The Department of Social Sciences and Business, Roskilde University, invites applications for a position as PhD of Computational Social Science from 1st of February 2024 or as soon as possible thereafter. The position is co-financed through a multi-year research grant from the Independent Research Fund Denmark (DFF). The overall period for the project is limited to 3 years.
Description of the DECARB project
States are not only regulators of markets, but they also play a crucial role as owners and investors in different markets. One key sector of pervasive state ownership is the carbon sector: state-owned enterprises and other entities control most of the global oil and gas reserves; they produce the lion share of global fossil fuels; and they are major investors in these sectors. This makes it urgent to develop viable analytical and strategic tools to decarbonize these large asset-holders in a just and rapid manner. This is the goal of the Independent Research Fund DECARB-project, where the PhD project will be embedded in.
Despite this significance for global decarbonization efforts, we however know very little about the specifics of state carbon ownership. As an example, little is known about the exact role Sovereign Wealth Funds (SWFs) play in financing fossil production. Likewise, not all state-owned national oil companies (NOCs) are the same: some are opaque centers of power and revenues, others are relatively transparent actors that are similar to private companies. Finally, we have only marginal insight into the development of state carbon ownership over time and whether states are meeting the pledges made at various climate conferences and elsewhere.
Description of the PhD project
These knowledge gaps make it difficult to develop viable decarbonization strategies. To remedy this, the PhD project consists of the development of a large-scale, firm-level database on state carbon investment around the world and over time. The PhD candidate will have a background in computational social science (or a related discipline) and work together with the rest of the international project team in setting up and analyzing such a database. The raw data will come from Bureau van Dijk’s ORBIS database, which contains information of over 400 million firms worldwide. In different steps, the PhD project will extract information about state carbon ownership of this data in order to create a comprehensive public resource for academic and public research into this issue.
The project will result in an open-access database with information on the investment profile of each state as owner and investor. This includes in the basic version the sender and the target of state carbon investment, different variables for the size of this investment (such as revenues or total assets of the target firm), and the ownership level that states realize in carbon firms. It will also be historical, allowing for cross- temporal analysis and yearly updates, fostering its long-term viability. The database will be made available with interactive visualizations online. This will increase the usability of this resource beyond academia.
We look forward to candidates interested in this project at the intersection of academic and public-facing research. The candidate should demonstrate an ability and interest in combining and matching large datasets, database management, and descriptive statistical methods. Interested applicants are invited to send in a piece of coursework, a publication, or a similar item documenting their research abilities. We also encourage applicants that have worked on similar data projects, not only limited to corporate ownership. The project group will provide additional training in the political economy aspects of the project if necessary.
For more information on the DECARB project see: https://decarb-project.com/
The Doctoral School
You will be enrolled as a PhD fellow at the Doctoral School of Social Sciences and Business with approximately 40 PhD fellows from all over the world. You will be provided with two dedicated supervisors who will coach you throughout the process.
The Doctoral School of Social Sciences & Business (ISE) provides PhD training and research within an interdisciplinary, international, and professional environment. It is part of a dynamic community of researchers who share a commitment to understanding society in diverse contexts of change and global engagement. Researchers come from all over the world and engage in topics that are geographically, theoretically and methodologically diverse. The Doctoral School has one PhD program. The program offers work in progress seminars, thematic professional development seminars, feedback and social activities for the enrolled PhD fellows.
You can find out more here:
https://ruc.dk/doctoral-school-social-sciences-and-business
As a PhD student you will be associated with the research group Economic Policy, Institutions and Change (EPIC) at the Roskilde University. You can find more information here:
https://forskning.ruc.dk/da/organisations/economic-policy-institutions-and-change
Other research groups might also be relevant.
Responsibilities and tasks
As a PhD fellow you are trained at an international level to undertake research, development and teaching assignments. You are responsible for carrying out independent research under supervision and receive constructive feedback in the PhD program in order to finish your PhD thesis. During your employment you are required to take 30 ECTS of course work, you’ll be teaching at the institute and have a stay at another research environment in Denmark or abroad. For more information, please see chapter 3, Ministerial Order on the PhD Program at the Universities and Certain Higher Artistic Educational Institutions (https://ufm.dk/en/legislation/prevailing-laws-and-regulations/education/files/engelsk-ph-d-bekendtgorelse.pdf) and Ph.d.-protokolattet i Cirkulære om overenskomst for Akademikere I Staten.
Qualifications
You must hold a master’s degree or equivalent within Computational Social Science, Political Science, Economics, Sociology, or a related field. Qualifications within the following areas are required.
- Good or excellent grades in relevant subjects
- Computational Social Science methods and skills, especially descriptive big data analysis and data management
- Scientific originality
- Ability and willingness for interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary work
- Proficiency in English
The following qualities are a plus but not a requirement:
- Familiarity and affinity with the ORBIS database or related databases
- Research experience in relevant fields (also research assistance)
- Willingness to spend one semester (ca. 6 months) at the Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research (AISSR) as a guest researcher.
Assessment
- In the assessment regarding employment consideration will be given to;
- Relevant master’s degree or equivalent (according to Danish Qualifications Framework for Higher Education)
- Any additional academic requirements stated in the job advertisement.
Questions
For further information about the position, please contact Milan Babic (babic@ruc.dk). For technical or administrative questions, please contact PhD coordinator Ida Bruhn Bull (ibbull@ruc.dk).
Terms of employment
The employment is on full time, 37 hours per week and you will refer to Dean Peter Kragelund
The position will be filled according to the Agreement between the Danish Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (AC) and Job Structure for Academic Staff at Universities.
Application procedure
After the deadline for applications the Dean will shortlist applicants for assessment with assistance from the recruitment committee including the chairperson of the assessment committee.
Shortly after the application deadline all applicants will be notified whether or not their application has been selected for assessment.
The shortlisted applicants will be informed about the composition of the assessment committee, and each applicant will be given the opportunity to comment on the composition of the committee and – later on – their assessment.
Once the recruitment process is completed, all applicants will be informed of the outcome of their application.
Application
To apply for the position go to www.ruc.dk/en/job/
Only applications in English are accepted.
Applications must include:
1. Cover letter
2. CV
3. Documentation of education (both BA/MA) including grades from each education
4. If applicable: Documentation for any research experience, work experience, related coursework or publications.
Please submit your application no later than October 1, 2023.
Material received after this date will not be taken into consideration.
Roskilde University wishes to reflect the diversity of society and welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of personal background.
- Application due date- 01-10-2023
- Department- Instititut for Samfundsvidenskab og Erhverv
- Category- Ph.d. stillinger
Contact
Milan Babic Adjunkt
4674-2960