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PhD Position in "The Economics of the impact of demand response measures in households" @UCD
Job description
Consumers and citizens will play an important role in the transition to net zero carbon energy through flexible energy use and matching demand to available renewable energy supply. Nonetheless, technical, economic, and societal challenges currently hinder consumer participation in energy markets.
In this project, the PhD student will focus on the decision-making process of householders to participate in demand response actions to increase the flexibility of electricity load in the residential sector. Consumer energy flexibility is being rapidly acknowledged as a crucial tool as Europe aims for a just and sustainable energy transition to achieve climate neutrality and energy security.
In particular, the PhD student will use economic analysis tools, such as surveys, econometric analysis, agent-based modelling, to model the future uptake of demand response contracts and their impact on electricity demand. The aim of the research will be to understand the potential of households to develop flexible load under different incentives, demand response automation contracts, and information framing to alleviate peak demand. The student will benefit from collaboration with other researchers working on related projects across the CoDeF network.
This PhD position is one of 15 positions funded under the MSCA Doctoral Network (DN) Consumer Energy Demand Flexibility in Electricity Use (CoDeF). Your supervisors will be Prof. Lisa Ryan and Dr. Marta Talevi and you will join the PhD Programme in Economics in UCD School of Economics. You will also become part of the UCD Energy Institute, a University-wide hub that fosters interdisciplinary links among energy-related projects. Our University hosts a diverse community with members from different countries and disciplines, and we welcome candidates that contribute to and enjoy this diversity.
We foresee two secondments during this PhD trajectory: subject to confirmation, this would consist of an academic secondment to KU Leuven, in Belgium, or RUB, in Germany, and a non-academic secondment at an energy supplier or government agency in Ireland. In addition, the doctoral network aims to provide extensive training in research and transferable skills, centred around annual workshops in Dublin (IE), Dübendorf (CH), Copenhagen (DK) and Bochum (DE).
Requirements
You must be able to demonstrate:
Masters degree in economics or related discipline (must have been awarded by the agreed-upon starting date of the PhD).
Strong quantitative and analytical skills with experience in either surveys, agent-based modelling, and/or advanced econometrics.
Very good written and spoken communication skills in English.
In line with Marie Slodowska-Curie Action requirements, eligible applicants to PhD programmes in Ireland must not have lived in the Republic of Ireland for more than 12 of the last 36 months.
Desirable:
Training and/or experience in behavioural and energy economics.
Training and/or experience in economic data analysis using R, Stata, Python, or similar.
Prior research experience, especially in behavioural economics, energy, and/or environmental economics.
Interest and enthusiasm for energy and climate policy.
Knowledge of the electricity sector and electricity markets.
Doing a PhD at UCD requires English proficiency to ensure that the candidate is able to communicate and interact well, participate in English-taught Doctoral Education courses, and write scientific articles and a final thesis. For more details please check the Graduate School’s Admission Requirements.
UCD PhD Programme in Economics
The successful candidate will be part of the UCD School of Economics PhD programme. More information can be found about the programme here.
The PhD position will be fully funded for three years under the CoDeF project under the normal MSCA conditions found here. If needed, additional funding will be subsequently sought.
Application procedure
Are you interested in this vacancy? Please apply by April 15th 2026 23:59 Irish time via email to lisa.ryan@ucd.ie
We will contact shortlisted candidates for an interview.
The starting date will be September 2026 or earlier, as appropriate.
Documents that must be included in the application:
Motivation statement, including a paragraph outlining how your research interests fits in the areas outlined in the job advertisement (max. one A4 page).
CV.
Contact details for two references (contact details only - please do not submit reference letters until asked).
Official transcripts may be requested in further stages of the selection process.
Please do not attach any other documents to your application than those requested above. These documents will not be considered in the application procedure.
A pre-employment screening can be part of the selection procedure.
You can apply via email. We will not process applications sent by post.
Please do not contact us for unsolicited services.
For more information about this vacancy or the application procedure, please contact Lisa Ryan (lisa.ryan@ucd.ie)
More information on University College Dublin
University College Dublin is one of Europe's leading research-intensive universities, where a comprehensive suite of strong disciplines forms the foundation of high-quality interdisciplinary research, scholarship and innovation. UCD is the national leader in research funding, attracting quality investment that has helped the university establish a reputation as a world-class destination for leading researchers. UCD is ranked within the top 1% of higher education institutions worldwide and is the largest and most global University in Ireland: 1,800 academic staff across a range of disciplines; 1,600 PhD students, producing 22% of Ireland's PhD graduates each year; 33,000 students (29% international students comprising 144 nationalities). The project will be based in UCD Energy Institute, a hub of energy education, research, demonstration, collaboration (with industry and others), and outreach at UCD, and will be enrolled in the PhD programme of the UCD School of Economics, which offers rigorous training and expert supervision, designed to prepare students for top-level jobs in academia, institutions, and the private sector.
PhD Position in "Demand Response Control Algorithms for Smart Grids" @LEI
The Lithuanian Energy Institute (Lietuvos energetikos institutas, LEI), based in Kaunas, Lithuania, invites applications for a doctoral position in the research area of Development and Research of Demand Response Control Algorithms in Smart Grids.
The research will be carried out within the CoDeF project (Consumer Demand Flexibility in Electricity Use, 2024–2028), funded by the MSCA Doctoral Networks programme under the call HORIZON-MSCA-2023-DN-01 and by the Lithuanian state budget. As a partner in the CoDeF Consortium, LEI offers the opportunity to join an international research environment focused on advancing consumer demand flexibility in electricity use.
The doctoral candidate will be supervised by Dr Virginijus Radziukynas, Senior Researcher at the Smart Grids and Renewable Energy Laboratory at LEI. His expertise in smart grid modelling, energy demand flexibility, and the integration of renewable energy sources closely matches the proposed doctoral research topic. His ORCID profile is available here: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0764-387X.
The project will focus on the development and investigation of Demand Response (DR) control algorithms for smart grids. It will address the modelling and simulation of power system operating modes with high levels of flexible demand acting as frequency restoration reserves to correct short-term system imbalances. The control algorithms developed in this work will support the smooth activation and deactivation of flexible capacity, helping to prevent disturbances and reduce operational stress. The work will involve programming, algorithm development, and validation using power system simulation tools.
Required qualifications: MSc degree in Electrical Engineering, Applied Mathematics, or Informatics.
Desirable qualifications: A strong background in mathematical optimisation, programming, and power system modelling. Research experience and publications in high-level scientific journals will be considered a competitive advantage when evaluating applications.
The four-year doctoral programme, starting on 1 September 2026, offers a strong financial package. The successful candidate will be recruited by LEI and will receive both the Lithuanian state-funded doctoral scholarship and a three-year MSCA Fellowship concurrently, providing substantial financial support throughout the study period. The doctoral studies will include 30 ECTS and an internship at a CoDeF partner institution. The candidate will also benefit from international collaboration and knowledge exchange within the CoDeF consortium, supporting the development of innovative research with clear relevance to energy policy and society.
After completing the PhD thesis, the candidate will defend it before the joint Doctoral Committee of LEI and Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) and will be awarded the doctoral degree by KTU.
For more information or to request an application form, please contact the supervisor of this doctoral research project, Dr Virginijus Radziukynas, at virginijus.radziukynas@lei.lt, copying Dr Arturas Klementavičius at arturas.klementavicius@lei.lt
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