PhD researcher for the UOC - European Commission Collaborative Doctoral Partnership (CDP) programme (temporary)

Fundació per a la Universitat Oberta de Catalunya; España; Hybrid; EUR 21,000 - 26,000; Full time

Job summary

Fundació per a la Universitat Oberta de Catalunya seeks a highly motivated PhD researcher to join the Collaborative Doctoral Partnership (CDP) between UOC and the JRC of the European Commission. The project focuses on the economic aspects of energy governance and requires enrolment in a doctoral programme with experience in social sciences.

The selected candidate will work across Barcelona (UOC) and Karlsruhe (JRC) with a deadline of 29 Oct 2026 and a fixed-term full-time contract, contributing

Qualifications

• Education: official university degree in social sciences.
• Formalise and provide proof of enrolment in a doctoral programme before the contract begins.
• Experience: minimum of one year’s experience through internships, placements, or other roles relevant to the project.
• Languages: English at C1 level or above.

Responsibilities

• Develop the methodological framework to assess the quality of key economic characteristics of new energy infrastructures across their lifecycle and as valued from their total contribution to society, informed by a post-normal science approach.
• Test and refine the quality assessment methodology via different case studies, focusing on new nuclear builds and SMRs as well as other forms of power generation.
• Develop technology-neutral procedures for quality assessment and transfer results to policy actors.

Skills

English proficiency (C1)

Education

Social sciences degree

Job description

Organisation/Company Fundació per a la Universitat Oberta de Catalunya Research Field Economics Political sciences Sociology Environmental science Technology » Energy technology Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions PhD Positions Application Deadline 29 Oct 2026 - 23:59 (Europe/Madrid) Country Spain Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 38,5 Offer Starting Date 1 Dec 2026 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Other EU programme Reference Number 50048 Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

Would you like a job in which your talent really has an impact on your surroundings? The UOC is not simply a university: our institution is dynamic, determined and ambitious, and drives social and educational changes. Over 30 years ago, we made history as the world's first online university. Our goal is to generate, transfer and join together knowledge to build a more critical, responsible and non-conforming society.

We are seeking to recruit a highly motivated PhD researcher to join the Collaborative Doctoral Partnership (CDP) programme jointly coordinated by the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) and the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission. This is a unique opportunity to develop research directly relevant to one of the European Commission's policy priorities: the economic aspects of Energy Governance. The PhD candidate will work directly with policy actors and internationally recognized researchers.

The PhD project will focus on a key area of European policy: the economic aspects of energy governance. Decisions on whether to fund energy infrastructure rely, among other factors, on cost estimates, a field characterised by deep uncertainty. This uncertainty is even less tractable when it comes to new technologies with still rather low maturity levels, such as small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs). This PhD project will develop decision-support tools to improve robustness of decision-making, transparency about uncertainties, and responsiveness to diverse societal values and knowledge systems.

In theoretical terms, the project will apply a post-normal science framework to support policy under conditions of uncertainty and complexity. Post-normal science describes situations in which "facts are uncertain, values are in dispute, stakes are high and decisions are urgent." Under these conditions, quality is not reduced to metrics or procedural standards but is understood as social robustness. Post-normal science introduces inclusive quality assurance mechanisms, such as NUSAP and extended peer communities.

During the first year, the selected candidate will develop the methodological framework to assess the quality of key economic characteristics of new energy infrastructures across their lifecycle and as valued from their total contribution to society, informed by a post-normal science approach. Next, the quality assessment methodology developed will be tested and refined via different case studies, with a focus on new nuclear builds and specifically small modular reactors (SMRs) as well as other forms of power generation. In the third and final phase, technology-neutral procedures for quality assessment will be developed and results will be transferred to policy actors.

The programme provides a unique opportunity to collaborate with a wide range of policy actors, including: EC policy services (e.g. DG Energy), the European Industrial Alliance for SMRs, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and IRENA (International Renewable Energy Agency).

Responsibilities

• During the first year, the selected candidate will develop the methodological framework to assess the quality of key economic characteristics of new energy infrastructures across their lifecycle and as valued from their total contribution to society, informed by a post-normal science approach.
• Next, the quality assessment methodology developed will be tested and refined via different case studies, with a focus on new nuclear builds and specifically small modular reactors (SMRs) as well as other forms of power generation.
• In the third and final phase, technology-neutral procedures for quality assessment will be developed and results will be transferred to policy actors.

