At the Technical Faculty of IT and Design, Department of Planning, a PhD stipend is available within the general study programme Development and Planning.
The stipend is open for appointment from 15 of August 2025 or soon hereafter. The duration of the position is three years.
The Department of Planning conducts research and teaching on development and planning in a broad sense, including social science aspects as well as more technical aspects of development, and with a focus on environmental, international as well as administrative dimensions.
The employment workplace will be in Aalborg.

Your work tasks    
The PhD project has a focus on researching how social acceptance is impacting the development of carbon capture, storage and use (CCUS) infrastructures. The PhD work should include energy planning approaches, focus on the social impact of CCUS infrastructure development and consider alternative assessments. The project will take part in the development of energy scenario design, with a focus on local smart energy systems in Denmark. The PhD will contribute by including engagement, research and co-creation obtained from studies involving municipal and regional energy planners and other stakeholders. These include various companies, citizens and municipalities.

Your competencies
The use of the risk perception and alternative assessments are important competencies for the position. This includes experience with community engagement and social acceptance. Applicants with a relevant background or experience within local and regional energy and climate planning are also encouraged to apply for this position. Additionally, Danish language skills are advantages as the researcher will work on Danish cases.

Qualification requirements
PhD stipends are allocated to individuals who hold a Master's degree. PhD stipends are normally for a period of 3 years. It is a prerequisite for allocation of the stipend that the candidate will be enrolled as a PhD student at the Technical Doctoral School of IT and Design in accordance with the regulations of Ministerial Order No. 1039 of August 27, 2013 on the PhD Programme at the Universities and Certain Higher Artistic Educational Institutions. According to the Ministerial Order, the progress of the PhD student shall be assessed at regular points in time.

Who we are     
The Sustainable Energy Planning Research Group works with an interdisciplinary approach to sustainable energy planning. The subject of study is energy planning in general and focus is on technical and geographical aspects, such as energy system analysis, and economic and institutional aspects, such as feasibility studies and public regulation seen in the light of technological change.
The research group has the main responsibility for the Master's programme of Sustainable Energy Planning & Management. Further, the group is involved in PhD education at the International Doctoral School of Technology and Science at Aalborg University.

How to apply 
Your application must include the following:
o    Application, stating reasons for applying and qualifications in relation to the position, 
o    Curriculum Vitae (CV)
o    Diplomas (bachelor and master's degree diploma) 
o    Project description. Please provide a short maximum 3-page description of how you envision your PhD project. You can find inspiration in Section 1 and 2 in the template for 2 and 11 month plans: https://www.aaudxp-cms.aau.dk/media/i0klr0uz/phd-plan-template-2022-tech.docx 
o    Applicants WHO are planning to complete a doctoral thesis in English and who do not have English as a first language or WHO have not completed an English language-based Master's programme (or an equivalent educational achievement in English) shall provide documentation that they have passed one of the following official tests with the respective minimum score: IELTS (band score): 7, TOEFL (paper-based): 600, TOEFL (internet-based): 100.
o    Other relevant documents

The application must be submitted via Aalborg University’s recruitment system, which can be accessed under the job advertisement on Aalborg University's website. 

Aalborg University wants to reflect the surrounding society and has diversity as a core value. Therefore, everyone, regardless of personal background and orientation, is encouraged to apply for the position.

Do you have any questions?     
If you have any questions about the position, you are more than welcome to contact Associate Professor Jakob Zinck Thellufsen, jakobzt@plan.aau.dk, +45 9940 8289 
Interviews will be held in July or early August.

Further information  
We recommend that you save a copy of the job posting, as it will be removed once the application deadline has passed.  

The assessment of candidates for the position will be carried out by qualified experts.
Shortlisting will be applied. This means that after the application deadline, the head of the department, with the assistance of the hiring committee, will select the applicants to be assessed. All applicants will be informed whether they have been shortlisted for assessment or not.

The hiring process at Aalborg University may include a risk assessment as a tool to identify potential risks associated with new hires, ensuring the safety, compliance, and integrity of the workplace.

Read more about The Technical Doctoral School of IT and Design

Salary and terms of employment
The employment is in accordance with the Ministerial Order on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Universities (the Appointment Order) and the Ministerial Order on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Universities (in Danish) and protocol on certain terms of employment of academic staff at universities (in Danish). 

Salary and terms of employment are in accordance with the collective agreement between the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations and the state (AC collective agreement) (in Danish) and protocol on certain terms of employment of academic staff at universities (in Danish). 

Aalborg University - Knowledge for the world
Aalborg University is an international workplace with more than 3,700 employees. We offer real-world-oriented education and create world-class research results through collaboration between researchers, students, and public and private companies. This is how we achieve insights, new solutions to societal problems, and knowledge that changes the world. Our main campus is in Aalborg, but we also have campuses in Esbjerg and Copenhagen.