PhD Positions in Energy Economics

PhD Positions in Energy Economics: Global Nuclear Decommissioning Policies

The University of Basel research team in energy economics invites applications for two PhD positions with a specialization on nuclear decommissioning policy. The positions will be part of an SNSF research project entitled "Best Practices for Decommissioning of Nuclear Power Plants" starting in May/June 2020. The project is a joint effort by the Workgroup for Infrastructure Policy at TU Berlin and the Energy Economics group at University of Basel. The project aims to aggregate best practices for decommissioning commercial nuclear power fleets by scrutinizing the approaches taken by a sample of countries (US, France, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, UK, Lithuania, and Japan). The project considers both economic and qualitative factors like the organization of the electricity market and the role of government in the nuclear industry, respectively.

Your position

The role of the University of Basel will be to conduct in-depth research and analysis on the institutional, market, social, and legal/regulatory environments of the selected countries; to evaluate the incentive structures for government and industry actors; and to synthesize meaningful policy recommendations (i.e., best practices) from intra- and inter-country analyses. Throughout the project, the Basel team will work in close cooperation with the Berlin team, which will focus on the institutional and industrial organization aspects of the topic.

Your profile

Applicants should have earned a master's degree in one of the following fields: economics; law and economics; political science; or public policy. Applicants should have an outstanding academic performance record (equivalent to a final grade average of at least 5.0 in the Swiss Grading System. For non-Swiss degrees, see the following formula). Excellent writing and communication skills in English are required. We highly value experience in interdisciplinary research and analysis; the ability to work independently; and fluent knowledge of German, French, Lithuanian, Japanese, or Swedish.

We offer you

The salary follows the recommendations of the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) for doctoral students. The SNSF grant will fund these positions for 3 years. (1 year, afterwards extendable for another 2 years.) The envisioned project work will form a part of the PhD candidate's thesis.

Application / Contact

For further information, please do not hesitate to contact Prof. Dr. Hannes Weigt ( hannes.weigt@unibas.ch ) and Dr. Rebecca Lordan-Perret ( rebecca.lordan-perret@unibas.ch ).