POSTING
PhD Student position in energy poverty research in the Department of Geography at McGill University
One graduate student opportunity is available at the PhD level in the Department of Geography at McGill University. The student will conduct graduate studies in the Department of Geography at McGill University and contribute to the SSHRC funded project: Defining, measuring, and addressing energy poverty: A Canadian framework.
Project Background: Households across Canada face energy poverty, however, to date, there has been little focus in scholarly research. With this research project, our aim is to develop a multi-dimensional conceptual framework for study and mitigation of energy poverty in Canada. We ask: How can energy poverty be defined, measured, and addressed in the Canadian context? We aim to: identify drivers and exacerbators of energy poverty; identify who is energy vulnerable and get a deeper understanding of the impacts of energy poverty on well-being and everyday life; assess the extent to which energy poverty interventions and policies are equitable and just, and learn of the
stakeholders involved with energy poverty interventions; and propose new ways to measure energy poverty in Canada.
Qualifications: Applicants should hold an undergraduate or Master’s degree in Geography, public health/epidemiology, environmental studies, sociology, or a related discipline by August 2023. The ideal candidate will have one or more of the following skills: advanced experience with quantitative methods and statistics, experience using Statistics Canada survey data (PUMF and/or RDC microdata). Experience with the Survey of Household Spending, Households and Environment Survey, and/or Canadian Housing Survey would be an asset. An interest in energy research, social and health research, and public policy is required. The PhD student will be responsible for analyzing linked data from the Canadian census and selected surveys administered by Statistics Canada to identify drivers and exacerbators of energy poverty and will also contribute to the development of energy poverty indicators. Through this research, the PhD student is expected to develop their research thesis.
Start Date and Conditions: Position available to start September 2023, fall semester. Funding for this 3-year PhD position is available, plus funding for conference travel and fieldwork. The successful candidate will be expected to apply for SSHRC and other internal and external doctoral scholarships, which may affect the level of funding support. The PhD student will be supervised by Prof Mylene Riva (Geography, McGill), and co-supervised by Prof. Runa Das (Royal Roads University).
To Apply: Candidates should submit a one-page statement of interest, CV, unofficial transcript(s), contact information for 3 referees, and a writing sample (for example, a chapter from their master’s thesis; scientific article; assignment written for a class) to Profs. Mylene Riva ([email protected]) and Runa Das ([email protected]) by December 15th, 2022. Please indicate ‘PhD in Energy Poverty’ in the Subject line. Following review of applications, only selected candidate(s) will be invited to submit a full application dossier to the PhD program in the Department of Geography at McGill University by January 15th, 2023.
More information about graduate studies in Geography at McGill can be found here: https://www.mcgill.ca/geography/graduate.