PhD Position: Decision-Making for Heat Transition Planning under Data Sharing Constraints
Can grid operators and other stakeholders make robust decisions when the data they need cannot always be shared?
The transition to sustainable heating is one of the biggest challenges of the energy transition. Increasing electrification through technologies such as heat pumps creates new planning and congestion challenges for electricity distribution grids. At the same time, effective planning depends on access to data from multiple stakeholders - including municipalities, distribution system operators (DSOs), and households. However, such data are often fragmented, privacy-sensitive, or unavailable due to technical, legal and organizational constraints.
As a PhD candidate, you will develop novel decision-making methods that enable robust decisions for heat transition planning despite these data-sharing constraints. Rather than assuming full access to data, your research will investigate how planning and operational decisions can be improved when information is incomplete, uncertain, decentralized or privacy-preserved.
The project
You will join the newly funded NWO (Dutch Research Council) KIC project Sharing the Warmth, an interdisciplinary collaboration between Wageningen University, TU Delft, Hogeschool Utrecht, CWI, Dutch municipalities, DSOs, and other societal/industry partners. The project brings together expertise in energy informatics, optimization, data science, social sciences, and governance to develop trusted data-sharing solutions for the heat transition.
Within the project, you will have the opportunity to collaborate with other PhD candidates and a postdoctoral researcher working on complementary topics including energy data spaces, privacy-preserving data-sharing, governance, and citizen participation. You will also have access to real-world use cases and operational datasets through our network of municipalities, DSOs and industrial partners.
Your research
Your research will investigate how data-sharing constraints shape decision-making for the heat transition in future electricity networks, using flexible electrification technologies with heat pumps as the primary use case. The research will consider not only technical data availability, but also the governance, privacy and stakeholder requirements that determine how data can be shared and used in practice.
You will explore questions such as:
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What data do municipalities, DSOs, and other stakeholders need for heat transition planning, and how do data ownership and governance arrangements shape the opportunities and barriers for data-sharing?
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How do incomplete, uncertain, or privacy-preserved data influence heat transition planning?
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How can DSOs and municipalities make robust decisions under realistic data-sharing constraints?
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How can flexibility from distributed energy resources be coordinated while respecting data-sharing requirements?
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How can decision-making methods account for varying levels of trust, transparency, and willingness to share data among stakeholders?
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What decision-making methods are most effective when information is decentralized or only partially observable?
Depending on the research direction, you may employ techniques from mathematical modelling, machine learning, uncertainty quantification, distributed decision-making, or other data-driven approaches.
Your duties and responsibilities in this 4-year project include:
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analysing data requirements, data availability, and socio-technical barriers to data-sharing for heat transition planning;
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investigating how incomplete or constrained data influence planning and operational decision-making;
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modelling the flexibility of heat pumps and other distributed energy resources for congestion management and heat transition planning;
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working together with interdisciplinary researchers to translate stakeholder needs and data-sharing requirements into decision-support methods;
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developing novel decision-making methods for electricity networks with flexible electrification technologies;
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evaluating and validating the proposed methods using realistic datasets and case studies with municipalities and DSOs;
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publishing your research in leading international journals and presenting your work at international conferences.
You will work here
This PhD position is embedded in the Information Technology Group at Wageningen University. You will collaborate closely with researchers, societal and industry partners within the NWO (Dutch Research Council) funded research project Sharing the Warmth, led by Dr. Tarek Alskaif.
Intended start date: November 2026.
You have:
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a successfully completed MSc degree in a discipline relevant to the PhD project (e.g., electrical engineering, energy systems, computer science, applied mathematics, artificial intelligence, or data science);
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a strong interest in developing novel decision-making methods for future energy systems, particularly in electricity distribution systems, energy system planning, and the integration of flexible energy resources (e.g., heat pumps);
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knowledge of mathematical modelling, optimization, machine learning, or data analytics (experience in one or more is desirable);
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strong scientific programming skills in Python (experience with optimization or scientific computing libraries is a plus);
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excellent communication skills in English.
