Research Associate / PhD Position “Data-Driven Analysis of Opinion Dynamics” in the context of the DFG/NWO project ECHO

About us

What if we could anticipate whether a planned wind farm will meet with support or resistance in a region, and which forms of public participation can reopen a deadlocked debate? We could then shape the energy transition with foresight, not only technically but also socially.

We are still far from that. Whether households install a heat pump, municipalities accept a wind farm or consumers adjust their electricity use depends on attitudes that form in exchange with others. Such opinions can shift, harden or polarise quickly in social networks. Energy system models, however, still mostly treat them as fixed assumptions.

In the newly funded project “ECHO: Energy Transition, Collective Dynamics and Human Opinions in Agent Networks”, this is set to change. To this end, it develops agent networks in which agents based on large language models (LLMs) form, exchange and revise opinions. Unlike classical opinion dynamics models, these agents can argue in natural language and respond to real-world discourse. The project combines them with network analysis and empirical data from public discourse, surveys and participation processes. The results will show under which conditions public support for technologies, infrastructure and behavioural change grows or erodes. You will work on a question that computer science, energy research and the social sciences have rarely tackled together.

The project is jointly funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the Dutch Research Council (NWO). The partners are the University of Oldenburg (Prof. Dr. Sebastian Lehnhoff) and the University of Groningen (Prof. Dr. Andreas Flache, Department of Sociology). Andreas Flache is an internationally recognised expert on polarisation and opinion dynamics. His group “Norms and Networks” combines agent-based modelling with experiments, network and survey research and is part of the ICS graduate school. Oldenburg and Groningen are only about two hours apart. Joint workshops, mutual research stays and close exchange between both teams are an integral part of the project.

In Oldenburg, you will join the energy informatics community at the Department of Computing Science and work closely with the Energy division of the OFFIS Institute for Information Technology, where research on digitalised energy systems ranges from fundamental work to application.

This position is linked to the ECHO project and focuses on the analysis of empirical data: what do real-world data reveal about opinion formation on the energy transition, and how can they be used to calibrate and validate models? Within the project, we are filling a second PhD position in parallel, focusing on modelling and simulation. Both positions work closely together, so that models can be tested directly against data and data can be analysed with the help of models.

Your tasks

• Independent research in the context of the ECHO project towards a PhD
• Data-driven analysis of opinion formation on the energy transition using computational social science, NLP and language models for discourse data
• Preparing and analysing survey, experimental and public statistical data, and calibrating and validating the project models
• Close collaboration with the PhD position in the ECHO project (focus: modelling and simulation) and the partner team in Groningen, including joint workshops and publications
• Publishing and presenting results in leading international journals and at conferences
• Teaching 4 hours per week (LVS) in the Department's English-taught programmes, e.g. the Master's programme Digitalized Energy Systems, and contributing to examinations
• Co-supervising student theses in the field

Your profile

Required / Prerequisites for employment

• A completed academic university degree (Master's or equivalent) in computer science, data science, business informatics, computational social science, a methodologically oriented social science or a related field
• Experience in programming and data analysis (e.g. Python, R or Julia)
• Excellent written and spoken English (English is the working and teaching language)
• Motivation to pursue a PhD and enjoyment of interdisciplinary collaboration
• Aptitude for academic teaching

Desirable / Advantageous

• Experience with computational social science methods, NLP or language models
• Knowledge of statistics, survey or experimental design, as well as experience with public statistical data (e.g. official statistics, census data, the German Core Energy Market Data Register) and large, heterogeneous datasets
• Interest in energy systems and the societal questions of the energy transition
• First teaching experience, e.g. as a teaching assistant
• German or Dutch language skills

We offer

• A socially relevant research topic bridging computer science, energy systems research and the social sciences
• Integration into a binational project team with close links to the “Norms and Networks” group in Groningen
• Close collaboration with a second PhD position with complementary methodological strengths
• Integration into Oldenburg's energy informatics community and the OFFIS Energy division, with extensive contacts in research and practice
• Teaching experience in an international, English-language study environment
• Participation in international conferences and summer schools
• Salary according to the collective agreement (annual bonus, company pension scheme, capital-forming benefits) and 30 days of annual leave
• Flexible working hours, partial remote work and a family-friendly environment
• A comprehensive continuing education programme and the graduate academy OLTECH (https://uol.de/en/oltech)
• Oldenburg: a cycling city with short distances, close to the North Sea and the Netherlands

Our standards

The University of Oldenburg is dedicated to increase the percentage of female employees in the field of science. Therefore, female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. In accordance to § 21 Section 3 NHG, female candidates with equal qualifications will be preferentially considered. Applicants with disabilities will be given preference in case of equal qualification.

Further information

Employment start date is as soon as possible, but no later than February 1, 2027.

The opportunity to pursue your own academic qualification (PhD) is given and explicitly supported!

In parallel, the position “Modelling and Simulation of Opinion Dynamics” is advertised (see https://uol.de/job1354en). You are welcome to apply for both; in that case, please indicate which position you prefer. Interviews will be held in English, by video if preferred.

Contact

For questions about the position and the project, please contact Prof. Dr. Sebastian Lehnhoff, .