Apply for a PhD Position on Socio-economic Tipping points

Application Deadline: October 28, 2024

Delft University of Technology is inviting applications for a PhD Position on socio-economic tipping points and positive levers in scaling up Nature-Based Solution (NBS). This PhD project will focus on the socio-economic and financial tipping points and positive levers in scaling up NBS. This requires mapping short-, mid- and long-term benefits and costs for private and public actors. A major part of this PhD research project will focus on computational agent-based modeling to capture the mechanisms that potentially drive tipping to NBS adoption that are socially acceptable, as well as economically and financially feasible for private and public actors. The PhD student will develop and apply an agent-based model to identify the distributional effects of NBS for various actors, and to explore under what circumstances positive socio-economic tipping points for NBS adoption emerge for a selection of NBS across policy scenarios.

Doctoral candidates will be offered a 4-year period of employment in principle, but in the form of 2 employment contracts. An initial 1,5 year contract with an official go/no go progress assessment within 15 months. Followed by an additional contract for the remaining 2,5 years assuming everything goes well and performance requirements are met.

From 1 September next, a salary increase of 3.7% applies due to a Collective Agreement amendment, followed by an additional 1% increase on 1 January 2025. In addition, most employees employed on 1 September 2024 will receive a one-off payment of €300 gross based on full-time employment.

Eligibility

Master’s degree in Environmental Policy; Spatial or Environmental Economics; Complex Systems Science; or Environmental Science.
Previous experience with agent-based modeling or with one of the programming languages (Python; Java; C++; Julia) is an advantage.

Requirements

Capacity to perform statistical data analysis is beneficial.
Domain knowledge in the field of environmental policy, sustainability or nature based solutions specifically is an asset.
Excellent written and spoken command of English.