PhD positions in the area of Citizen Science and Citizen Observatory

The Spatial Dynamics Lab in the School of Architecture, Planning and Environmental Policy at University College Dublin (UCD) calls for applications for 2 full-time, funded PhD research positions in the field of Citizen Science and Citizen Observatories. The 3-year PhD Studentships are available starting January 2023. This is a unique training and research opportunity to collaborate with our interdisciplinary team and be directly involved in the EU-funded project CitiObs.

CitiObs will support citizen observatories in distinct cities to create/enhance/or scale up inclusive and diverse citizen observatories, fostering in particular an active role of citizens in the observation of the urban environment using low-cost sensor technologies and wearables, with a particular focus on air quality and related environmental measures. The core objective of CitiObs is to expand and scale up the deployment and uptake of Citizen Observatories as an integral part of inclusive multi-stakeholder governance, generating validated data for policy and research, contributing to GEOSS and GEO initiatives, and enabling the co-design of local actions to address urban challenges related to pollution and climate change as part of the European Green Deal transition.

CitiObs will develop a set of tools and methodologies (e.g., interactive maps, hands-on data analytical tools) that will complement the data and information collected (by citizens) with satellite-derived information, to generate knowledge that can be directly used by researchers and authorities to create actions and policies to protect the environment.

Applications will be assessed on the basis of how well candidates satisfy these criteria.

Mandatory Criteria:

• Master’s degree in engineering, geography, computer science, statistics or other related fields
• A keen interest in exploring research opportunities in the area of Citizen Science/Citizen Observatories and in developing collaborations with other researchers across the CitiObs consortium
• High English language skills (IELTS Certificates for non-native English speakers is required)

Desirable Criteria:

• Good proficiency with GIS tools
• Basics of Python and R programming languages
• Experience of statistical methodologies and data analysis techniques
• Familiarity and interest in air quality and related environmental measurements
• Interest in citizen science and crowdsourcing activities

To apply for these positions, please complete the registration form available here.

Apply now

Deadline Thursday 15th December. For more information, please contact francesco.pilla@ucd.ie or chiara.cocco@ucd.ie