We are offering one fully-funded, 4-year PhD position in the Laboratory of Urban Sociology at the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale of Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland.

PhD Project: The doctoral project revolves around exploring the transition of lifestyles and the social acceptability of environmental policies. The PhD project will be based on a collaboration between the Laboratory of Urban Sociology (EPFL) and the Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research (LISER). The PhD thesis is financed by the Fonds Climat Energie of Luxembourg and the project Panel lémanique de suivi de la durabilité des pratiques. Within the framework of this collaboration, the PhD student will be in charge of the implementation of questionnaires related to the transition of lifestyles and the social acceptability of environmental policies. S/he will also deal withthe analysis of quantitative and qualitative data in the framework of a comparison between the territories of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the Lake Geneva Region. 

Main duties and responsibilities include:

• Carrying out research activities related to the transition of lifestyles and the social acceptability of environmental policies
• Quantitative and qualitative survey design
• Analyzing and interpreting survey results
• Writing reports and scientific articles for publication in peer-reviewed journals
• Participating in laboratory teaching activities, as needed (assisting with exercises, correcting exams, supervision undergraduate and Master research students)
• Presenting at international conferences

We are looking for candidates with:

• An MSc degree in the fields of:  Geography, Sociology, Political Science
• An interest in lifestyles transition, social acceptability of environmental policies, and data analysis 
• Good communication skills and willingness to work as part of a team
• Enthusiasm, scientific curiosity, willingness to learn, good organisational skills
• Fluency in French and English
• Proficiency with data and GIS analysis (R, SPSS, Qgis, ArcGis)
• Proficiency with data visualization is an asset (e.g. dashboard creation)

EPFL is an international and world-class engineering university. We offer:

• An opportunity to develop a scientific career in both academia and industry
• A world-class research and training environment with access to state-of-the-art research facilities
• Competitive remuneration
• A multi-cultural and stimulating work environment
• Affiliation with the School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering (ENAC) and the Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research (LISER)

Starting date: Starting Fall 2023, exact start date is negotiable

Term of employment: 1-year fixed-term contract (CDD), renewable for 4 years

To be considered, your application should be submitted as one single pdf file and include:

• A letter of motivation
• A detailed CV, including the contact details for 2 referees
• Bachelor and Master grades
• Deadline July 28 2023

To submit your application and for any additional information, please contact:

• Prof. Vincent Kaufmann, Director of Urban Sociology Lab, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne: [email protected]
• Dr. Guillaume Drevon, Scientist, Urban Sociology Lab, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne: [email protected]
• Dr. Frédéric Durand, Research Scientist, Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research: [email protected]
• Dr. Umberto Sconfienza, Research Associate, Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research: [email protected]