Looking for a challenge? This is your chance to contribute to the worldwide energy transition in an interdisciplinary, innovative research lab at Delft University of Technology.
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Job description
We can offer you a fulltime postdoc position for two years. As a postdoc in this research project, you are challenged to integrate quantitative methods, data and scenarios in the context of the energy transition in a multi-modelling design framework and revolutionize the way we study the design of the energy transition.
Designing the energy transition, in terms of ‘comprehensive engineering’ is fundamental for the functioning of our society in the coming decades. However, no comprehensive methods exist to come to appropriate designs of such complex, large/multi-scale, multi-carrier, multi-actor, multi-infrastructure, value-laden systems. Very many socio-technical scenarios are feasible under different sets of assumptions. Different kinds of uncertainties (policy, decision, systemic, normative etc.) limit, on a fundamental level, what comprehensive designs are ‘good’.
Starting from the myriad of energy transition projects and findings, and their (modelling) methods, for which many are present at the faculty of TPM, the challenge is to develop a multi-modelling design framework, including the supporting tools (hardware, software) that enables us to set up, execute, and study testable ‘designs’ for the energy transition (i.e. illicit robust scenarios, no-regret measures, important limitations, and so on). Key for success of such a risky project is to contrast, combine, and possibly integrate various methods and perspectives on the energy transition. By doing this systematically, through the quantitative lens of modelling, best practices for design in socio-technical systems are extracted.
The position is at heart of the Energy Transition Lab on the theme ‘design of the energy transition’, and is in close collaboration with a second postdoc on behavior in the energy transition, connects to upcoming other projects in the Lab and with a broad variety of energy researchers at the faculty. We expect the postdoc to play a pivotal role in the Lab, coordinating activities, connecting to and interacting with the many energy researchers and the Lab directors. The lab has a Master Thesis Circle, and the postdoc is encouraged to co-supervise students on research projects that are closely related to your own research. The flexible nature of the Lab means there is room to shape the position, both in content as well as in the (other) activities (i.e. grant writing, supervision and so on).
Energy Transition Lab
You will be working for the TPM Energy Transition Lab. This lab is initated by the faculty of Technology, Policy, and Management of Delft Technology of University in April 2020. The lab has the ambition to perform innovative and interdisciplinary research on the development of new approaches, methods and tools for fostering an effective, fair, legitimate energy transition. From various perspectives and with various (multi)methods, the lab studies behavior in and design of the energy transition. The TPM Energy Transition Lab aims to develop out-of-the-box, high risk activities that connect energy researchers of the TPM faculty. The Lab is directed by energy researchers from different scientific backgrounds and from different departments of the faculty.