The IIHS Post-Doctoral Programme: GCRF PEAK
IIHS seeks Post-Doctoral Fellows to join its vibrant intellectual environment within the Academics and Research programme. IIHS is increasingly recognised in India and internationally as a significant node in urban research and practice on the global South. Its promotion of inter-disciplinary pedagogy, on-the-ground learning, an excellent library on various aspects of the urban, and a convivial place for research make it an ideal location for scholarship.
Post-Doctoral fellowships at IIHS typically have one or two-year terms, and some may be extendable. While Fellows are hired institutionally at IIHS, each is hired into a specific and on-going research-based project, which will be the Fellow’s first home within IIHS.
Project-related research will account for up to half of the Fellow’s time, though this can vary for different projects. The remaining time is equally split between the Fellow’s own research and writing as well as their participation in IIHS institutional roles. These roles include: teaching in on-going academic or capacity building programmes, participating in the internal conference and seminar series, and supporting institutional processes.
This call is associated with the PEAK (Prediction and projection, Emergent urbanism, Adopted knowledge, Knowledge exchange) consortium, funded by the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF), UK.
About the PEAK project
Led by the University of Oxford, and in partnership with IIHS, Peking University and the University of Cape Town, the PEAK consortium has identified four overarching themes of urban dynamics – Prediction, Emergence, Adoption and Knowledge. Researchers will work across natural sciences (including mathematics, medicine, transport and engineering), the social sciences (including anthropology, development, migration) and humanities (including law, history). The PEAK framework synthesises traditional urban studies disciplines with emergent new urban sciences in a programme of research and capacity building across the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences. PEAK is grounded in the logic of urban complexity to develop an array of disciplinary perspectives that will address the challenges of the 21st century city. More details on the PEAK consortium are available here: http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk/projects?ref=ES/P011055/1
The focus of the PEAK project is particularly on developing a new cohort of interdisciplinary urban researchers, and therefore offers multiple opportunities for young scholars to develop research, teaching, and writing skills. Opportunities exist for individual scholarship, collaborative work with scholars at partner institutions including the University of Oxford, and the University of Cape Town, as well as potential travel to partner institutions through summer schools and internships.
Post-Doctoral Fellow in Urban Energy Systems
Cities are emerging as important sites for mediating sustainable energy transitions, which are crucial for meeting development, climate and environmental goals. Much of the urban energy sector is hugely fragmented across national, regional and local axes and across sectors and fuel-types, with weak mandates and ambiguous incentives. The incumbent energy governance regime leaves no space for city governments to intervene and manage key transitions. Focusing on questions of urban energy, and considering technology as a key driver of change, this research will test innovative institutional and governance regimes that could provide for a larger decision-making role for city governments to manage technology mediated urban energy transitions.
We intend to set up rigorous mathematical frameworks to examine three aspects:
- Segregated technical baselines across the energy value chain, particularly around end-use technology use across the industry, transport, and building sectors;
- Energy linkages with economic activity (including informal economy) and
- Future pathways of technology-mediated energy trajectories, with underlying necessary frameworks of governance regimes and capital management.
This research will have 3 main components: (a) collection of a range of data, such as micro-patterns of energy use, technical specifications of energy demand, market and regulatory structures and technology specifications; (b) modelling: collected information to be defined in a relational sense, using established mathematical formulations (either using an existing modeling framework or creating a bottom-up assessment frame) to be able to answer Aspects 1 and 2 above and to develop the mathematical frame to enable answering Aspect 3 defined above. In addition, the assessment frame should be able to quantitatively assess the various social, economic and environmental implications of the identified pathways.
Fieldwork: This position is based in Bengaluru, with travel for fieldwork. This is a one-year position, extendable.
Qualifications: The ideal candidate should have some exposure in frontier research on energy and climate change economics and integrated assessment modelling, with a specific focus on energy modelling, demand side modelling and related statistical analysis.
Applicants should already have a Ph.D. or be near completion. A PhD in Economics will be preferred, but degrees in energy engineering, mathematics, physics, computer science, or statistics coupled with an economic background will also be considered. A proven research and publication record with at least one publication in a noted peer-reviewed academic journal is required. Experience in modelling, and proficiency in programming are important pre-requisites.
Working knowledge of Kannada and/or Tamil would be an advantage.
Diversity Policy: IIHS is an equal opportunity employer that encourages women, people with disabilities and those from economically and socially excluded communities with the requisite skills and qualifications to apply for positions.
To Apply: If you are interested to explore this opportunity with us, please fill the online application form by clicking here (You can also click on the “Apply Now” button at the end of the Job Description displayed on the website).
Contact: Please write to us at hr@iihs.co.in if you need any clarifications while filling the online application form.
Note: All offers are on an exclusive basis, which implies that other professional assignments (whether compensated or not) that bear a potential conflict of interest with IIHS cannot be undertaken.
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