PhD scholarships - Innovation Research Unit - University College Dublin

[Wolfgang A. Korzen]

4
PhD
studentships
(Innovation
Research)

University
College
Dublin

UCD CASL
Complex & Adaptive Systems
Laboratory

Innovation Research Unit

University College Dublin,
Belfield,
Dublin 4, Ireland

T [phone]
F [phone]

Prof. Dr. Petra Ahrweiler
[e-mail]
http://casl.ucd.ie/iru

16/02/2009

PhD scholarship, starting 01/04/2009 or later, for 3 years (1800 EUR per
month)
Main areas:
a) Self-defined PhD project in Innovation Research
b) Help with Establishing UCD´s Innovation Research Unit


Job description

Area (a)
The advertised positions will offer the opportunity to follow a self-defined PhD
project in the general research orientation at IRU.
Innovation, the creation of new, technologically feasible, commercially realisable
products and processes, is permanently emerging from an ongoing interaction
process of innovative organisations such as universities, research institutes,
firms, government agencies, venture capitalists and others. These actors
generate and exchange knowledge, financial capital, and other resources in
networks of relationships which are embedded in institutional frameworks on the
local, regional, national and international level. While the contexts of innovation
performance provide turbulent environments with high uncertainty and
ambiguity, innovation networks in complex social systems typically show
characteristics such as multi-scale interactions with high contingency and non-
linearity, emergent behaviour, pattern formation, and self-organisation. IRU’s
research deals with governance issues of innovation networks in complex social
systems. Most projects combine a conceptual framework of complexity science
and social systems theory with computational methods such as network analysis,
agent-based modelling and social simulation. Successful candidates need to apply
with a project idea fitting this framework.

Area (b)
The advertised positions at IRU (UCD Innovation Research Unit,
http://casl.ucd.ie/iru) are funded by UCD´s Vice-President for Research. IRU
works in an environment that will commission independent, multidisciplinary
research focused on the broad role, drivers and impacts of innovation. It will
advance knowledge of a broad definition of innovation through high-quality,
independent research which is fully engaged with policy and practitioner
communities. It will ensure the maximum impact of new knowledge on policy and
practice and develop capacity, in terms of people, data and methods, for future
research and knowledge exchange. Successful candidates need to engage fully
with the mission of IRU and assist in establishing the unit.

The Positions
Since IRU is an interdisciplinary research environment, any disciplinary
background of the PhD candidates are welcome. We are looking for excellent
candidates from the natural and social sciences with an interest in combining
empirical research and modelling activities for complex systems, in our case
innovation systems. A sound background in research methods using both,
quantitative (prominently social network analysis and agent-based simulation)
and qualitative methods is mandatory though UCD offers the possibility for
starting PhDs with a bachelor degree.
Organisational skills, love for detail, and social competence would be desirable;
very good written and oral English, and permanent residence in Dublin/Ireland is
mandatory.
In addition to the superior payment, this positions provide the opportunity to
work in an international research team doing cutting-edge innovation research.
The successful candidates will enrol in the new PhD Programme “Complex
Systems and Computational Social Science” at UCD and will receive a PhD degree
adapted to the disciplinary area of their main supervisors which can be from the
natural or from the social sciences.

Application
Applications should include an up-to-date CV and a cover letter and can be sent
by email (pdf or doc files). Further requests for information before submitting a
formal application are welcome.
Please send your application via email until 15/03/2009 to:
[e-mail]. We are looking forward to your submission.