Doctoral student in modelling of future power systems - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

Project description

The research group Power System Planning and Electricity Markets at KTH is participating in several national and international research projects which aim to design the carbon dioxide-free power and energy system of the the future. To study these issues it is necessary to have energy system models that can mange large and complex systems. An example of such a model is Spine, which has been developed in an EU project, where KTH has participated. Spine is an open-source software, which can be used for simulating a wide range of energy systems.
A particular challenge when simulating large systems is the enormous amount of data that need to be collected and processed. For example, to study the Nordic electricity market or the European energy system, it would not be possible to model each power plant in detail. Therefore, it is necessary to aggregate similar power plants into so-called equivalents. In order to get reliable simulation results, it is important to set up equivalents in such a manner that they correctly represent the technical possibilities and limitations (in terms of energy storage, possibility to control the electricity generation etc.) of the underlying resource.
We are looking for a Ph.D. student who can participate in the work to develop new methods to model large energy systems. The research will mainly focus on formulating optimisation models and to develop solution methods for these. The work can for example include new types of models to compare different designs of bidding and pricing structures in electricity markets, subsystems of larger models as well as methods to create equivalents and process input data.
The Ph.D. project is funded within the framework of a larger collaborative project, where the research group is participating. In addition to your own research, you will cooperate with and deliver results to this collaborative project, whereby you will get excellent possibilities to build a personal network which will be useful for your future career.  

Third-cycle subject:  Electrical engineering

Supervision: Associate Professor Mikael Amelin

What we offer

• The possibility to study in a dynamic and international research environment in collaboration with industries and prominent universities from all over the world.Read more
• A workplace with many employee benefits and monthly salary according to KTH’s Doctoral student salary agreement.
• A postgraduate education at an institution that is active and supportive in matters pertaining to working conditions, gender equality and diversity as well as study environment.
• Help to relocate and be settled in Sweden and at KTH.

Admission requirements

To be admitted to postgraduate education (Chapter 7, 39 § Swedish Higher Education Ordinance), the applicant must have basic eligibility in accordance with either of the following:

• passed a second cycle degree (for example a master's degree), or
• completed course requirements of at least 240 higher education credits, of which at least 60 second-cycle higher education credits, or
• acquired, in some other way within or outside the country, substantially equivalent knowledge

In addition to the above, there is also a mandatory requirement for English equivalent to English B/6, read more here

Selection

In order to succeed as a doctoral student at KTH you need to be goal oriented and persevering in your work. During the selection process, candidates will be assessed upon their ability to:

• independently pursue his or her work
• collaborate with others,
• have a professional approach and
• analyse and work with complex issues.

We are looking for a candidate with a strong background in electric power engineering, energy engineering, mathematics or physics. Knowledge of applying optimisation models for planning and simulation of energy systems is a merit. It is also an advantage to have experience in working with open-sourced software.

After the qualification requirements, great emphasis will be placed on personal competency. 

Target degree: Doctoral degree

Information regarding admission and employment

Only those admitted to postgraduate education may be employed as a doctoral student. The total length of employment may not be longer than what corresponds to full-time doctoral education in four years ' time. An employed doctoral student can, to a limited extent (maximum 20%), perform certain tasks within their role, e.g. training and administration. A new position as a doctoral student is for a maximum of one year, and then the employment may be renewed for a maximum of two years at a time.

Union representatives

Contact information KTH's website.

Doctoral section (Students’ union on KTH Royal Institute of Technology)

Contact information section's website.

Application

Apply for the position and admission through KTH's recruitment system. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that the application is complete in accordance with the instructions in the advertisement.

Applications must be received at the last closing date at midnight, CET/CEST (Central European Time/Central European Summer Time).

Applications must include:

• CV including your relevant professional experience and knowledge.
• Application letter with a brief description of why you want to pursue research studies, about what your academic interests are and how they relate to your previous studies and future goals. (Maximum 2 pages long)
• Copies of diplomas and grades from previous university studies and certificates of fulfilled language requirements (see above). Translations into English or Swedish if the original document is not issued in one of these languages. Copies of originals must be certified.
• Representative publications or technical reports. For longer documents, please provide a summary (abstract) and a web link to the full text.

Other information

Striving towards gender equality, diversity and equal conditions is both a question of quality for KTH and a given part of our values.

For information about processing of personal data in the recruitment process please read here.

We firmly decline all contact with staffing, recruitment agencies and job ad salespersons.

Disclaimer: In case of discrepancy between the Swedish original and the English translation of the job announcement, the Swedish version takes precedence.