Doctoral student in energy policy analysis in Zürich

The Climate Policy Lab seeks to hire a PhD student, commencing as soon as possible. We are part of the Institute for Environmental Decisions, within the Department for Environmental Systems Science. The PhD student would work as part of a team within our lab, while also collaborating with other researchers at ETH Zürich and other universities in Switzerland.

The Climate Policy Lab has received external funding to support a PhD student, from two separate projects in which we will collaborate with a wide group of Swiss researchers.

The first project is PATHFNDR, in which our planned work focuses on the economic and social consequences of alternative policy strategies to promote sector coupling and flexibility in a decarbonized energy system.

The second project is SPEED2ZERO, in which our planned work focuses on the public acceptance of policies designed to accelerate the transition to net zero emissions. Our team working on these projects includes the lab leader, Prof. Anthony Patt, two post-doctoral researchers, and two PhD, students. This search is for one of those PhD students.

Across the two projects, the work will encompass methods from the social sciences. The main tasks consist in appraising policy portfolios in terms of microeconomic (e.g. prices of specific energy services, including mobility, heating, and industry), macroeconomic (e.g. balance of trade), environmental (e.g. depletion of resources) and social consequences (e.g. sectoral employment), as well as their levels of acceptance. The specific policy portfolios have yet to be defined, as do the specific research questions, hypotheses, and methods; these will be tasks undertaken collaboratively, involving the PhD student. The two projects have been designed to provide insights to Swiss policy-makers, while also generating generalizable knowledge that can be published in the peer-reviewed literature.

The analysis will build on methods and tools developed in previous research projects at ETH (EU SENTINEL, Nexus-E) and elsewhere. Evaluating the applicability of these methods and tools is part of this project.

The position will start as soon as possible and is intended to be for four years, within which the successful candidate will fulfil project commitments and complete a PhD. The initial contract will be for one year, with a review process to determine renewal for the following three years.

PhD students at ETH Zürich also typically engage in undergraduate teaching activities in courses linked to their PhD project. The working location will be Zürich, Switzerland. Working partially from home is possible.

The Climate Policy Lab attempts to offer a diverse and international working environment, that is highly supportive of PhD students’ developing an independent research profile. Most of our successful PhD candidates progress into academic jobs, while a smaller number have moved into government and industry.

• You are interested in developing a career in quantitative policy analysis and are curious about the contributions that can come from numerous disciplines, including economics, engineering, political science, and psychology.
• You hold a master’s degree in a related field, with a strong quantitative background.
• You have an excellent command of oral and written English. Working knowledge of German or French is also desirable.
• You have confidence in scientific computing (e.g. using the Python scientific stack).
• Prior work or research experience in energy policy modelling is a key advantage.
• Knowledge or willingness to learn life cycle assessment (especially prospective, input-output and social) is desired.

ETH Zurich is a family-friendly employer with excellent working conditions. You can look forward to an exciting working environment, cultural diversity and attractive offers and benefits.

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