Postgraduate research opportunities Developing a mixed methods approach to support the dual ambition of delivering the low carbon heat transition and eradication of fuel poverty in Scotland

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Key facts

  • Opens: Friday 6 October 2023
  • Deadline: Friday 1 December 2023
  • Number of places: 1
  • Duration: 3 years
  • Funding: Stipend, Home fee

Overview

Funded by the Centre for Energy Policy, Energy Action Scotland and the Energy Technology Partnership, this PhD will develop insights on economically, politically, and socially feasible pathways to delivering the Scottish Government’s heat decarbonisation and fuel poverty eradication goals. It will be co-supervised by the Universities of Strathclyde and Edinburgh and you must be available to start study on 1 March 2024.
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Eligibility

Applicants should have a good honours degree with 1st Class or 2:1 and hold a Masters with Distinction or Merit degrees in a social science discipline, with

  • a strong preference for candidates with an economics/political economy background
  • a demonstrable interest in energy/climate/public policy issues

Some experience/understanding of economy-wide modelling approaches would be highly desirable, though not essential, where a willingness to develop this understanding through your PhD study would be of value for some of the project areas.

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Project Details

This timely PhD, funded by the Centre for Energy Policy, Energy Action Scotland and the Energy Technology Partnership, will develop insights on economically, politically, and socially feasible pathways to delivering the Scottish Government’s heat decarbonisation and fuel poverty eradication goals. Meeting these goals requires policies informed by improved understanding of how specific actions – including on pricing, fiscal interventions and/or energy supplier activity on heat networks and energy efficiency - may lower energy bills for fuel poor customers. This innovative endeavour co-supervised by the Universities of Strathclyde and Edinburgh and in collaboration with Energy Action Scotland will strengthen understanding to inform government, industry and regulatory decision-making, drawing on lived experiences of people experiencing fuel poverty.

The PhD project will be guided by three fundamental objectives:

  1. To improve understanding of the current energy policy landscape in relation to heat decarbonisation and fuel poverty in Scotland in particular, and relative to the UK (including reserved competencies).
  2. To develop a mixed method approach capable of interrogating the impacts range of policy, industry and regulatory interventions on heat decarbonisation and fuel poverty goals, involving both applied economic analysis (including economy-wide scenario analyses) and a case study approach based on cross-country learnings from a ‘lived experience’ perspective.
  3. To contribute to framing, identifying and building consensus amongst policy, industry, regulatory and third sector actors around policy pathways to a low carbon heat transition characterised by greater equity and substantial reductions in fuel poverty.

Further information

We're interested to support the development of a range of methodological approaches, including computable general equilibrium (CGE) modelling involving applied scenario development, 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 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 the impact of this research, which included 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 and would benefit from interaction with them, as well as access to personal development training fund which is provided centrally from the University. These funds could support, for example, attendance at conferences and participation in relevant training.

Successful candidates will undertake a PhD project where there is clear potential to realise socioeconomic (improving access to affordable energy and in turn people’s wellbeing) and environmental (reducing demand for energy through energy efficiency, low-carbon heating solutions) impact. 

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Funding details

Home fees plus stipend paid monthly for 36 months at the UKRI rate, (Pro-rata for 2023/24 (7/12) as commencing in March 2024 £18,622 per annum, or £1,551 per month and increasing each year.

Travel allowances for fieldwork and conferences will also be available.  International students are welcome to apply, though in most cases it will only be possible to cover a share of fees equivalent to the domestic fee. However, self-funding the difference between domestic and international student rates is an option.

While there is no funding in place for opportunities marked "unfunded", there are lots of different options to help you fund postgraduate research. Visit funding your postgraduate research for links to government grants, research councils funding and more, that could be available.

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Supervisors

Additional Supervisor: Kirsten Jenkins

Professor Karen Turner

Director Of The Centre For Energy Policy
Centre for Energy Policy

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Dr Calvillo Munoz

Dr Christian Calvillo Munoz

Research Fellow
Centre for Energy Policy

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Apply

To apply for this opportunity please complete the following steps:

  • select the apply button below
  • once in the application system, under start date enter "01 March 2024"
  • in the funding section please enter "CEP studentship, Topic 1"
  • in the research title/field of study section please state the topic title (Developing a mixed methods approach to support the dual ambition of delivering the low carbon heat transition and eradication of fuel poverty in Scotland)
  • if the supervisor is not listed in the drop-down list, please add in further information

Please upload the required documents (outlined below) to your application no later than 5pm GMT on Friday 1 December 2023 as incomplete applications will not be considered.

Required documents

  • A curriculum vitae reflecting your education and track record as relevant to this opportunity.
  • Academic Transcripts and Certificates – both undergraduate and Masters
  • A cover letter of no more than one page outlining your suitability and how your research interests align with those of the Centre of Energy Policy and one (or more) of the PhD opportunities outlined here.
  • A research proposal of no more than two pages (Arial 11pt, single spacing, normal margins) outlining which of the PhD topic areas you are submitting under and your initial thoughts on the research objectives, questions and methodologies for a potential project that would meet one of CEP’s propositions as set out above (your first choice but including indication as to potential crossover and/or interest in others). Please discuss which variables/outcomes you think are most important, what information sources to exploit and what challenges you expect need to be overcome to successfully answer the research question.
  • Full referee details for 2 references preferably one from undergraduate and one from Masters programmes
  • IELTS (minimum overall band score of 6.5, with no individual score of less than 5.5) taken within 2 years prior to start date or equivalent, if applicable

Number of places: 1

Shortlisted candidates will be invited for interview in the week beginning 11 December 2023.

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Politics

Programme: Politics

PhD
full-time
Start date: Oct 2023 - Sep 2024