Social Dimensions of Offshore Wind Energy

Salary: this appointment includes a tuition waiver and research stipend of up to $27,850/year for up to three years with the possibility of additional funding for the summer.

Project Co-PIs and PhD Advisors: Nat Trumbull, Carol Atkinson-Palombo, and Syma Ebbin

Study purpose
 The graduate student will be mentored to undertake the following tasks: 
1) monitoring the academic literature and media for developments in the offshore wind industry and preparing review(s) of existing literature related to social dimensions of offshore wind energy;
2) designing and conducting in-depth quantitative and qualitative research (e.g., surveys, interviews, focus groups) to identify the complex factors that shape community acceptance of offshore wind infrastructure and how these change over time;
3) collecting and providing analyses of survey and other data;
4) preparing presentations of findings for conferences, workshops, seminars, and lectures;
5) serving as co-author for multiple peer-reviewed paper submissions; and
6) engaging in the preparation of external funding proposal.

Project Period: 8/25/2023 – 8/24/2026

Project Sites/Collaborations: University of Connecticut, across Avery Point and Storrs campuses

Preferred qualifications:

  • M.A. in Geography or related fields

  • Interest in renewable energy related research

  • Strong communication skills (in written and spoken English)

  • Interest in working on a topic impacting coastal communities and New England at large

PhD Dissertation: There is tremendous potential and ample opportunity to develop a unique, yet related, PhD topic from this project with the variety of data collected and topics addressed in this project, or related to research collaborations with other investigators at UConn.

Application Process and Deadline
Interested students should contact Dr. Nat Trumbull at trumbull@uconn.edu and include a CV and brief expression of interest by January 20, 2023.

The departmental deadline for applications for Fall 2023 graduate admissions with consideration for receiving this funding opportunity is January 20, 2023. For more details and the application procedure, check the admissions page.