The 2025 EAERE Interdisciplinary Schoolwill address the topic "Sustainable Energy and Chemistry" and will take place from 27 to 31 January 2025 at the premises of VU Amsterdam and the University of Antwerp.
Objectives
Climate change and environmental degradation are an existential threat. The EU has the ambition to become the first climate neutral continent, by reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 55% (compared to 1990 levels) by 2030 and to have net-zero emissions by 2050. Both the energy and chemistry sectors play a significant role in reaching these targets. In recent years, the scientific literature corpus on this topic has grown exponentially, and methods range from qualitative research to detailed quantitative impacts assessment and business models.
To assess progress within the transition towards a climate neutral economy and to study the complex interaction between low carbon technologies and sustainability aspects, a strong need for methods that assess the economic, environmental, and societal effects of the low-carbon actions taken on industrial and policy levels.
To meet this demand, this PhD expert course focuses on five different, state-of-the-art assessment tools that have a multitude of useful applications in different disciplines (material flow analysis (MFA), techno-economic assessment (TEA), life cycle assessment (LCA), environmental valuation and integrated assessment (IA)). Interchange between these different disciplines is currently limited. As the actual actions for a climate-neutral economy are taken at the industry and policy level, integration of the different work fields is required.
A five-day event with method lectures, keynote speakers bridging methods to work field applications, and paper presentation sessions with discussants from the pool of participants and senior researchers. Participants will stay in Antwerp from Monday to Wednesday and will subsequently travel to Amsterdam for the second part of the Interdisciplinary School (Wednesday – Friday).
Faculty and respective tentative focus
Sustainability of biobased materials and chemicals
The Winter School is targeted to doctoral and young post-doctoral students. The number of students is limited to 25. Selection will be based on submitted abstracts and CV. Abstracts should link to the annual theme covered. No preconditions are set on the interdisciplinarity of the paper yet.
In order to apply please send the following mandatory documentation as a single .pdf file and send it to jan.brusselaers@vu.nl:
Application form (visit the School website for the download);
Curriculum vitae including personal details (First & Family name, date of birth, gender, nationality), contact details (e-mail, affiliation, address, telephone number), interdisciplinary school application details (title of paper, name supervisor, start PhD studies, planned completion of PhD studies);
First draft of paper to be presented. We will both consider full papers and extended abstracts;
Letter of recommendation of supervisor.
The deadline for applications is November 8, 2024.
Participation fee
The cost of participation is EUR 400 for the selected participants.
This includes the following services:
Accommodation in double rooms with other Interdisciplinary School participants from January 26-31, 2025;
Breakfasts, lunches, welcome reception, welcome and farewell dinner;
Course material;
Participation diploma and certificate.
Detailed information will be provided at the time of selection.
Regulation
Participation is restricted to 2025 EAERE members. Information on how to become a EAERE member is available on the EAERE website.
Incomplete or late applications will not be considered.
Presentation of your submitted paper is conditional on acceptance to the Interdisciplinary School.
All accepted applicants must attend the Interdisciplinary School for its entire duration.
All accepted applicants will be required to pay a participation fee.
Accepted applicants who do not respect the stated deadlines will not be admitted.
As the School will be conducted in English, applicants should have an adequate working knowledge of that language.
Deadlines
November 8: End of the application period
November 25: Notification of selected participants/start of registration
December 06: Registration deadline
December 23: Deadline for submission of full papers