The contract will be fixed-term (predoctoral contract) and full-time. The start date will be 1 December 2026. Mobility: In the first year, the contract will be with the UOC (Barcelona, Spain), and in years 2 and 3 with the JRC (Karlsruhe, Germany).

The successful applicant will join UOC's Society, Technology & Culture PhD program and the Urban Transformation and Global Change Laboratory under the Supervision of Dr. Zora Kovacic, expert in post-normal science and energy policy. The applicant will be located in UOC's Interdisciplinary Research and Innovation Hub alongside more than 100 researchers working in the interface of technology and society relations.

From the second year onwards, the successful applicant will be working at the JRC in Karlsruhe in the Nuclear Science and Innovation for Energy and Health Unit of the Nuclear Safety and Security Directorate under the supervision of Dr. Christian Kirchsteiger, expert in nuclear development, and together with researchers from JRC working on different aspects of SMRs in the corresponding portfolio.

• Education:Hold an official university degree(s) equivalent to 300 ECTS credits (typically combining Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees) in social sciences (broadly understood). Have an academic degree in social sciences (broadly understood) with a background in at least one of these fields and methodologies: science and technology studies, sociology, environmental studies, economics and energy economics, post-normal science
• As this position is classified as a pre-doctoral researcher in training, formalise and provide proof of enrolment in a doctoral programme before the contract begins.
• Experience: Demonstrate a minimum of one year’s experience, gained through internships, placements, or other roles in areas relevant to the project.
• Languages: Demonstrate proficiency in English at C1 level or above. Native speakers, or candidates who have graduated from a university programme taught entirely in English, are exempt from providing certification.
• Funding & Eligibility: Meet the administrative requirements stipulated by the funding programme to formalise the contract (hold citizenship or a valid residence permit for an EU Member State or a Euratom signatory country), as the appointment and funding of this position are strictly subject to the eligibility criteria set out by the European Commission/Euratom.
• Mobility: Commit to relocating to Barcelona for the first year, and to Karlsruhe (Germany) for the second and third years.

Also of interest

• Previous research experience.
• Knowledge of the UOC's educational model.

Languages ENGLISH Level Excellent

Research Field EconomicsPolitical sciencesSociologyEnvironmental scienceTechnology » Energy technology Years of Research Experience 1 - 4

Additional Information

Reasons to choose the UOC

• Shared purpose: you'll be working for and championing access to quality higher education that enables people to transform their lives.
• Culture of values: we're driven by excellence, passion, non-conformity, kindness and commitment, but what makes us unique is the people who comprise the UOC. We value positive attitudes and teamwork, we care for talent and we promote a working environment based on respect and relatability.
• Continual innovation: you'll be joining a university with an innovative, people-centred educational model, and a hub of impactful, interdisciplinary applied research.
• Real impact: you'll be part of a community that is driven by its mission, where it will be possible for your work to directly make a difference for society.
• Friday afternoons off.
• Flexibility: our open working model combines remote working with work on-site, depending on organizational needs and the nature of the tasks involved.
• Each year you'll have 37 days of paid time off (24 days of vacation, 9 personal leave days and 4 UOC holidays). And you'll be able to work reduced summer hours (35 hours a week), subject to organizational requirements.
• You'll be provided with the computer equipment and ergonomic material you need to work both from home and on site at the UOC.
• Training: professional development training is provided regularly.
• Well-being: medical service, psychological help service, physiotherapy service, and health promotion activities.

Selection process

Application

Selected applicants will be interviewed by UOC first, and will go through a second interview with the JRC which will make the final decision.

Our commitment to diversity
At the UOC, our differences make us stronger. We want recruit the best talent while guaranteeing equal opportunities, without discrimination relating to gender, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation or any other personal trait. Feel free to contact our recruitment staff for more information.

Our recruitment and selection processes are based on the principles of Open, Transparent and Merit-based Recruitment (OTM-R), and we have earned the Human Resources Strategy for Researchers (HRS4R) Excellence in Research award.

This contract is funded by the UOC under the Collaborative Doctoral Partnership Agreement No. 50048