PhD position within Science and Technology Studies and the Energy Transition – DTU Management

If you wish to pursue your career as a social scientist within Science & Technology Studies (STS) we are looking to hire a PhD candidate to realize the scholarly ambitions, put forth in an excellence project funded by the Independent Research Fund Denmark (IFD/DFF) entitled “Expertise of Expectations” (‘Sapere Aude’ program). 

Responsibilities and qualifications
The successful PhD candidate will engage with public engagement of cutting-edge engineering science within Power-to-X (PtX). You will be breaking new ground within STS, the sociology of expertise, and energy futures research with a larger research team led by Julia Kirch Kirkegaard. You will be affiliated with the Section of Human-Centred Innovation  led by Tanja Schneider in the Division of Technology & Business Studies led by Brit Ross Winthereik. 

You must have a two-year social science-based master's degree (120 ECTS points), or a similar degree with an academic level equivalent to a two-year master's degree, preferably with experience with STS and/or energy transitions. Empirical knowledge of power-to-x and theoretical knowledge of Valuation Studies, Sociology of Expertise and Sociology of Expectations is an advantage. 

Responsibilities and responsibilities include, amongst other things,

• Conducting ethnographic fieldwork (interviews, observations) in Denmark 
• Danish language proficiency (oral and written) is an advantage
• Qualitative coding of interview data, hereunder discourse and document analysis
• Co-production workshops
• Interest in and preferably experience with interdisciplinary work.
• Teaching obligations in accordance with DTU’s guidelines for the PhD program.

Approval and Enrolment 
The scholarships for the PhD degree are subject to academic approval, and the candidates will be enrolled in one of the general degree programmes at DTU. For information about our enrolment requirements and the general planning of the PhD study programme, please see DTU's rules for the PhD education .

We offer
DTU is a leading technical university globally recognized for the excellence of its research, education, innovation and scientific advice. We offer a rewarding and challenging job in an international environment. We strive for academic excellence in an environment characterized by collegial respect and academic freedom tempered by responsibility. In the section for Human-Centred Innovation , we view technological innovation as a social process in which values, communication and practices play a key role, and we participate in interdisciplinary collaboration across many cross-cutting themes, including applied ethics, citizen participation, public communication, open innovation and user engagement in different technological domains. Individual section members have specific expertise in several domains, including biotechnology, energy and artificial intelligence.

Salary and appointment terms 
The appointment will be based on the collective agreement with the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. The allowance will be agreed upon with the relevant union. The period of employment is 3 years. Starting date is in spring 2025.

The assessment of the applicants will be made by 15 January 2025 and interviews will be held in January/February 2025.

Further information 
Further information may be obtained from Professor Julia Kirch Kirkegaard ([email protected] ; principal investigator of the Expertise of Expectations-project), and/or from Head of Section, Associate Professor Tanja Schneider ([email protected] ).

If you are applying from abroad, you may find useful information on working in Denmark and at DTU at DTU – Moving to Denmark . Furthermore, you have the option of joining our monthly free seminar “PhD relocation to Denmark and startup “Zoom” seminar ” for all questions regarding the practical matters of moving to Denmark and working as a PhD at DTU.

Application procedure 
Your complete online application must be submitted no later than 15 December 2024 at 23:59 PM (Danish time) . Applications must be submitted as one PDF file containing all materials to be given consideration. To apply, please open the link "Apply now", fill out the online application form, and attach all your materials in English in one PDF file . The file must include:

• A letter motivating the application (cover letter)
• Project description (max. 3 pages)
• Curriculum vitae 
• Grade transcripts and BSc/MSc diploma (in English) including official description of grading scale
• List of publication and one example of your own academic work
• Support letter from academic supervisor or collaborator (not mandatory)

You may apply prior to ob­tai­ning your master's degree but cannot begin before having received it. 

Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.

All interested candidates irrespective of age, gender, disability, race, religion or ethnic background are encouraged to apply. As DTU works with research in critical technology, which is subject to special rules for security and export control, open-source background checks may be conducted on qualified candidates for the position.

DTU Management 
The Department of Technology, Management and Economics (DTU Management) conducts excellent research in the intersection between management, technology and economics. We develop solutions in close cooperation with companies and public authorities. Our research aims at strengthening welfare, productivity and sustainability within society. A key element is the role of technology and its interaction with industry and individuals. The department strives for excellence. We won four ERC grants as principal investigator during the last two years and are participating in many more. We transform this our research into societal impact through numerous collaborative projects. The department offers a wide range of courses and programs at bachelor, master, and PhD levels across DTU's study programs. We lead study programs at all levels, including the executive. The department has 200+ employees with around half of staff coming from abroad. 

Technology for people
DTU develops technology for people. With our international elite research and study programmes, we are helping to create a better world and to solve the global challenges formulated in the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Hans Christian Ørsted founded DTU in 1829 with a clear mission to develop and create value using science and engineering to benefit society. That mission lives on today. DTU has 13,500 students and 6,000 employees. We work in an international atmosphere and have an inclusive, evolving, and informal working environment. DTU has campuses in all parts of Denmark and in Greenland, and we collaborate with the best universities around the world.