College of Business and Law at the University of the West of England in Bristol invites applications for a fully funded PhD studentship with the Sustainable Economies Research Group (SERG) on the topic of “Social embedding of products and services for sustainable economy”.
Closing date for applications is 4 June 2023
Start date of this studentship is 1 of October 2023
About the College
College of Business and Law is a host to lively and challenging PhD programme. Students benefit from its modern facilities and a welcoming research environment comprising diverse research groups and centres.
The studentship reflect ongoing commitment of the College of Business and Law at UWE to the development of its doctoral programmes.
Doctoral students at the College benefit from comprehensive support and guidance from UWE Doctoral Academy, including extensive professional development programme, research skills training and careers advice. Find out more about the Doctoral Academy at www.uwe.ac.uk/research/postgraduate-research-study/about-the-graduate-school
About the Project
In line with UWE’s ambition as set out in its 2030 strategy, and the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals, this PhD calls for a collaborative and ambitious project, to research implementation gap faced by firms and individuals in the West of England, as they attempt to transition to a Net Zero economy by 2030.
The UK government have set targets of reaching Net Zero by 2050, whereas in the West of England the targets are much more ambitious, with policy makers targeting Net Zero by 2030. If the region is to meet these targets, there needs to be a fundamental shift in the way businesses operate, which in turn needs to be supported by a workforce with the necessary skills to make this transition.
Technology, government policy, regulation, incentives, and business models are important in making the transition, but so too are values and social norm that can often drive more sustainable consumption and production. In many contexts, there is a ‘chicken and egg’ situation where services and products for a sustainable economy essential to meeting climate change and other environmental goals are not yet sufficiently demanded and at the same time producers remain tentative in pursing business models or the forms of production required to meet the demand. Ceschin (2013) discuss this situation and the concept of ‘social embedding’. This project requires a candidate keen to develop research in the social environmental sciences, perhaps with a background in economics and/or environmental and social psychology. The project will focus on the emergence and diffusion of pro-environmental social norms and/or values prioritisation and activation in relation to sustainable production and consumption. Suggested research questions may include (but are not restricted to):
• How should we run interventions for different stakeholders that prioritise and activate values that lead to action in sustainable production and consumption?
• How are social norms for more sustainable products or product service systems best encouraged?
• How can we best bring about cultural shifts towards more sustainable consumption and production?
• How do prices/financial incentives interact with the emergence and diffusion of social norms?
• How can institutional economics be developed or applied to better understand the transition in social embeddedness required to bring about a sustainable economy?
We are open to proposals with a mixed methods approach, innovative methodologies and multi-disciplinary insights that pay attention to the importance of publishing in high priority journals. The project will build on the research strengths within SERG, and will be policy-relevant. See details of SERG here.
For an informal discussion about the project proposal please contact Dr Peter Bradley at [Email Address Removed]
For an informal discussion about the studentship, please contact Director of Doctoral Research, Dr Paweł Capik at [Email Address Removed]
How to apply
1. Prepare your research proposal (no more than 5 pages all-inclusive; font size 11, 1.5-spacing, 2-inch margins). This should ideally happen in consultation with the potential supervisor. You should contact the potential supervisor with an advanced draft of the proposal to confirm they are willing to support your application.
2. Submit your formal application online.
When prompted use the reference number 2324-OCT-FBL02
Supporting documentation: you will need to upload your research proposal, all your degree certificates and transcripts and your proof of English language proficiency as attachments to your application so please have these available when you complete the form.
Closing date
The closing date for applications is 4 June 2023; 6pm (UK time).
Further information
Interviews will take place in June/July. If you have not heard from us by 30 of June 2023, we thank you for your application but on this occasion you have not been successful.
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