For this position your command of the English language is expected to be at C1 level. It is necessary to submit an internationally recognized Certificate of Proficiency in the English Language. More information can be found here.
Wageningen University & Research offers excellent terms of employment. A few highlights from our Collective Labour Agreement include:
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Partially paid parental leave;
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working hours that can be discussed and arranged so that they allow for the best possible work-life balance;
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there is a strong focus on vitality and you can make use of the sports facilities available on campus for a small fee;
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a fixed year-end bonus of 8.3%;
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excellent pension scheme.
In addition to these first-rate employee benefits, you will receive a fully funded PhD position and you will be offered a course program tailored to your needs and the research team.
The gross salary for the first year is € 3,059.- per month rising to € 3,881.- in the fourth year in according to the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (scale P). This is based on a full-time working week of 38 hours. We offer a temporary contract for 18 months which will be extended for the duration of the project if you perform well.
We encourage development and internal mobility within our organisation. Our recruitment and selection policy sets out the conditions that apply specifically to you as a (former) employee. If you have any questions, we are happy to help.
You will work on the greenest and most innovative campus in the Netherlands, in an international and open working environment.
Wageningen University & Research is the university and research centre for life sciences. The themes we deal with are relevant to everyone around the world and Wageningen, therefore, has a large international community and a lot to offer to international employees.
Because we expect you to work and live in the Netherlands our team of advisors on Dutch immigration procedures will help you with the visa application procedures for yourself and, if applicable, for your family.
Feeling welcome also has everything to do with being well informed. Wageningen University & Research's International Community page contains practical information about what we can do to support international employees coming to Wageningen. Furthermore, our Welcome Center can assist you with any additional advice and information about for example housing, opening a bank account, dual career programs or schooling. Finally, certain categories of international staff may be eligible for a tax exemption on a part of their salary during the first five years in the Netherlands.
For more information about the position, please contact Dr. Tarek Alskaif, Associate Professor, via email: [email protected].
Questions about the procedure? Get in touch with Jouke van Oostenbrugge, Corporate Recruiter, via email: [email protected].
Ready to apply?
Click on the application button next to the vacancy on our website. Only applications submitted through our website will be considered.
You can apply up to and including Monday September 14th, 2026. The interviews are scheduled for September-October 2026.
To apply, please upload the following documents:
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Complete and up-to-date curriculum vitae (max. 2 pages);
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Motivation letter (max. 1 page);
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Bachelor study transcript.
Additional information form
For this position, you must fill in a mandatory form which will allow us to have a comprehensive view of your qualifications and better assess your fit for it. You can access the form using the link below:
PhD position: Decision-Making for Heat Transition Planning – Fill out form
Your prompt response will ensure that your application continues to move forward in the evaluation process. We assure you that the information provided will be kept confidential and used solely for this application process.
Welcome, safe, and valued
Wageningen University & Research (WUR) highly values diversity and inclusion because we believe that different insights lead to innovative solutions. We create a work environment where everyone feels welcome, safe, and appreciated, regardless of background, identity, or experience. Together, we are building a culture where everyone's unique contribution adds to the success of our organization.
The mission of Wageningen University & Research is “To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life”. Under the banner Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen University and the specialised research institutes of the Wageningen Research Foundation have joined forces in contributing to finding solutions to important questions in the domain of healthy food and living environment. With its roughly 30 branches, 7,600 employees (6,700 fte) and 13,100 students and over 150,000 participants to WUR’s Life Long Learning, Wageningen University & Research is one of the leading organisations in its domain. The unique Wageningen approach lies in its integrated approach to issues and the collaboration between different disciplines.
Read the 5 reasons why your future colleagues enjoy working at WUR and watch the video below to get an idea of our green campus!
We will recruit for the vacancy ourselves, so no employment agencies please. However, sharing in your network is appreciated.
