Postdoc, Interactive Geospatial Tools for Regional Energy Transition

3 years ago

University of Twente

Location
Language
Type
Enschede
English
Part-time, Temporary
Level
Profession
Deadline
Associate
Researcher
27.09.2020
Location
Language
Type
Level
Profession
Deadline
Enschede
English
Part-time, Temporary
Associate
Researcher
27.09.2020

About Us

High tech, human touch. That is the University of Twente. Some 3,300 scientists and other professionals working together on cutting-edge research, innovations with real-world relevance and inspiring education for more than 9,000 students. The enterprising university encourages students to develop an entrepreneurial spirit.

About the Role

The Department of Urban and Regional Planning and Geo Information Management (PGM) of ITC links geospatial technologies with urban planning and management. An emerging field of research in the department is the development and application of geospatial tools and technologies to support the active engagement of researchers, policy makers, planners, and citizens in participatory decision making processes. To successfully implement the NWO-funded project “Regional Energy Transition as Systematic Integration” (RETSI), we are looking for an enthusiastic, preferably Dutch-speaking, postdoc. In the RETSI project, you will closely collaborate with other researchers and our regional and local partners to identify and exploit synergies between the energy transition and other societal challenges. We are specifically looking for a researcher who is interested in exploring the potentials of interactive geospatial tools and planning support systems for engaging stakeholders in the energy transition. RETSI is a two-year project that is funded by NWO and the Province of Overijssel under the call “Societal Aspects of the Regional Energy Transition” (MARET). The energy transition has many interlinkages with other societal challenges, e.g. the sustainable production of food or the development of blue-green infrastructure to adapt to climate change. An integrated approach has added values and is urgently required to accelerate the energy transition. Interactive geospatial tools have proven to be useful for engaging with stakeholders in the energy transition. In the project we will therefore explore how geospatial tools can effectively support the collaboration of stakeholders in addressing the challenge of systemic integration of the energy transition in different urban and rural contexts in the Province of Overijssel. This will take place in close cooperation with a wide range of partners from policy and practice.

What You're Gonna Do

Your main task will be to develop and test interactive geospatial tools and planning support systems that support the collaboration of stakeholders in energy transition related projects. Experiences with the COLLAGE tool (Collaborative Location and Allocation Gaming Environment) from earlier projects serve as basis for the tool development. The key question of the research is how systemic integration of diverse land use challenges can be supported by means of a geospatial tool. This include in detail the following tasks: - Make an inventory of geospatial tools and methods used in energy transition projects. - Develop a conceptual model for integrating different domains related to the energy transition into the tool. - Implement the conceptual model in an interactive GIS platform. - Prepare, conduct, and evaluate interactive stakeholder workshops together with the RETSI team.

About You

- You are a researcher with a PhD in geography, geo-informatics, spatial planning, environmental sciences, civil engineering, or a related domain. - You have strong skills in GIS and the use of geo-technologies. - Knowledge of commonly used GIS software such as ArcGIS or QGIS - You are experienced in the development and application of geospatial tools and planning support systems. - Programming skills are welcome. - Experiences in at least 1 of the domains of energy, climate adaptation, or agriculture are of advantage. - You enjoy a multidisciplinary focus and are enthusiastic about collaborating with other researchers and local and regional stakeholders. - You have strong analytical and communication skills. Being fluent in English is requirement. Being fluent in Dutch is of advantage. - You are able to start between December 2020 and February 2021.

What We Offer

We offer you an inspiring multidisciplinary and challenging international and academic environment. The university offers a dynamic ecosystem with enthusiastic colleagues in which internationalisation is an important part of the strategic agenda. You will be employed for 16 months (for 0,8 fte). Salary and conditions will be in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement (CAO-NU) of the Dutch Universities. - Gross monthly salary between € 3746,- and € 5127,- depending on experience and qualifications in case of fulltime employment (job profile Researcher level 3). - A holiday allowance of 8% of the gross annual salary and a year-end bonus of 8.3%; - A solid pension scheme; - A minimum of 41 holiday days in case of fulltime employment; - Professional and personal development programs; - Costs for moving to Enschede may be reimbursed.

International Candidates

This job is available for international candidates.
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