PhD position in Energy Economics - Industrial Economics within the ENERPOL project

Start date: 1 September 2026

Project and funding framework

Within the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action (MSCA), we offer a position for a Doctoral Candidate (DC), starting 1 September 2026 or as soon as possible thereafter. The position is funded for 36 months by the ENERPOL MSCA Doctoral Network. Subject to satisfactory progress, a fourth year of funding will be provided by UCLouvain. 
ENERPOL is a European research and training network exploring the role of households in the green energy transition. It addresses challenges such as volatile energy prices, inequality, and household risk exposure. ENERPOL provides doctoral candidates with a training opportunity in cutting-edge methods, theory, and transferable skills within an international consortium of leading universities and non-academic partners. ENERPOL training includes:

1. several international summer schools and workshops,
2. cross-national supervision teams dedicated to the project of the PhD,
3. one academic and one industry secondment.

This doctoral project hosted at UCLouvain focuses on the theoretical and empirical analysis of the trade-offs between demand-side response and consumer protection, using tools from economics and energy system analysis. The project aims to contribute to policy recommendations on retail market design and tariff structures within the wider EU policy framework.

Host institution and research environment

The position will be hosted at the Louvain Institute of Data Analysis and Modeling in Economics and Statistics (LIDAM) at UCLouvain. LIDAM brings together researchers in economics, econometrics, statistics, and operations research, and offers an active research environment with regular seminars, workshops, and international collaborations.

Your tasks

The doctoral candidate will:

• Complete PhD-level coursework within the doctoral programme at UCLouvain (or equivalent programmes).
• Conduct independent and collaborative research in energy economics and industrial economics, under the supervision of faculty members at UCLouvain and within the ENERPOL network.
• Develop original research questions and carry out theoretical and empirical analyses using appropriate economic and econometric methods.
• Prepare and complete a PhD dissertation, with the objective of producing research suitable for publication in international peer-reviewed journals.
• Present research findings at international conferences and ENERPOL training events.
• Participate in international research stays and secondments at academic and non-academic partner institutions.
• Contribute, to a limited extent, to teaching or dissemination activities related to the PhD project.
• Attend all ENERPOL training events and mandatory secondments organised within the framework of the ENERPOL doctoral programme.

Required Qualifications

Applicants should have:

• A Master’s degree (or equivalent) in Economics or a closely related field, with a strong quantitative orientation.
• Solid training in microeconomics and applied econometrics.
• Interest in energy economics, industrial economics, and policy-relevant research.
• Experience with statistical or numerical software (e.g. Stata, R, Matlab, or similar).
• Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively in an international research environment.
• Proficiency in English (written and spoken).

The following would be considered an advantage:

• Prior exposure to energy markets, regulation, or applied policy analysis.
• Experience with large datasets, administrative data, or advanced econometric methods.

MSCA Eligibility Requirements 

• The candidate must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Belgium for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately prior to the start date (1 September 2026).
• The candidate must not hold a doctoral degree at the date of recruitment.

Employment Conditions 

• The successful candidate will be recruited as a full-time doctoral researcher under an employment contract at UCLouvain, in accordance with Belgian labour law and the collective bargaining agreement applicable to university scientific staff.
• Contract duration: 36 months, funded under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Network, with the possibility of a one-year extension funded by UCLouvain, subject to satisfactory progress.
• Remuneration: The position offers a fixed lump-sum remuneration for the duration of the MSCA funding, consisting of a gross monthly salary of EUR 2,610, supplemented by a monthly mobility allowance of EUR 710, and, where applicable, a monthly family allowance of EUR 660. As the remuneration is fixed, it is not subject to indexation or seniority-based salary increases. Indicatively, for a single researcher without children, this corresponds to a net monthly income of approximately EUR 2,730, depending on the individual tax situation.
• The employment includes full social security coverage, pension rights, paid annual leave, holiday pay and an end-of-year bonus, and is subject to Belgian income tax and social security contributions.
• Salary and employment conditions comply with the requirements of the European Commission for Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Networks (Horizon Europe).

Application procedure

Applications must be submitted in English as a single PDF file, named: Lastname_Firstname.pdf. Applicants should fill in the form via the link below. 
The application PDF should contain:

• Statement of intent (max. 1 page), indicating the position(s) applied for.
• 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)
• A brief statement detailing periods of residence, work, and study during the 36 months prior to the start date (required for MSCA positions)
• 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)

Applicants should clearly indicate which position(s) they are applying for in their motivation letter. Candidates may indicate more than one position if they wish to be considered across funding schemes.

Applications received by 15 February 2026 will receive full consideration. Interviews and offers are expected to take place in March 2026.

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

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