PhD position in Fair4communities project for grid-friendly and resilient energy communities

Starting date: January 2027
Level of employment: 100%

The Sustainability Research Group at the University of Basel is looking for one PhD candidate to investigate the societal dimensions of AI-enabled energy sharing within energy communities. The position is part of the Horizon Europe project FAIR4COMMUNITIES, which brings together 18 partners from across Europe to develop next-generation, AI-driven tools for fair, human-centric, and grid-friendly energy sharing.
The project
As Europe’s energy system becomes increasingly decentralized and participatory, Energy Communities are emerging as important actors in the energy transition. The FAIR4COMMUNITIES project aims to develop and validate advanced AI forecasting and optimization tools that enable fair, value-oriented, and grid-friendly energy sharing across consumers, Energy Communities, and multi-community ecosystems.
The project goes beyond purely technical optimization by placing consumers at the heart of energy-sharing schemes. It integrates expertise from Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) to ensure that the technologies developed are socially acceptable, inclusive, trustworthy, and aligned with societal values and needs.

Your position

As the main SSH partner for the project, the Sustainability Research Group plays a central role in understanding and addressing the societal dimensions of these emerging technologies. The PhD candidate will contribute to the development and implementation of a Societal Readiness Framework (SRF) that systematically integrates social, institutional, and regulatory considerations into the design and implementation of AI-based energy-sharing tools.
The PhD will further investigate the psychological, socioeconomic, and social factors influencing the uptake of AI-enabled energy sharing. Research activities will include quota-representative national surveys, semi-structured interviews, and participatory workshops to examine attitudes, acceptance, trust, perceived fairness, and other potential determinants of participation in AI-enabled energy-sharing schemes.
In addition, the PhD candidate will collaborate with a range of stakeholders, including technology developers, Energy Community organisers and members, to design, test, and refine user-centred tools, dashboards, and interfaces. This work will involve evaluating aspects such as usability, trust in AI-supported decisions, and perceived fairness.
The PhD candidate will also contribute to the planning, implementation, and evaluation of behavioural and trust-building field experiments in pilot sites across Europe, including Greece, Portugal, France, Italy, Germany, and the Netherlands. These activities will examine how different intervention strategies influence technology adoption and participation.
Research activities will form the basis of multiple academic research papers and will contribute to the development of a PhD thesis.

Your profile

Applicants must possess an academic qualification (MSc/MA) in the social sciences, psychology, or a related discipline, ideally with a focus on sustainability, and should have experience with relevant empirical research methods. Strong quantitative research skills and experience with surveys are expected, while qualitative research skills, including experience with interviews, workshops and thematic analysis, are desirable.
A proficient level in English, excellent analytical and academic writing skills, strong communication and interpersonal skills, and a willingness to collaborate are essential. The candidate should be comfortable engaging with diverse stakeholders, including citizens, community leaders, industry representatives, technology developers, and technical experts.
Experience with participatory research and co-design methodologies is desirable, as is knowledge of the energy sector and Energy Community policies. Proficiency in another European language would be an advantage.
The position would suit a candidate with a strong interest in energy transitions, sustainability, Energy Communities, artificial intelligence, and the societal implications of emerging technologies.

We offer you

The position is funded for four years, with an initial contract for one year. At the end of the first year, an assessment based on performance and a detailed research proposal for the PhD will be conducted. In case of a positive assessment, the contract will be extended to a total duration of four years.
As the research project is a collaborative effort between 18 research and innovation partners across Europe and is embedded within the interdisciplinary research environment of the University of Basel, you will be able to work in a scientifically stimulating and internationally connected environment. You will join a supportive and collaborative research environment and have the opportunity to participate in courses and other academic activities at the University of Basel and beyond.
Salary and social benefits are provided according to the personnel and salary regulations of the University of Basel.
The University of Basel is committed to increasing the proportion of women and therefore strongly welcomes applications from female candidates.

Application / Contact

Please submit your complete application documents, including a CV, a letter of motivation with a brief description of your research interests within the scope of the project, a letter of recommendation, and transcripts of your MSc/MA and BA degrees, via the online recruiting platform.
We accept online applications only.
The application deadline is October 18, 2026. We expect to conduct job interviews late October/beginning November 2026.
For further information please do not hesitate to contact Dr. Adam Hearn (adam.hearn@unibas.ch). Dr. Iljana Schubert (iljana.schubert@unibas.ch).

www.unibas.ch