Funded PhD position at NC State University
Linda D'Anna
Ph.D. Research Assistantship
Social dimensions of Ocean Energy
Dr. Linda D’Anna and Dr. Eric Wade are recruiting a Ph.D. student to study the social dimensions of ocean energy to start in Fall 2026. The student will assist in investigating the introduction of ocean energy technologies using place-based frameworks to advance our understanding of social acceptance (or resistance) and engagement. The project will explore this objective in three states across the East Coast of the United States. The focus on marine and hydrokinetic energy includes energy harnessed from the movement of waves, tidal currents, and ocean currents. The student will be based in the Department of Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences at North Carolina State University (Raleigh, NC), but will be expected to regularly interact with partners and collaborators at Coastal Studies Institute and East Carolina University.
The student will be expected to participate in Atlantic Marine Energy Center (AMEC) activities. AMEC is a national marine energy center established and supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, specifically the Water Power Technology Office under award number DE-EE0009450. AMEC operates as a university-led consortium between the University of New Hampshire, Stony Brook University, Lehigh University, and the Coastal Studies Institute to address the ongoing needs for research, development, and testing in support of wave, tidal, and ocean current energy and Powering the Blue Economy applications.
The student will:
● Develop a dissertation project that advances our knowledge of social acceptance of ocean energy technology.
● Use qualitative and quantitative methods to explore how communities conceptualize and interpret the introduction of ocean energy, including their perceptions of benefits, risks, and associated impacts.
● Contribute to developing tools for integrating the social dimensions into ocean energy.
● Organize and participate in regular community engagement activities to share project updates, discuss results, and gather feedback.
● Participate in opportunities to develop and/or participate in multi-university short courses on marine energy.
Minimum Qualifications:
● Master’s degree in anthropology, geography, natural resources management, or related fields.
● Excellent organization, writing, and communication skills.
● Methodological and analytical training in qualitative or quantitative approaches.
● Experience working with communities.
Funding: This assistantship covers a tuition waiver, a 12-month stipend ($34,000), and health insurance. Funding is guaranteed for the first two years; subsequent years are subject to satisfactory progress.
Interested students are invited to send a letter outlining previous research or professional experiences, motivation for pursuing a PhD and research interests; a CV; and names of 2-3 references to Dr. Eric Wade (eaw...@ncsu.edu) and Dr. Linda D’Anna (dann...@ecu.edu). The deadline to apply to North Carolina State University is January 31th, 2026. However, interested applicants are encouraged to reach out to Drs. Wade and D’Anna with their materials by November 15st, 2025.