Type of Employment: Full-Time
Three years and six months of a fixed-term appointment
Compensation: The chosen candidate will receive a full-time stipend of $30,000 per year (pro-rata).
In order to enable the transition to net zero, this PhD project, which is based at the Monash Sustainable Development Institute (MSDI), will look into how the energy industry and businesses can institutionalize and operationalize futures approaches, such as foresight, exploratory scenarios, and normative scenarios. The project hopes to answer the fundamental question of what governance structures, institutional frameworks, and organizational capabilities are necessary to integrate Futures approaches in transition planning toward net zero by using a knowledge co-production approach with the Australian energy sector. The solutions will deal with the market and energy governance issues that the sector is currently dealing with and addressing going forward.
Anyone interested in future studies, energy and sustainability transitions, management, or the social sciences has the chance to create an original research project. The project focuses on how futures and scenarios can be effectively incorporated into the industry and organizational decision-making, as well as how institutional and organizational processes and capacities could be strengthened for anticipatory action in line with net zero transitions. It does not focus on creating scenarios or modeling energy futures.
This PhD will make use of interdisciplinary ideas and study techniques. Candidates with relevant interdisciplinary backgrounds are encouraged to apply, as are those with experience using social science research techniques (such as interviews, surveys, and workshops).
Research candidates at MSDI have access to funding and resources in addition to the scholarship to support the research they conduct while they are candidates.
Eligibility
Due to the terms of the scholarship, this opportunity is only available to domestic applicants (citizens and permanent residents of Australia and New Zealand).
The chosen candidate must meet Monash University’s requirements for PhD admission and exhibit exceptional research ability.
Candidates must fulfill one of the following admission requirements:
a. A bachelor’s degree requiring at least four years of full-time study, with the fourth year typically containing a research component that leads to an initial honors degree (H1)
b. A course that, in the institute’s opinion, is comparable to a first-class honors degree.
c. A master’s degree with a sizable portion devoted to research that is at least equal to (A – 80%) above.
Desirable: It will be ideal to have research or professional expertise in the energy sector.
Scholarship recipients must attend classes on campus full-time. Candidates with advanced degrees won’t be taken into consideration.
the method of transdisciplinarity
To assist in achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations, MSDI brings together the brightest thinkers and doers from Monash, academia, business, government, and the community in transdisciplinary partnerships. We work to comprehend, shape, and transform Australia’s and our region’s systems for sustainable development, partnering with others to increase knowledge and capacity and promote real change.
One of MSDI’s primary strategic domains of change is climate action, under which this PhD is situated. This is consistent with the strategic plan for Monash Impact 2030, which recognizes climate change as one of the most important global issues of our time.
Climate works Centre will also co-supervise and oversee the project. In the past ten years, the Centre has played a unique role in Australia’s transition to a net zero future by bridging the gap between research and practical climate action. The PhD student will have access to a large network of business and industry practitioners through Climateworks Centre to conduct research, develop outcomes, and research impact that are useful to the industry, in addition to academic outputs.
Commencement
The project will start in March 2023, although based on the candidate’s availability, there is some flexibility about the start date. Starting the project is required by June 2023.
Supervision
Associate Professor Shirin Malekpour (MSDI), Dr. Cameron Allen (MSDI), and Dr. Emi Gui will supervise this PhD student (Climateworks Centre). There may also be a third-party supervisor (to be confirmed).
Inquiries
Send us an email at [email protected]. If you have any questions about the project’s specifics, please email Associate Professor Shirin Malekpour at [email protected].
Application Link
Interested persons can now apply here https://monash.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_elgeivdJrV8ZF1X/
