PhD: Governance, contestation and justice Dutch green hydrogen transition

Faculty:
Faculty of Geosciences Department:
Department of Sustainable Development Hours per week: 32 to 40 Final date to receive applications: 20 March 2026

At the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development at Utrecht University, we have an exciting four-year PhD position available. The transformation towards a net‑zero society in 2050 requires the decarbonization of industry. One of the potential pathways concerns green hydrogen. The Dutch government aims to achieve 4 GW of electrolysis potential for green hydrogen by 2030.

Thus far, progress on achieving this non‑binding target is slow, and the various techno‑economic challenges are well‑known. Yet, the social and institutional dimensions of the green hydrogen transition remain largely understudied. In particular, limited attention has been paid to how this transition is governed, by and with whom, and under what conditions tensions, contestations, and questions of (in) justice may emerge.

We are looking for an enthusiastic and ambitious colleague to further strengthen our group with a focus on transitions and transformations, directionality and justice. The PhD candidate will be positioned at the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development and embedded within two sections:
Innovation Studies and Energy & Resources. The PhD project will be supervised by Prof. Dr Koen Frenken, Dr Iris Wanzenböck and Dr Sanne Akerboom.

This PhD project is part of a large consortium investigating conditions and measures contributing to the social acceptability of green hydrogen. In this PhD project, specifically the role of the Dutch government in shaping and steering the pathway(s) towards green hydrogen will be critically investigated, with particular attention to how these efforts can or should contribute to a just green hydrogen transition.

Key concerns include how societal demands, policy priorities, technologies and solutions are co‑constructed through interactions between policy, industry and society; which pathways are promoted, by whom, and how particular problem framings and solutions are shaped to contribute to what is seen as desirable and legitimate innovation policy to transformative change.

Such processes may result in new forms of injustices or exacerbate existing ones, highlighting the need to better understand emerging injustices within the green hydrogen transition. Addressing these questions provides critical insights into the co‑evolution of technology, policy, and society and the extent to which it can support the decarbonization of society.

• have a MSc or MA in public administration, political science, governance, science and technology studies, or innovation studies, or in a relevant subject area;
• have a good understanding of societal challenges, in particular climate change, sustainability transitions, and has affinity with the energy transition and/or just transition;
• are interested in exploring the interactions of technology, policy and society from a social science perspective;
• have experience with empirical qualitative research and is enthusiastic about working in an interdisciplinary team;
• have good social and communication skills, a willingness to interact with a wide range of stakeholders;
• have an interest in academic teaching;
• can demonstrate English language proficiency;
• are interested in scientific/academic research and obtaining a PhD degree;
• can work independently;
• look forward to being in the driving seat of a 4‑year research project.

• a position for 1 year, with an extension to a total of four years upon a successful assessment in the first year, and with the specific intent that it results in a doctorate within this period;
• a working week of 32–40 hours and a gross monthly salary between € 3 059 and €3 881 in the case of full‑time employment (salary scale P under the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO NU));
• 8 % holiday pay and 8.3 % year‑end bonus;
• a pension scheme, partially paid parental leave and flexible terms of employment based on the CAO NU.

In addition to the terms of employment laid down in the CAO NU, Utrecht University also offers a range of its own schemes for…