PhD-position: Governing a green transition: End-users perceptions in using organic waste to obtain animal feed ingredients

Department of Social Sciences and Business, Roskilde University, invites applications for a position as PhD from 1st of March 2024 or as soon as possible thereafter. The position as PhD is limited to a period of 3 years.

The PhD Project
The PhD will form part of the project PROFIT- // Protein Revolution: Obtain Feed Ingredients from Wastes for Green Transition financed by the Innovations Foundation in Denmark.

The interdisciplinary Ph.d project aims to produce new applicable knowledge based on social science to investigate what shapes the perceptions of the potential end-users (e.g. farmers and business) in using the PROFIT proteinous product that is based on innovative technology and contributes to sustainable animal feed production. The Ph.d project integrates and closely collaborates with the end-users in order for the end-users to become part of the co-creation of that product. While agriculture is considered a significant contributor to gas emissions, farmers are burdened by the costs of green transition, which affects their business activities. Therefore, this Ph.d project will consider the important socio-economic and governance aspects related to this technology, the necessary regulatory standards that ensure health safety and well-being of the animals and consumers in Denmark and in the European Union as well as the potential barriers and benefits for the end-users in adapting such a product in their business activities.

The overall PROFIT project is a collaboration between DTU, Roskilde University, Unibio A/S, Knowledge Hub Zealand, Amager Ressourcecenter, and Copenhagen Municipality. Together, the partners that include researchers and practitioners, will collaborate to develop sustainable animal feed solutions by using a new integrated technology for protein production from organic waste resources that considers economic viability, environmental stewardship, and social cohesion. It thus links technology to social science. This advanced technology upcycles wastes and transforms organic matter (food waste and residual products from agriculture) to value protein for animal feed. In this way, the PROFIT project will contribute to economic, technological and social aspects of sustainability in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

The PhD project focuses on the social sciences part of the PROFIT project based on knowledge and evidence provided by the natural scientists on the PROFIT product. This PhD Project will use social science theoretical approaches on regulatory governance and public perception development in connection to sustainability transition in food and agriculture. The research involves aspects of: perceived risk associated with animal feed production, acceptance of novel feed and technologies within the value chain and risk-benefit communication. The PhD student participates in workshops, conferences, and general communication to all relevant stakeholders, including the scientific community.

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, one of which is Associate Professor Sevasti Chatzopoulou, who is leading the Work package and 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.

As a PhD fellow you will have the opportunity to join the Research groups at the Department for Social Sciences and Business.

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 earned by course work and attending international conferences, gain experience of teaching activities 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”

 

Questions
For further information about the position, please contact the project coordinator Sevasti Chatzopoulou on Phone: +45 4674 2180 or seva@ruc.dk or for administrative or technical questions, please contact PhD coordinator Halime B. Simsek on tel. +45 4674 2648 or email: ise-phdadmin@ruc.dk.

Terms of employment
The employment is on full time, 37 hours per week and you will refer to the Dean at the Department of Social Sciences and Business, Roskilde University.
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 1st of January 2024.

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.

1 job opening is available

Qualifications
You must hold a relevant master’s degree or equivalent within a social science discipline, such as Political Science and Public Policy or similar.
We emphasize the following qualifications:
 

• Relevant educational background and possibly work experience
• Grades from a completed master's degree or equivalent
• The quality of the project description, relevance, and considerations about the practical implementation of the project
• The project description should contain theoretically based considerations on how regulatory governance and development of public perceptions theoretical approaches combined with a thorough insight into the interdisciplinary methods such as surveys, interviews and statistics.
• The project description must be a maximum of 5 pages (excl. reference list)
• Ability to complete the PhD project in accordance with the project's overall goals and approach
• Advanced data collection skills such as through action research, participatory and collaborative research designs, qualitative methods, surveys ect.
• Proficiency in English

You are required to be enterprising and to possess good communication skills and to be a visible, involved participant in the Project’s and Department’s daily activities, in addition to being willing to engage in disciplinary and interdisciplinary collaboration across the department.

Assessment
In the assessment regarding employment, attention will be given to;

• Relevant Master’s degree (120 ECTS) or equivalent (according to Danish Qualifications Framework for Higher Education:https://ufm.dk/en/education/recognition-and-transparency/transparency-tools/qualifications-frameworks/other-qualifications-frameworks/danish-qf-for-higher-education?set_language=en&cl=en). All courses and exams must be passed before the deadline of the call.
• Any additional academic requirements stated in the job advertisement.

In the assessment regarding enrollment, attention will also be given to the following criteria:

• Educational skills and any further professional qualifications
• Excellent grades at Master’s programme or equivalent
• Quality and relevance of the project description
  • Quality and relevance of the methodical and theoretical choices
  • Consistency and coherence between the research problem and the choice of method and theory
  • The realistic and feasible scope of the PhD project
  • Ability to complete the PhD project
• Relevance of the project to the profile of the Doctoral School