Applications are invited from candidates with relevant PhD qualifications and experience of research in relevant Social Science and Humanities fields or in the socio-technical and behavioural dimensions of energy engineering or related fields. Candidates should have strong engagement, communication and collaboration skills as well as proven expertise in working with diverse transdisciplinary teams including external actors. Experience of engaged research with community partners on climate action or energy transition, and/or experience of co-design with stakeholders in research initiatives which empower citizens by leveraging participatory innovations would be highly desirable. Candidates should ideally have a track record in working in project-based environments, and preferably be familiar with the European funding landscape, with some project management/co-ordination experience. The appointee will be expected to contribute to the development of new research efforts, grant proposals, projects and publications in the engaged research space.
The successful candidate will initially work on a new European project combining Social Science and Humanities (SSH) expertise linked to deliberative dialogues with technical tools to help promote a citizen-centric energy system. ENPOWER is a large Horizon Europe Project involving twenty-eight partner organisations from thirteen countries. ENPOWER combines leading-edge ICT technologies [Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), big data, DLT/Blockchains] with social/behavioural dimension, and with sharing economy and value stacking governance and business models. Key innovations include the deployment of a social science framework for energy citizens’ activation and innovative incentives for citizens’ participation in energy markets, co-design of methodologies for evaluating different energy community setups, upscaling and replication. The successful candidate will work with a team to design, develop and demonstrate SSH-driven methodologies and deliberative engagements, interactive tools and services for energy-activated citizens and data-driven energy-secure communities. The appointee will also be expected to contribute to community engagement aspects of other projects of a similar nature.
The Post-Doctoral/Senior Post-Doctoral Researcher will engage with communities, citizens and multiple stakeholders using innovative engagement and deliberative democracy approaches to explore and help co-develop data-driven consumer-centric energy services, alongside other tasks that facilitate the piloting and demonstration of local-based approaches, and dissemination of key research outputs. This will include the planning, design, implementation and evaluation of community engagement and data collection efforts within the project.
The successful applicant will be based in UCC’s Beaufort Building in the Environmental Research Institute (
ERI), which is an internationally-recognised institute for environmental research dedicated to the understanding and protection of our natural environment and to developing innovative technologies, tools and services to facilitate a transformation to a zero-carbon and resource-efficient society. Overlooking a protected natural reserve and the River Lee, the ERI is a welcoming, diverse and modern workplace.
The MaREI Centre of Energy, Climate and Marine (www.marei.ie) is the Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) centre of excellence in Energy, Climate and Marine research in Ireland. The MaREI Centre includes 13 Universities, Third Level Institutes and Research Organisations, has 103 industrial partners and has research funding of approximately €60m. It combines the expertise of a wide range of research groups and industry partners, with the shared mission of solving the main scientific, technical and socio-economic challenges across the energy, climate and marine domains. Researchers in the MaREI Centre have over 30 years of experience in conducting fundamental and applied research supported by competitively won national and international funding, and commercial contracts with government agencies and industry. MaREI’s strengths lie in the multi-disciplinary nature of its research teams, allowing it to combine insights across areas such as Marine Renewable Energy Technologies, Materials & Structures, Observations & Operations, Coastal & Marine Systems, Bioenergy, Circular Economy, Energy Policy & Modelling, and Renewable Energy Management.
