Research Associate

Low Carbon Innovation in China – Prospects, Politics and Practice

Lancaster University -Sociology

Salary: £25,504 - £29,541

Closing date: 23 September 2013

Reference:  A779

This is an ESRC funded project and is a collaboration between Lancaster University, Sussex University’s STEPS Centre, SOAS and Chinese partners at Tsinghua University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

'Low Carbon Innovation in China – Prospects, Politics & Practice’ aims to investigate different models of innovation and their role in low-carbon transitions in the key socio-technical and (geo-)political context of a rising China.  The project will examine the actual practices of users who are expected by policy or corporate strategy to shift to low-carbon technologies.

This should elicit a more informative picture about what, how and why particular low-carbon innovations are succeeding or failing, and insert a social science, rather than economic, paradigm into conceiving a low-carbon future.  The project will look at three areas – solar energy, urban transport and agri-food- and compare government-led, high-tech innovation approaches with emergent, lower-tech approaches.

You will be expected to design, conduct, analyse and write-up interview and focus group-based research regarding low-carbon transitions in China, in collaboration with both UK and China-based colleagues, focusing specifically on issues of urban mobility (electric vehicles and electric two-wheelers).

You will also be expected to possess:

• A thorough working knowledge and understanding of the field of mobility research and socio-technical transitions and of conducting research in these fields.

• Experience of successfully working in research-intensive projects with strict schedules.

• A strong research record including potential to publish in top-quality, peer-reviewed international conference and journals.

• A PhD (or about to complete) in a relevant social science discipline.

• Outstanding communication and presentation skills, including the ability to present technical information in an accurate, convincing and engaging way.

• Experience of working collaboratively within a team and providing appropriate guidance for colleagues.

This is a challenging role that offers significant growth potential for the right candidate.

For an informal discussion about the post, please contact Dr David Tyfield Tel: +44 (0)1524 594187 / Email: d.tyfield@lancaster.ac.uk).

For general information about CeMoRe and Lancaster University’s Sociology Department, please visit http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/fass/centres/cemore/ and http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sociology/

The post is fixed term for 30 months.