项目介绍

2024年4月12日

Function

Do you want to lead innovative social science research that contributes to circular society transitions in Dutch society? Are you eager to explore how social contexts can support repairing and sharing in diverse daily urban life settings? Then this PhD opportunity may be for you!

The Environmental Policy Group at Wageningen University is seeking two highly motivated PhD candidates to join a dynamic research team focused on advancing circular sharing and repairing practices in the Netherlands. The PhD projects form part of the NWO funded project ShaRepair, which is aimed at embedding sustainable sharing and repairing practices into daily urban life. Despite their potential for realising circular economy ambitions, sharing and repairing of consumer goods, such as electric appliances, furniture, and clothing, remain marginal in Dutch society, with challenges in participation and scaling across diverse communities.

The ShaRepair project seeks to bridge this gap. Through a co-creative Living Lab approach, involving academic, industry and societal actors, we aim to explore, support, and scale sharing and repairing practices across societal contexts, addressing key knowledge gaps, and mitigating unintended consequences like negative rebound effects.

At the Environmental Policy Group, we will host two social science PhD positions that form part of the ShaRepair project; one PhD focuses on repairing and the other on sharing. As one of these PhDs you will work closely together to conduct co-creative sociological research that involves:

• examining how circular repairing and sharing initiatives are emerging in two metropolitan regions in The Netherlands;
• conducting sociological analysis of factors influencing how sharing and repairing practices can be scaled across different social settings;
• collaborating closely with consortium partners and stakeholders, including municipalities, NGOs, and circular economy initiatives, to gather insights into everyday challenges and experiences;
• participating in Living Labs, and networking and learning events to co-create research insights and foster collaboration;
• producing academic publications and a PhD thesis and contributing to societal impact reports and factsheets aimed at both scholarly and societal audiences.

Combined, these activities will provide key insights into sociological factors supporting and impeding the emergence and scaling of circular consumption practices across different everyday life settings. You will work in an interdisciplinary team together with the other ENP social science candidate, as well as other PhD and postdoctoral researchers involved in the project, who focus on design and environmental assessment analysis.  In this context, it is expected that you will not only advance your academic research skills but will also develop and learn from actively participating in the broader interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary ShaRepair project.

Function Requirements

You have:

• a strong social science background, including a high interest/aptitude for conducting sociological analysis of environmental issues and consumption practices;
• a high interest in collaborative and socially-focused research, and an ability to interact effectively with both academic and societal stakeholders;
• a high interest in co-creation methods and a willingness to take part in Living Labs to drive change forward through your work;
• a scientific ambition to conduct and publish research work, contributing to academic scholarship in the field;
• curiosity and motivation to address important real-world problems through rigorous academic inquiry.

You also possess:

• a Master’s degree in a field relevant to environmental social sciences, including sociology, human geography, anthropology, urban studies, or other relevant social science disciplines;
• strong qualitative research skills, preferably with experience in conducting interviews and participant observation;
• fluency in English and Dutch to conduct academic research and effectively engage with local Dutch stakeholders and communities.

For this position English and Dutch proficiency of C1 level is required. If you do not yet have this level of Dutch, but are already at an intermediate level, we can support you through out language center Wageningen in’to Language.

Contactinformation

For more information about this position, please contact Mary Greene, , Assistant Professor,  by telephone +31 (0)634229999 or by e-mail: mary.greene@wur.nl.

For more information about the procedure, please contact Noorien Abbas, corporate recruiter, by email: recruitment.ssg@wur.nl