School of Social and Political Science

Analysing interdisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity in whole systems energy research: experiences from the UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC)

Applications for this studentship close at 23:59 (GMT) on Thursday 30th January 2025. Late applications cannot be accepted.

The UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC) is a world-class interdisciplinary consortium whose mission is to provide high-impact, whole-systems, evidence-based analysis to support key policy challenges and drive a step change in the energy transition.

The awardee of this 3-year PhD studentship will analyse interdisciplinary research practice and outcomes in UKERC. The awardee will be embedded in UKERC5’s evolving whole system research programme – providing a unique opportunity to study interdisciplinary energy research ‘in the making’.

Research overview

Complex socio-technical challenges, such as energy system transition, invite an interdisciplinary response - cutting across disciplinary boundaries and divides between researchers, policymakers and others. Within UKRI’s Energy and Decarbonisation theme, the Whole Energy Systems (WES) research area seeks to integrate knowledge across research councils, and, as a cornerstone of UKRI WES research, UKERC is expected to demonstrate the benefits of working across disciplinary boundaries, and across research-stakeholder divides.

In practice, this is far from straightforward. Academic research is normally conducted on well-established disciplinary lines, so that integrative interdisciplinary research is challenging and disruptive. There is a need for good empirical evidence on key questions such as: how can interdisciplinary research strategies overcome disciplinary silos and academic-stakeholder divides? Which research methods and tools are effective? How can integrative interdisciplinary research usefully inform decision-making in key policy areas? (see Foulds and Robison, 2018).

PhD studentship overview

The aim of this studentship is to analyse interdisciplinary research practice and outcomes in UKERC. Under the supervision of Dr Winskel and Dr Britton, the awardee will be embedded in UKERC5’s evolving whole system research programme – providing a unique opportunity to study interdisciplinary energy research ‘in the making’.

The PhD research will include case studies of interdisciplinary research projects drawn from UKERC’s research portfolio, including the research theme on equity, affordability and economic impacts being led by Dr Britton. Together, the case studies will offer varied combinations of disciplinary diversity, knowledge integration and transdisciplinarity (i.e. the significant involvement of non-academic stakeholders in the research process) (Winskel, 2018). As well as the recently launched Phase 5 programme (2024-29), the cases may also be drawn from the UKERC Phase 4 programme (2019-24).

Alongside detailed empirical analysis of UKERC’s research, the studentship will seek to advance conceptual understanding of interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary energy research, and generate useful insights for interdisciplinary research leaders, funders and assessors.

The PhD will entail collaboration with partners across the UKERC consortium and close working with supervisors to define the scope, research questions and methods. A detailed PhD project proposal will be developed after the award of the studentship, reflecting the interests and expertise of the successful candidate, but it is likely to entail the following aspects:

  • Reviewing the international research literature on interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research and knowledge integration, particularly in energy research
  • Developing a detailed research proposal (including background, research questions, literature review, methods, ethics)
  • Developing and submitting a University of Edinburgh SPS research ethics application 
  • Identifying 4-6 case studies of interdisciplinary research projects from within the UKERC programme. 
  • Applying relevant case study research methods, likely to include document analysis, semi-structured interviews, facilitated group discussions and possibly survey methods.
  • Analysing and writing-up case studies, including qualitative thematic analysis using appropriate software. 
  • Writing and submitting a PhD thesis. Written analysis is also likely to include co-authored papers with supervisors.
  • Participating in relevant national and international meetings, workshops and conferences, including UKERC general meetings and annual assemblies, and other interdisciplinary research initiatives in the UK. International participation is likely to include events organised by the Global Alliance for Inter- and Trans-disciplinarity (ITD Alliance) and the Sustainability Transitions Research Network (STRN), among others. 

References

Foulds, C and Robison, R (2018) (Eds.) ‘Advancing Energy Policy: Lessons on the integration of Social Sciences and Humanities’. Palgrave Macmillan.https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-99097-2

Winskel, M. (2018) ‘The pursuit of interdisciplinary whole systems energy research: Insights from the UK Energy Research Centre’, Energy Research and Social Science, 37, 74–84  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2017.09.012

Award value

The scholarship funding is for 3 years. It includes:

  • an annual maintenance grant/stipend at the UKRI rate (£19,237 in 2024/25, for reference)
  • tuition fee cover at UK/ Home Fee rate
  • funding for associated research costs, subject to eligibility
Eligibility

In additional to standard PhD requirements, applicants must meet the following additional eligibility criteria for this award:

Applicants must also meet the following additional eligibility criteria for this award:

  • Able to take up the scholarship on a full-time basis
  • A relevant disciplinary background in social sciences at undergraduate and/or postgraduate level
  • Demonstrable interest in interdisciplinary studies and/or interdisciplinary energy research 
  • Can demonstrate excellent academic writing skills
  • Be willing to work in a team, and to meet strict deadlines
  • Interest in developing skills in diverse research methodologies
  • Have commitment to, and willingness to learn skills for, impactful research and for knowledge exchange and impact (KEI)
  • Have commitment to engage with intellectual and research life at the University of Edinburgh and to support the work and aims of the UKERC consortium
Application process

Applicants must send the following documents to mark.winskel@ed.ac.uk no later than the studentship closing date:

