**Job Description**
This PhD position, embedded within the SPINES consortium at the University of Groningen, focuses on developing cross-sectoral strategies to proactively shape infrastructure demand in the Netherlands. Addressing the pressures of climate change, energy transition, and resource scarcity, the research aims to transition from a ‘predict-and-provide’ paradigm to one where infrastructures actively influence demand. It will examine the institutional complexity hindering or enabling cross-sectoral visions and coordination, investigate micro-level mechanisms of institutional change, and explore how infrastructure managers can transform organizational practices. The project combines insights from engineering, planning, innovation, and transition studies to promote fairer and more efficient infrastructure use.
**Skills & Abilities**
• Ability to apply a genuinely transdisciplinary approach.
• Expertise in institutional analysis.
• Proficiency in co-creative research design (e.g., action research, engaged scholarship, ethnographic study).
• Competence in qualitative research methods.
• Strong cooperation and exchange skills.
• Ability to navigate institutional complexity and foster institutional change.
**Qualifications**
Required Degree(s) in:
• Spatial Planning
• Environmental & Infrastructure Planning
• Human Geography
• Demography
• Geography
• Social Sciences
• Political Sciences
• Technical Sciences
• Related fields relevant to infrastructure planning and institutional analysis (typically requiring a Master’s degree for PhD eligibility)
**Experience**
Other:
• Experience or strong interest in close cooperation and exchange with other researchers and experts from infrastructure administrations.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate with diverse stakeholders from academia, research institutes, and infrastructure administrations.
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