Faculty: Science and Engineering
Supervisors: Dr Mel Rohse; Dr Ami Crowther
Location: Cambridge
Apply online by 16 March 2025Energy storage (including using underground technologies) is an essential area of technological development in the transition to Net Zero to achieve the goals set out by the UK Government. The involvement of local communities in decision-making around energy storage is critical to achieve these Net Zero ambitions, helping improve social acceptance of technology and the chances of success of technical projects, and to ensure fair and inclusive energy transition (Rohse et al., 2024).
This social sciences studentship focuses on the relationships that people have with energy storage projects, and through an applied approach will develop understandings of how energy project developers could better incorporate these relationships into their practices.
Using a qualitative place-based research design, this studentship will undertake an in-depth investigation into people’s relationships with the subsurface, their perceptions of underground energy storage, and how people engage (and are engaged with) underground energy storage technologies. It will make both a theoretical contribution (to the body of work on social acceptance) and an empirical one (through a focus on a specific energy technology).
This is a collaboration with the British Geological Survey (BGS), who will support with access to case studies across the UK and with research dissemination, including to policy actors. It is expected that 2-3 case studies will be explored in-depth, using methodologies such as document analysis, participant observation, interviews, workshops, participatory mapping.
The Coal Authority is also a partner, and it is anticipated that at least one case study will focus on using mine water for energy storage, drawing upon their expertise. It’s estimated that 'a quarter of the UK’s population live above abandoned coal mines' (BGS, 2020), showing how issues of social acceptance and engagement are critical for this technology.
Factors that may affect local communities’ perceptions of energy storage projects, and as such may be considered when selecting case studies include whether areas are rural or urban (e.g. Crowther et al., 2021), or people’s relationships with the subsurface following past underground industries (e.g. Ryder et al., 2023; Rohse et al., 2025).
This research will have real-world impact as the focus on public understanding and social acceptance will help inform debate with stakeholders (government, industry and regulators), and help embed social science research in policy and decision making.
The successful candidate will become part of the Global Sustainability Institute (GSI) at ARU. The GSI is a friendly and collegiate environment that strives to involve PhD researchers in the whole of the research institute’s activities.
If you would like to discuss this research project please contact Dr Mel Rohse ([email protected]) or Dr Ami Crowther ([email protected])
Apply online by 16 March 2025The successful applicant for this project will receive a Vice Chancellor’s PhD Scholarship which covers the tuition fees and provides a UKRI equivalent minimum annual stipend for three years. For 2024/5 this was £19,237 per year. The award is subject to the successful candidate meeting the scholarship terms and conditions. Please note that the University asserts the right to claim any intellectual property generated by research it funds.
Download the 2024/5 terms and conditions (2025/6 terms and conditions TBC)