Improving Policy Evaluation Methods addressing complexity across the Energy Environment Food nexus

Start Date: Cranfield campus – 25 September 2017
Duration of award: 4 years

Sponsored by Cranfield University and ESRC, this studentship will provide a bursary of up to £14,000 p.a. (tax free) plus fees* for four years

This is a PhD studentship linked to the UK’s Centre for the Evaluation of Complexity Across the Nexus (CECAN), a new inter-disciplinary research centre funded by the ESRC and NERC in collaboration with Defra, BEIS, the Environment Agency and the Food Standards Agency. The Centre aims to improve policy evaluation methods addressing complexity across the Energy Environment Food nexus; and the capacity of policy-makers, evaluation practitioners and researchers to understand and use these methods.

As a doctoral student you will contribute to CECAN objectives by selecting, innovating and applying one or more methods to case studies in order to determine the value of one or more public policies. You will access data at central government level on the public policy intervention (e.g. Renewable Heat Incentive), and at local scale on the particular cases in which it was applied. The selection process for the method(s) will be a contribution to knowledge, highlighting the evaluation benefits of alternative methods.

You are likely to devise new hybrid methods and/or new mixed methods research designs, which respond to the needs and priorities of the multiple sectors in the nexus (energy, environment, water, food) and to our large scale social, economic and climate systems. Ideally, you will have both qualitative and quantitative data experience, computational skills, and preferably a complex systems epistemology, enabling you to develop, apply and evaluate the new methods to the case studies and to provide a robust values-based evaluation.

Supporting others in the CECAN network to use and apply the resulting methods is fundamental for impact and capacity building. Finally, whilst the evaluation process is post-hoc, it is the desire to test the resulting methods on new policies, ex-ante, helping decision-makers to prioritise policy interventions at outset.

Entry requirements:
Applicants should have a first or second class UK honours degree in a field relevant to complexity science or computational analysis such as computer science, engineering, applied mathematics, psychology, and a master’s degree in one of water, energy, environment and/or food sectors. Experience in these sectors particularly in the effects of policy instruments is desirable. Your skills in data analysis, modelling and simulation will make you an ideal candidate. You will join a group of academics and students at Cranfield’s Complex Systems Research Centre (CSRC), involved in a range of complexity science research projects focused on investigating and explaining infrastructure systems (energy, water, waste, transport and telecoms). These projects are multi-institution, inter-disciplinary and ambitious and aspire to deliver outstanding transformational research.

Cranfield Doctoral Network:
Research students at Cranfield benefit from being part of a dynamic, focused and professional study environment and all become valued members of the Cranfield Doctoral Network. This Network brings together both research students and staff, providing a platform for our researchers to share ideas, identify opportunities for collaboration and create smaller communities of practice. It aims to encourage an effective and vibrant research culture, founded upon the diversity of activities and knowledge. A tailored programme of seminars and events alongside our Doctoral Researchers Core Development programme (transferable skills training), provide those studying a research degree with a wealth of social and networking opportunities.

How to apply:
For further information please contact: Professor Liz Varga, E: [Email Address Removed], T: (0) 1234 754802