PhD position in Energy Economics

Design of incentive mechanisms for green energy auctions in Europe

Project and funding framework

We invite applications for a PhD position at UCLouvain. The position is funded by the Fonds Spéciaux de Recherche (FSR) of UCLouvain and is offered for an initial period of 24 months, renewable once, subject to satisfactory progress.

The project focuses on the design of incentive mechanisms for green energy auctions in Europe, mainly at the intersection of auction design and industrial organization. There is flexibility regarding the exact orientation of the project: the candidate develops their own specific research project in more detail during the first year. Four possible research directions:

1. De-risking green investment. Governments may wish to de-risk investments in green energy production. This raises questions at the intersection of finance and industrial economics. For example: will government intervention crowd out private insurance mechanisms? Does it reduce incentives to develop the appropriate technologies and to produce at the lowest cost?
2. Multi-technology auction design. How should auctions be designed when different energy production technologies compete simultaneously? One objective is to obtain an optimal portfolio of technologies in order to reduce systemic risk and improve European strategic autonomy. Another is to increase competition within the EU and reduce the rents obtained by firms.
3. Local content requirements. Europe increasingly imposes local content requirements for new investments, implemented through non-price award criteria, which could be studied from a strategic trade perspective.
4. Pre-qualification requirements and completion bonds. How can pre-qualification requirements and completion bonds reduce project abandonment, stimulate innovation, and improve competition?

Host institution and research environment

The project is embedded in the LIDAM Energy Group at CORE. The group has recently been successful in obtaining both ARC funding and an EU Doctoral Training Network, which allows it to expand substantially. Next year the group will include five PhD students in Energy Economics, five PhD students in Operations Research and Engineering, and one postdoctoral researcher.

Doctoral students in economics enrol in the doctoral programme in economics at UCLouvain.

Required qualifications

Applicants should have:

• A two-year master’s degree (120 ECTS) obtained with distinction, either in Economics with a strong quantitative orientation, or in another field complemented with at least one year of graduate-level courses in economics. Equivalent qualifications are assessed under the admission conditions for the PhD in Economics.
• Solid training in microeconomic theory, including industrial organization, and familiarity with theoretical modelling. Microeconomics at the level of Mas-Colell, Whinston and Green, and game theory at the level of Osborne and Rubinstein.
• Strong interest in energy economics, market design, and policy-relevant research.
• Experience with numerical, computational, or simulation-based methods (e.g. Matlab, Python, R, or similar); experience with statistical software is an asset.
• Proficiency in English (written and spoken).

Prior exposure to auction theory, mechanism design, or market design would be considered an advantage.

Employment conditions

• The successful candidate will hold a full-time doctoral scholarship at UCLouvain.
• The position is funded by the Fonds Spéciaux de Recherche (FSR) of UCLouvain for an initial period of 24 months, renewable once, subject to satisfactory progress.
• Under UCLouvain’s scholarship regulation, the holder may not have reached the age of 30 at the start of the first grant period. This limit is raised by one year for each maternity, paternity or adoption before the start of the doctorate, and exceptions may be approved by the rector.
• The scholarship is exempt from income tax. The net amount is currently around 2,400 euros per month, depending on personal circumstances and subject to annual indexation.
• The holder is subject to the social security system for salaried employees. Coverage is complete for nationals of the European Economic Area and of states having a social security agreement with Belgium, and limited to health and disability insurance and family allowances for other nationals.
• The candidate contributes, to a limited extent, to educational or dissemination activities related to the PhD project.
• As part of the conditions of the FSR funding, the doctoral candidate will be required to submit one or more applications for an external doctoral fellowship from the Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique – FNRS (FRS-FNRS) during the first phase of the PhD.

Application procedure

Applications must be submitted in English as a single PDF file, named: Lastname_Firstname.pdf.

Complete the application form below. After submitting it, you will be given a link for uploading your PDF.

The application PDF should contain:

• Statement of intent (max. 1 page)
• Curriculum vitae (expected Master’s completion date if applicable)
• Bachelor’s and Master’s transcripts and degree certificates (if available)
• One writing sample (e.g. Master’s thesis or research paper)
• Formal language certificates (e.g. TOEFL or IELTS), if available
• Standardized test scores (e.g. GRE), if available
• Names and contact details of at least two academic referees (letters of recommendation may be requested at a later stage)

Applications received by 21 September 2026 will receive full consideration. Review continues until the position is filled.

Contact

For more information about this position, please contact:
Bert Willems, LIDAM, UCLouvain. Email: bert.willems@uclouvain.be