  1. A university studies transcript, showing courses/modules taken and marks for individual courses and for a dissertation.
  2. A CV of no more than three pages
  3. Two references from academic staff who have direct experience of your work, including (if possible) an Undergraduate or Postgraduate dissertation supervisor.
  4. A single authored academic writing sample of around 3,000 words (e.g. a coursework essay or dissertation chapter). 
  5. A personal statement covering
  • Your interest in this PhD project 
  • Your relevant experience and training  
  • How you would want to develop the project, including any particular issues and questions you would want to explore 
  • Your longer-term career plans, and how this project will help you to progress them, including any training that you would hope to receive

The studentship award is subject to the candidate successfully securing admission to the named PhD programme within the School of Social and Political Science. The successful studentship applicant will be invited to apply for admission to the relevant PhD programme after they are selected for funding.

Selection, assessment and results process

The selection process comprises of two stages:

Stage 1: The application documents must be sent to Dr Mark Winskel by 30th January 2025. Applications will be reviewed (using the assessment criteria below) by a panel comprising of Dr Winskel and Dr Britton and the PhD Postgraduate Advisor for Science, Technology and Innovation Studies in SPS. 

Stage 2: Shortlisted candidates will be invited to an interview (which may be in-person or online). Candidates will be sent interview questions and details of a presentation task in advance of the interview. Application documents and interviews will be assessed against the eligibility criteria, and ability to carry out the role tasks as described above. In addition, we will be looking at the following criteria:

  • Applicant capabilities and academic achievements, including their preparedness and potential to undertake and complete a PhD, and their expected contribution to a positive PhD community and the project team
  • Understanding of the research topic and independent ideas for research; demonstration of interest in the topic and ability to develop a detailed research proposal if successful; fit and complementarity with the project’s aims and work

Interview date: Expected to be in March 2025 and may be held online. 

Candidates are expected to be advised of the outcome in April 2025.

Science, Technology, and Innovation Studies (STIS), the School of Social and Political Science (SPS), and UKERC

The School of Social and Political Science (SPS) is one of the largest and most successful schools of social science in the UK, with global reach and local and global impact. The SPS postgraduate research culture is vibrant, with work reflecting a broad range of social issues and methodologies, and the School is home to a vibrant community of PhD, postdoctoral, and early career scholars, with regular talks, seminars, events and opportunities to present work in progress. There are also a range of complementary research networks and clusters dedicated to interdisciplinary scholarship, providing a supportive community of scholars doing related work. The applicant will have access to additional support from SPS’s range of research training courses, including those provided by the Research Training Centre.

The Science, Technology, and Innovation Studies (STIS) subject group within SPS  has played a major role in the historical formation of STS as a field, and has strong existing links both to the social sciences and to research teams in engineering, informatics, physical and environmental sciences at the University. The dynamics of interdisciplinary scholarship, and energy and society, are a particular interests for several STIS academics. The studentship will also link to relevant colleagues in Sociology and other subject groups in SPS, and wider interdisciplinary centres and institutes at the University, including the Edinburgh Earth Initiative, Energy@Edinburgh and the Edinburgh Futures Institute. 

SPS academics Dr Mark Winskel, Dr Jess Britton and Prof Jan Webb are part of a new phase of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) funding for the UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC) (2024-29). UKERC has been awarded £11 million for the next four years from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). Within this, SPS researchers have been awarded around £700,000. The University of Edinburgh was a founding partner of UKERC in 2004 and, building on 20 years of success, this new investment marks a significant step forward in advancing the UK’s energy transition, focusing on interdisciplinary research and innovative solutions to real-world energy challenges. Alongside UKRI funding for UKERC, this scholarship is being funded by SPS as a contribution to the School’s growing body of interdisciplinary energy research.

UKERC is a world-class interdisciplinary consortium led by Imperial College London and including Cardiff University, Durham University, Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Science and Technologies Facilities Council, University College London, and the Universities of Birmingham, East Anglia, Edinburgh, Exeter, Leeds, Oxford, Strathclyde, Sussex and Warwick. The consortium brings together expertise in social science, engineering, environmental science, and economics. UKERC’s mission is to provide high-impact, whole-systems, evidence-based analysis to support key policy challenges and drive a step change in the energy transition. For more information, visit www.ukerc.ac.uk 

Dr Mark Winskel, Senior Lecturer in the Science, Technology and Innovation Studies group, is a UKERC Deputy Director, leading on interdisciplinary research integration and academic engagement, and contributing to UKERC’s Responsive Research theme. Dr Winskel also co-Chairs the Energy@Edinburgh interdisciplinary research network. 

Dr Jess Britton, Research Fellow in Sociology, is leading a UKERC research theme on equity, affordability and economic impacts of GB energy decarbonisation. As part of this, SPS researchers will research place-based approaches to net zero energy systems and develop insights into how to mobilise local and regional governance powers; improve capacities, skills and resources; engage with citizens; and make energy market regulation and finance responsive to local decarbonisation. 

Contact details

For queries about the project and studentship, please contact the lead supervisor, Dr Mark Winskel (mark.winskel@ed.ac.uk). 

For application process queries, please contact Toni Jenkins (pgresearch.sps@ed.ac.uk). 

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