We’re excited to advertise a fully-funded Social Science PhD studentship on the topic “Social acceptance of energy storage: investigating how people engage with and respond to mine water energy storage”.
Headlines
- Fully-funded studentship within the Global Sustainability Institute at ARU (Cambridge campus), which has an international reputation for interdisciplinary, action-focussed Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) research for sustainable societies.
- Opportunity to research the relationships that people have with energy storage projects, with flexibility in the research design and case study locations.
- Open to applicants interested in undertaking qualitative Social Sciences research.
- Direct links to national policy with opportunities to have impact here.
Interested applicants are very welcome to contact the supervisory team – Mel Rohse (melanie.rohse@aru.ac.uk) and Ami Crowther (ami.crowther@aru.ac.uk) – with any enquiries.
The deadline for applications is 16th March 2025. Interviews are expected to take place between 23rd April – 7th May 2025.
Further details on the studentship and application process can be found here: Social acceptance of energy storage – ARU
The successful applicant for this project will receive a VC PhD Studentship which covers Home tuition fees (guidance on eligibility) and provides a UKRI equivalent minimum annual stipend for three years (£19,237 in 2024/25). The award is subject to the successful candidate meeting the studentship Terms and Conditions. This studentship benefits from additional support for fieldwork and other research-related expenses from the British Geological Survey.
Project Description
Energy storage (including using underground technologies), is an essential area of technological development in the transition to Net Zero to achieve the goals set out by the UK Government. This Social Sciences Studentship focuses on the relationships that people have with energy storage projects, and will develop understandings of how energy project developers could better incorporate these relationships into their practices. Through a qualitative place-based research design, this studentship will undertake an in-depth investigation into people’s relationships with the subsurface, their perceptions of underground energy storage, and how people engage (and are engaged with) underground energy storage technologies.
The project is a collaboration with the British Geological Survey (BGS; the leading organisation in geoscience in the UK), who will support with access to case studies across the UK and with research dissemination, including to policy actors. The Coal Authority is also a partner, and it is anticipated that at least one of the case studies will focus on using mine water for energy storage, drawing upon their expertise in this area.
It is anticipated that this research will have real-world impact as the focus on public understanding and social acceptance will help inform debate with stakeholders (government, industry and regulators), and help embed Social Science research in policy and decision making. The supervisory team has experience of communicating policy impacts.
We welcome those coming to academia through non-standard routes, including mature students, or with caring responsibilities. Flexible working arrangements are possible, please get in touch to discuss.