Missions

The post-doctoral researcher will work on the history of energy issues in economic thought (19th-20th century), with the idea of building bridges with contemporary research in energy economics, particularly on issues of energy security and sovereignty, energy sufficiency, infrastructure planning and energy transitions, from a theoretical point of view. The contract is part of the ERC Starting-Grant project ETRANHET which aims at writing the first ever history of energy economics at a global scale.

Activités

The post-doctoral researcher will combine historical methods – including archival research and tools from the digital humanities (digitisation of materials, etc.) – with more theoretical economic research to explore the economic literature from the 19th and 20th centuries dealing with energy issues and transitions, and to build bridges between past and present. The post-doctoral researcher will be involved in three research packages: (i) the examination of the origins and development of a number of key tools in mainstream energy and resource economics (e.g. mining rent theories, early-20th century rule of capture, energy demand forecasts in the 1950s-1960s, Hartwick's rule in the 1970s, etc.); (ii) the identification of transversal and crosscutting topics (e.g. energy security, energy sufficiency, infrastructure planning, energy transition) in different bodies of energy economic literature around the world (on the basis of preliminary results of the ETRANHET project obtained for different language traditions); and (iii) the construction of theoretical frameworks to think about these issues by using tools from public or development economics. Research questions will include but will not be limited to: How did energy security and sovereignty was perceived by past economists in different regions around the world? How can we conceptualize energy sufficiency from an economic point of view? How was energy infrastructure planning conceived in the 20th century, in a variety of economic, political and institutional contexts? Are there any past experiences of regulating the energy sector, or encouraging changes in consumer behaviour, that could be revived today? Also, in addition to this research activity (to be completed and refined according the profile of the selected candidate), the post-doctoral researcher will be expected to interact with other members of the ETRANHET team (PI, post-docs, PhD students, Master's students, associate members) and with other CIRED research groups (especially those working in energy economics). The post-doctoral researcher will also be required to participate in ETRANHET's collective tasks (e.g. communication, dissemination, organization of events, supervision of students) and in the different research activities taking place at CIRED (e.g. weekly seminars, general assemblies, workshops). Precise objectives in terms of deliverables and activities will be discussed at the start of the contract.

Compétences

Degree: PhD in economics or history of economic thought, with a strong interest in energy and sustainability issues. Candidates need to have at least one publication in a recognized academic outlet in economics or history of economic thought. Some proficiency in economic modelling, macroeconomics, public economics and/or development economics would be welcome. Languages: English required (working language), French is not required but would be a plus for good integration in the working environment. Other skills: computer skills (usual software, qualitative database management, collaborative tools), autonomy (in particular for conducting on-site archival research), teamwork, ability to take initiatives, ability to work in an interdisciplinary and intercultural environment.

Contexte de travail

The position is funded by the ERC Starting-Grant project ETRANHET – 'Energy Transitions in the History of Economic Thought (19th-20th c.)' led by Dr. Antoine Missemer (PI) and hosted by CNRS (https://www.centre-cired.fr/etranhet/). ETRANHET will provide favourable material conditions for the proper conduct of the research (e.g. travel and documentation allowances). The recruited person will work at the CIRED laboratory located in Nogent-sur-Marne (Paris area, France) and is expected to work on site (remote working is possible in moderate proportions). CIRED is a multidisciplinary unit (about 100-120 permanent and non-permanent members), with a core expertise in economics, gathering researchers and PhD students working on environmental and development issues. With members involved in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), CIRED is recognized as a top-research unit in the field of environmental, climate, and energy economics. A few researchers in sociology, business organization, and history of economic thought, complement the unit's larger teams more specialized in integrated assessment modelling (IAM), land-use, transportation economics and ecological accounting. The Parisian university context is conducive to active participation in many national and international research networks.

Contraintes et risques

Not applicable