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Goals and Tasks

The PhD research will aim to address, develop and empirically examine how trust in science shapes decision-making among the professional stakeholders in the built environment, and to assess whether participatory and educational interventions can strengthen trust and improve the uptake of scientific evidence in sustainable construction practices. In this project the alignment with national and European initiatives such as the New European Bauhaus (NEB) will be essential by addressing key challenges and translating sustainability and quality principles into everyday practices in the built environment. Additionally, the candidate will contribute to other projects at the department based on their skills and interests.

The candidate will be responsible for:

• conducting literature reviews and analysing secondary data to understand existing methodologies and challenges,
• assisting and performing in qualitative research (interviews, focus groups) and quantitative research (surveys),
• data collection, analysis and management (statistical analysis, qualitative coding, FAIR principles),
• supporting project management, communication, and data collection and sharing activities to ensure effective project implementation,
• disseminating research findings through scientific publications in peer-reviewed journals and presentations at conferences.

Essential requirements/skills

• specialization based on a higher education qualification (previous system), a university-level higher education qualification (previous system), or a master’s degree in relevant fields such as environmental sciences, sustainability, communication, or other social science field; Statistics or data science or a related discipline,
• ability to work independently and collaboratively in a multidisciplinary international research environment,
• ability to formulate and communicate new research ideas (e.g., research proposal preparation),
• active knowledge of a foreign language,
• valid election to the academic/scientific title, or meets the requirements for election to this title at University of Primorska,
• competence with at least one statistical software package (e.g. R, SPSS, or similar),
• experience with data collection and data analysis,
• fulfil the requirements for doctoral students at the University of Primorska. For more details, see:

• https://www.famnit.upr.si/en/education/doctoral/renew-mat
• https://www.famnit.upr.si/en/education/enrolment.

Required additional functional competencies:

• computer literacy,
• organisational skills,
• ability to work effectively in a team,
• independence,
• reliability.

Desirable (but not mandatory) requirements/skills

• advanced skills in data processing, analysis and visualization,
• prior experience with qualitative and quantitative social science research methods,
• prior experience with work on research projects,
• participatory and co-creation research experience,
• science communication background,
• background in environmental topics or related research.

General description of duties and responsibilities:

• participation in the development and implementation of domestic and international research projects, programmes, and tasks,
• research and processing of special issues in the field of operation, implementation of analyses, measurements and tests for the needs of the work area,
• writing papers and reports in the field of research and professional work,
• participation in scientific research and professional consultations and meetings,
• preparation, editing and archiving of project documentation,
• preparation of administrative and professional bases for the work of the internal organizational unit,
• participation in the work of professional bodies and in joint projects and tasks as agreed with the management,
• performance of other tasks as ordered by superiors.

What we offer:

• No Ph.D. tuition fee,
• Opportunity to participate in other ongoing projects of the institute.

How to apply:

The applicants should send:

• curriculum vitae (including short descriptions of all prior educations, qualifications, and research or work experiences),
• motivation letter for this doctoral position (maximum one A4 page),
• list of publications (if applicable).

Application deadline and procedure:

Candidates may submit their written applications, together with a curriculum vitae and supporting documents demonstrating compliance with the required conditions to this email address: coe@innorenew.eu. In the title (subject) of your email please write: PhD position Trust in science. All materials should submitted in PDF format no later than July 1, 2026.

Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. For further information about the research topic, please contact prof. dr. Andreja Kutnar (andreja.kutnar@innorenew.eu) or dr. Lea Primožič (lea.primozic@innorenew.eu).

Learn how to apply at http://innorenew.eu/jobs.

Learn more about the InnoRenew CoE at http://innorenew.eu or by e-mailing: coe@innorenew.eu.