Postgraduate research opportunities (three funded PhD projects), Centre for Energy Policy University of Strathclyde: apply by 28 Feb

Economy-wide, distributional & policy analysis of the low carbon transition: implications for a sustainable economy, jobs, and equity

The University of Strathclyde’s Centre for Energy Policy (CEP) is offering three relevant and funded PhD projects which align with CEP’s current research. CEP investigates the economy-wide and societal outcomes of different pathways and actions to reach net zero.

Deadline: Wednesday 28 February 2024

The three projects are:

• Delivering the low carbon heat transition and eradication of fuel poverty in Scotland: developing a mixed methods approach to interrogate and communicate the impacts of policy, industry, and regulatory interventions.
• Assessing the international trade, jobs and skills of the future international hydrogen market and the transition from incumbent energy systems.
• Understanding the economy-wide implications of different policy actions to address barriers and improving the outcomes of adopting energy efficiency improvement measures.

The projects will be contributing to our understanding of the challenges of transitioning to a prosperous, sustainable, and more equitable net-zero economy in the UK. Each project will focus on different aspects, such as providing evidence to inform policy and decision-makers, examining the economic impacts of the emergence of a low-carbon hydrogen market, or analysing the effectiveness of current policy actions related to residential energy efficiency.

We’re interested in supporting the development of a range of methodological approaches, including computable general equilibrium (CGE) modelling involving applied scenario development, a systematic review of existing evidence, system dynamics and other energy systems modelling approaches, and/or analysis that supports wider public policy decision making through an understanding of the political economy.

This is an opportunity for three PhD candidates to join a growing team of researchers, academics, and knowledge exchange professionals at the University of Strathclyde’s Centre for Energy Policy (CEP). CEP was part of the School of Government and Public Policy’s submission to the Research Excellence Framework (REF), which Times Higher Education has ranked as number 1 across the UK in the Politics and International Studies Unit of Assessment.

Virtually all of the School’s research outputs were rated as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’, and 100% of this research’s impact, including a CEP impact case study, was rated as outstanding (4*). At CEP, the students will have access to a team of researchers working across the Net Zero space, benefiting from interaction with them, as well as access to a personal development training fund provided centrally by the University. These funds could support, for example, attendance at conferences and participation in relevant training.