The development of innovative biorefinery technologies inherently challenges existing policies and legal frameworks, and may trigger societal controversies due to uncertainties, conflicting frames, or poor stakeholder involvement. This PhD project will: i) analyze the mechanisms contributing to (potential) controversies; (2) design and experiment with stakeholder involvement arrangements to enable responsive innovation; (3) identify mismatches with current EU and domestic policies, and (4) propose policy frameworks that encourage agri biorefinery technology innovation.
This PhD project is part of the larger EU-funded AgRefine project, which aims to improve the agricultural sector’s competitiveness and sustainability by creating new and optimizing existing agri-resource and -waste valorization mechanisms. AgRefine brings together an interdisciplinary team of researchers from six European universities and research institutes, as well as a range of stakeholders. AgRefine is currently recruiting 15 PhD researches. Each PhD project will combine research activities with trainings, workshops, and secondments at practitioner organizations.
The candidate will be based at the Public Administration and Policy Group of Wageningen University, the Netherlands, which has the mission of studying the governance of wicked problems in the life sciences domains to develop more effective and legitimate governance arrangements. The supervisors of the project will be Prof. Dr C.J.A.M. Termeer, Dr T.A.P. Metze and Dr J.J.L. Candel.
the candidate must have obtained a Master level degree in political sciences, public administration, environmental governance, innovation studies, or related field. Affinity with governance, policy and/or institutional theories will be deemed advantageous.
For information and applying click here.
The deadline for the application is 2 September, 17.00 CET (Europe/Brussels).