Stellenangebot: 3-year PhD Position in Energy Ethics (50%), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology

At the Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (Karlsruhe, Germany) we are recruiting a PhD researcher in Energy Ethics.

Job Description

As a PhD researcher, you will design your own original research project in collaboration with your supervisors in the emerging field of energy ethics, which deals with normative ethical issues relating to energy systems and the energy transition. We understand energy transitions broadly as socio-technical transformations towards sustainable lifestyles, technologies, and systems.

Possible areas of research include:

  • Normative approaches in energy ethics and energy justice. Virtue Ethics, the Capabilities Approach, Care Ethics, Responsible Research and Innovation, and Value-Sensitive Design are of current interest to our research group.
  • Relationships between environmental ethics and energy ethics, as well as between environmental, climate, and energy justice.
  • Ethical considerations regarding sustainable energy.
  • Ethical and epistemic aspects of risks regarding energy policies and technologies.
  • Ethical issues arising in energy decision-making, policy, innovation, and technological design, particularly regarding values.
  • Ethical issues in the context of societally disruptive energy technologies (e.g., Artificial Intelligence, Digitalization, Bio- and Geoengineering).

Next to research, you will publish your results in academic journals and present them at conferences. You will support the research group in the organization of research seminars, conferences and workshops. There is also an opportunity to support teaching by other members of the research group.

You will work under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Dr. Rafaela Hillerbrand and will be advised by Dr. Giovanni Frigo or Dr. Christine Milchram, depending on the agreed upon research project.

Alongside your position as researchers, there is the opportunity to obtain a doctorate.

Personal Qualifications

As a successful candidate, you hold a university degree (Diploma/Master) in philosophy or a related field. You can demonstrate prior knowledge, affinity, or competence in Ethics of Technology, Applied Ethics, or Science and Technology Studies, and have a commitment to sustainable energy transitions. Scientific research and presentation skills and the willingness to work in an interdisciplinary environment are required. Moreover, we expect you to be highly proficient in written and spoken English, as this is the working language of PhilETAS. Command of the German language would be advantageous but is not required.

You can find the full version and apply here until 18 March 2022.