- Supervisors: Dr. Javier Lloveras - external link and Dr. Mario Pansera - external link
- Project Title: A Right to a Repair Society: Controversies, Opportunities, and Challenges (ATTRACT)
- Funding Duration: 4 years
- Gross salary: approx €23000 per year
- Scholarship type: Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities
- Expected starting date: December 2024-January 2025
- NEW PRE-APPLICATION DEADLINE: 15 October
The Post-Growth Innovation Lab at the University of Vigo invites applications for a fully funded PhD position in the project A Right to a Repair Society: Controversies, Opportunities, and Challenges (ATTRACT). This project investigates how the Right to Repair (R2R) movement can contribute to a post-growth society while addressing the environmental and social challenges posed by consumer electronics.
PROJECT OVERVIEW
The Right to Repair (R2R) movement advocates for greater rights and collective freedoms to repair our electronic devices, countering manufacturer practices like planned obsolescence. By promoting repairability, R2R aims to reduce electronic waste, limit resource extraction, and foster sustainable consumption practices. This project will map the multiple perspectives surrounding the R2R debate and analyse how these perspectives influence EU legislation on sustainability and circular economy. While mapping out these different perspectives is essential, the project places a strong focus on how they are being integrated in actual R2R legislation, particularly within the European Union. Finally, the project will analyse these dynamics in terms of their alignment with the transition to a post-growth economy.
PhD CANDIDATE PROFILE
- A good understanding of the EU legislative process in relevant areas.
- Experience working with qualitative research methods (e.g., interviews, discourse analysis) and a disposition to develop their qualitative research skills further.
- Critical thinking and ability to review and synthesize academic literature across various disciplines and fields.
- Experience conducting systematic literature reviews – or at least, a reasonable understanding of this process.
- A good understanding of postgrowth/degrowth theories.
- Availability to travel for fieldwork.
- Proven ability to carry out academic work in English (writing, reading, and speaking). Ability to communicate in Spanish language is not mandatory but advisable.
- Autonomy, resilience, and an ability to conduct academic work independently.
- Teamwork skills and the ability to collaborate effectively.
We welcome applicants from any academic background—be it social sciences, humanities, or natural sciences—as long as they possess the necessary skills and motivations required for the project. Below is a detailed list of the essential skills we are looking for. While it’s not necessary to meet every single criterion, these are the qualities we will prioritize when shortlisting candidates.
The ideal candidate will have the following essential skills:
ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS
· Candidates must hold a Bachelor's degree, or equivalent, and a Master's degree, or equivalent, provided they have completed at least 300 ECTS credits in the two types of programmes as a whole.
· We invited candidates from any discipline to apply.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- To work on a full time PhD whose content will be directly aligned with the general project aim and objectives
- Conduct a rigorous, systematic review of relevant literature
- Conduct qualitative research, including aspects of research design, fieldwork, and data analysis.
- Engage with and collect data from multiple stakeholders in the Right to Repair debate in the EU. From consumer groups to policy makers, to activists and NGOs, etc.
- Contribute to publications, policy briefs, and public outreach as part of the project.
BENEFITS
- Full funding for 4 years.
- The opportunity to contribute to innovative research at the intersection of sustainability, postgrowth, and EU policy.
- Access to international academic and policy networks.
- Support for career development, including opportunities for publication and participation in international conferences.
HOW TO APPLY
- Curriculum Vitae (CV) highlighting areas that are relevant to the project
- A cover letter outlining their research interests and motivation for applying, including how their background fits the project
- At least one reference letter (preferably two) from relevant referees.
- A brief research proposal (max. 1,000 words) on how they would approach the PhD topic.
- Abbreviated CV, following the standardized format (https://cvn.fecyt.es/ - external link), with specific emphasis on scientific and technical contributions, as well as international experience and mobility.
- Academic transcripts.
- Grading scale and equivalencies - external link (only for those studies completed outside the Spanish system), formally signed by the issuing institution - external link. This applies only to foreign degrees.
The application process is divided in two stages (pre-application and formal application). Only shortlisted candidates will be asked to formally apply to the University of Vigo, with detailed instructions provided at that stage. Following the formal application process, interviews will be conducted.
Deadline for pre-applications is 15 October. The following documents are required for this pre-application (sent to this e-mail address: postgrowth-lab@uvigo.es - external link):
The following documents will be later required for the shortlisted applicants invited to make formal application:
For inquiries, please contact Dr. Javier Lloveras at [javier.lloveras@uvigo.gal - external link] and Dr Mario Pansera [mario.pansera@uvigo.gal - external link]