Our PhD Positions
The joint doctoral training programme of SUNSET aims to mentor 10 Doctoral Candidates (DCs) with the transferable, intersectoral, and interdisciplinary skills necessary to (1) engage in cutting-edge academic research on sustainable and digital transitions in urban ecosystems; and (2) translate these scientific insights into the practice of sustainable and digital transitions in urban contexts.
SUNSET emphasizes cooperative research and includes international mobility and intersectoral secondments to maximize the career potential of our DCs. Find out more about our 10 PhD positions below.
DC 1 – University of Stavanger
Sustainable UniverCities in the periphery
Conduct a Doctoral Research Project on how cities and regions with fewer R&D and higher education capabilities will manage the transition to the green knowledge economy.
This vacancy has been closed
DC 2 – Aalto University
Online Public Participation GIS (PPGIS) as a tool for university-city collaborations
Conduct a Doctoral Research Project on how PPGIS methodology can be utilized to analyze citizens’ carbon footprint oucomes and use of environmental resources in their habitual behavior.
This vacancy has been closed
DC 3 – University of Helsinki
Accelerators of digital transformation? The impact of institutionalized knowledge exchange platforms on the Helsinki metropolitan area
Conduct a Doctoral Research Project on the impact of structural partnerships between cities and higher education institutions, including cross-faculty strategies and collaborations, on sustainable urban development at the neighborhood scale.
This vacancy has been closed
DC 4 – Utrecht University
The campus as an urban living lab: Examining the transformative learning experiences and outcomes of students from engaging with biodiversity at the UU Campus
Conduct a Doctoral Research Project on the transformative learning experiences and outcomes for young people by connecting with nature on campus.
This vacancy has been closed
DC 5 – University of Tartu
Incorporating knowledge infrastructure to green transitions: learning from campus interventions
Conduct a Doctoral Research Project on the role of data and knowledge infrastructure in decision-making and governance of urban systems and public space to enhance urban biodiversity, active mobility, and public health.
This vacancy has been closed
DC 6 – KU Leuven
Social activity spaces: social interactions between city and university as a gateway to sustainable mobility
Conduct a Doctoral Research Project on when and where people travel for social reasons, and what the social meaning of specific places within the city and on campus is.
This vacancy has been closed
DC 7 – Utrecht University
Contributing to biodiversity recovery using university campuses as living labs
Conduct a Doctoral Research Project on the contribution of innovative biodiversity recovery measures at university campuses to regional plant and animal species diversity; biodiversity conservation targets at the city, regional and national scale; and international biodiversity conservation and recovery targets.
This vacancy has been closed
DC 8 – KU Leuven
Universities and evidence-based decision-making in urban innovation ecosystems
Conduct a Doctoral Research Project on the influence of close collaboration between higher education institutions and cities on the capacity of urban policy-makers for evidence-based policy making and implementation.
This vacancy has been closed
DC 9 – University of Stavanger
Diverse, inclusive, sustainable co-production in UniverCities
Conduct a Doctoral Research Project on the inclusion of typically underrepresented groups that are often ‘left behind’ in city planning co-production processes when planning and implementing sustainable city projects.
This vacancy has been closed
DC 10 – University of Tartu
City-university interactions in crisis management measures to enhance the resilience of urban systems
Conduct a Doctoral Research Project on intersectoral cooperation formats to be better prepared for the challenges created by climate risks on the physical infrastructure of cities.
This vacancy has been closed