PhD: Trade-off and tipping dynamics in urban transitions at EPFL

Mission

Understanding how urban sustainability transitions interact: How do transformations in different urban sectors—such as energy and food—interact? Under what conditions do they reinforce one another or create trade-offs, and when do they trigger tipping dynamics?

The Laboratory for Human-Environment Relations in Urban Systems (HERUS) at the School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering (ENAC), EPFL, investigates how urban systems transform towards sustainability.

We are looking for a PhD candidate to investigate coupled sustainability transitions, with an initial focus on the interactions between energy and food systems.

The PhD project is embedded within the ongoing research project “Tipping Transition”, which investigates the drivers and dynamics of renewable energy technology adoption in housing in Lausanne.

An interdisciplinary agent-based model (ABM) has been developed to represent the energy transition at the level of Lausanne, integrating not only economic factors but also social and behavioural dimensions, such as attitudes, social norm, and their evolution over time.

The PhD project “Trade-off and tipping dynamics in urban transitions “ will extend this modelling framework to investigate interactions between different urban sectors, initially focusing on energy and food.

A particular focus will be placed on the role of provisioning systems—the infrastructures, technologies, institutions, markets, and practices through which goods and services are provided—in enabling or constraining sustainability transitions.

The successful candidate will work in collaboration with a current PhD researcher developing the energy transition model.

This provides an opportunity to build on an established modelling framework, contribute to its further development, and benefit from expertise and ongoing research.

Main duties and responsibilities

Profile

Previous experience with agent-based modelling or sustainability transitions is welcome, but candidates with a strong quantitative or computational background and an interest in developing interdisciplinary expertise are also encouraged to apply.

We offer

Informations

The selection process involves multiple stages, and short-listed candidates will be requested to apply to a specific EPFL Doctoral Program to qualify for a PhD at EPFL, i.e. EDCE.

Please check this page for additional information on admission.

Please note that this is a separate application process necessary to be eligible to complete your PhD at EPFL.

Your application should contain:

Application deadline: 12/11/2026

Contract Start Date: 02/01/2027

Activity Rate: 100.00

Contract Type: CDD

Duration: 4 years

Reference: 2503

For more information, please contact: [E-Mail-Adresse in der Originalanzeige] (no application accepted on this address)