Postdoctoral fellowship in circular economy of strategic metals – Montpellier, France

15 Nov 2023
Job Information

Organisation/Company

Universite de Montpellier

Department

Human Resources

Research Field

Engineering » Water resources engineering

Researcher Profile

First Stage Researcher (R1)

Country

France

Application Deadline

15 Dec 2023 – 23:59 (Europe/Paris)

Type of Contract

Temporary

Job Status

Full-time

Hours Per Week

38

Offer Starting Date

1 Jan 2024

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

HE

Reference Number

2023-R0455

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

Offer Description

At ICSM, the LHYS (Laboratory of Hybride systems for separation) studies various efficient cycles for producing finished products (catalysts, battery electrodes, pollution control devices, etc ) directly from waste, without going through the phase of refining the targeted metals. Thus, the notion of recycling is not restricted to the isolation of a purified metal or element, and the research team takes into account the material end-of-life: the developed processes integrate as far as possible the valorization of the targeted metal in the form of a finished product, for a similar or different application. The LHYS is currently leading a national project (ANR) for the preparation of Pd and Pd-Au catalysts from industrial waste (ANR named PRCE CAREME). The aim of the project is to overcome technological hurdles in order to set up an open cycle enabling the preparation of heterogeneous catalysts (Pd, Au) for the fine chemicals market from electronic or industrial waste containing precious metals. Social sciences are crucial disciplines to envision the circular economy of strategic metals and their recycling.

The postdoctoral fellow recruited will be part of social science research laboratory named Montpellier Research in Economics (MRE) laboratory (https://mre.edu.umontpellier.fr/ ), and will be funded by the Chemistry LabUM at the University of Montpellier. He/she will work closely with the ICSM’s LHYS research team.

As part of an interdisciplinary collaboration between the social sciences and the chemical sciences, this research project focuses on the circular economy of precious metals, and more specifically, on their recycling with a view to their reuse as new finished products, from social sciences point of view. The postdoctoral fellow will be involved in the field of economics.

Main mission:His/her mission will be to study the issues involved in recycling precious metals, and the integration of the technology developed into the existing market. The aim will be to characterize the impacts in technical and economic terms, as well as societal and environmental, in comparison with traditional recycling methods (isolation and purification of the target metal) and the supply of primary resources (ores).

Activities: The postdoctoral fellow will carry out the following tasks in collaboration with members of the MRE, and in coordination with the ICSM, involved in the above-mentioned project:

– Bibliometric analysis of the literature on the circular economy, in particular as applied to waste recycling, in order to establish a cartography.

– Database formatting and cleaning: data processing and matching of data from various sources 

– Theoretical and empirical analyses of the economic mechanisms driving investment in innovative technologies for recycling waste and precious metals; recovery and new business models.

– Contribution to the writing of scientific articles (theoretical and empirical)

Requirements

Research Field

Engineering » Water resources engineering

Education Level

PhD or equivalent

Skills/Qualifications

We are looking for a postdoctoral fellow with a strong taste for research and applications in the field of economics, with expertise in circular and waste economics.

A good knowledge of the tools of economic analysis, in particular industrial organization, game theory, information and contract economics, and risk economics.

Mastery of data processing tools and econometric techniques.

A good level of programming in Python and associated environment/tools will be a plus.

Proficiency in data processing software (R or Stata).

Specific Requirements

Knowledge of the research and innovation landscape in circular economy, waste economics and environmental economics will be appreciated.

Additional Information
Eligibility criteria

Postdoctoral candidate with a PhD in either :

– in economics, with solid experience in the field of innovation and the circular economy. 

– in process engineering with a strong interest in economic issues.

Ability to synthesize and write. Experience in project management would be appreciated.

Selection process

Please send your CV and cover letter by email before 12/15/2023.

Work Location(s)

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

University of Montpellier

Country

France

Geofield

Where to apply

E-mail

[email protected]

Contact

City

Montpellier

Website

http://www.umontpellier.fr/

Street

163 rue Auguste Broussonnet

Postal Code

34000

STATUS: EXPIRED