doing field work abroad. Candidates should hold (or be close to finishing) a master's degree in human/economic geography, innovation studies, sociology, political sciences or related fields in the social sciences. Fluency in English (spoken and written) is required, skills in a second language (German, French or Italian) are an asset. Experience with social network analysis and/or qualitative expert interviews are a strong plus.
Eawag is a modern employer and offers an excellent working environment where staff can contribute their strengths, experience and ways of thinking. We promote gender equality and are committed to staff diversity and inclusion. The compatibility of career and family is of central importance to us. For more information about Eawag and our work conditions please consult www. eawag.ch and www. eawag.ch/en/aboutus/working/employment or contact Dr Christian Binz, (no applications).
The deadline for applications is 4 June 2023. Applications should include a cover letter, CV, a writing sample (e.g., a published article, MA thesis, seminar paper) and the names and affiliations of three references. Please send your application through the Eawag webpage, any other way of applying will not be considered. Please click on the button below, this will take you directly to the application form.
Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology