(DC7) 1 PhD position on Metaverse-driven sustainability (Paid Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellow, offered by “AGORA” project under grant agreement no 101119937)

The position (Ph.D. Candidate) is part of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Networks Industrial Doctorates (MSCA-DN-ID) Project AGORA - trAining younG researchers On shaping Metaverse for business and social vAlue. The recruited researchers will be ‘Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellows’. Recruitment involves physical mobility. In addition, the fellows will participate in networking and career events and workshops and are expected to present their work at international conferences.  The fellows will be part of Maggioli SpA, Santarchangelo di Romagna, Italy. The candidate will receive a Ph.D. award from Univeristy of Adger, Norway. The fellows will be spending part of their time at the Maggioli Headquarters and will also be seconded for part of their time at University of Adger, Norway.

The AGORA Project

AGORA is an EU-funded project under the MSCA Doctoral Networks of the Marie Curie-Skłodowska Actions that aims to train next generation researchers on the technology, social, and business values of Metaverses. The objective of the project is to develop the critical research and talent base that current Metaverses challenges require, through a rigorous and robust training programme, that will engage Doctoral Candidates (DCs) into the fundamental shifts that the Metaverse brings and prepare them for business, innovation and technological opportunities, while instilling them with the principles of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI).

Metaverses refer to immersive virtual worlds in which people, places and things of the physical world are instantiated by their digital representations. The maturity of technologies, including extended reality, human-computer interaction, artificial intelligence, blockchain, non-fungible investments of tech giants (e.g., Meta, Microsoft), are currently driving the wider use of Metaverses. As Metaverses operate in real-time, their wide adoption is expected to create digital public spaces for interaction (similar to ancient Greek agoras) in which online interactions are intensified and blended with the physical world as never before. It is thus expected that Metaverses will generate value by releasing a new spectrum of opportunities at different pillars (e.g. societal, business, and technological).

AGORA’s research aim is two-fold: (a) to provide a holistic framework for understanding Metaverses’ business and societal value, taking into account the interplay of implications across the three pillars; and (b) to identify pathways for maximising value creation within each pillar, while minimising the negative impacts across the other two.

Job Description

Role: Ph.D. Candidate

Ph.D. Title: Metaverse-driven sustainability 

Ph.D. Topic Description

Manufacturing has been increasingly investing on sustainable practices and business models that enable them to make better-informed decisions for product design. In the metaverse, end-users can engage with and purchase virtual products and tokens without the use of physical resources. Such activities provide businesses with the opportunity to enhance their customer processes and actively participate in virtual and physical product development by leveraging the affordances of the virtual world. This project will empirically investigate how businesses can use data, interactions and the affordances of the metaverse towards sustainable production in manufacturing.

Expected Results: a) netnography design and simulation specifications for observations and experimentation respectively; b) best practices for sustainability improvements in the metaverse.

DURATION & PLACEMENT OF THE POSITION

Supervisory Team

The supervisory team for this Ph.D. consists of supervisors from Maggioli SpA and University of Adger, Norway. The Ph.D. candidate will be initially hosted by Maggioli, Italy and will also enrol at the doctoral program of the Adger Univeristy, Norway, which will be the awarding entity for the Ph.D. degree.

Duration & Placement

The successful Ph.D. candidate will receive a full-time contract for 36 months by the host organization Maggioli SpA, located at Santarchangelo di Romagna, Italy. The Ph.D. candidate will be seconded at the University of Adger, where he/she will enroll in the Ph.D. programme.

Job responsibilities

• Collaborate with the supervisory team to define, develop, and refine the research approach.
• Engage in data collection, including interviews, surveys, and other appropriate methodologies.
• Analyse data and interpret findings to derive conclusions.
• Collaborate with industry partners, especially during the secondment phase, to gain insights and real-world applications.
• Actively participate in training, workshops, seminars, and conferences related to research.
• Prepare interim and final research reports highlighting the findings, challenges, and future directions.
• Seek feedback and continuously refine the research approach based on new insights and findings.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Not be in possession of a PhD degree at the date of recruitment.
• Mobility Requirement: Candidates should not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Italy for more than 12 months in the 36 months before the recruitment date.
• The applicants must qualify for admission to the PhD programme at the Faculty of Social Sciences, Univeristy of Adger, Norway, with a specialisation within Information Systems, and must hold a master’s degree or equivalent in a relevant area of study, with an average grade of B or better. Applicants who are in the process of finishing their master’s thesis are also welcome to apply for this position. More details to be found here.
• Applicants must submit a project proposal whose scope lies within the abovementioned position. The project proposal should comprise a maximum of 5000 words, including the reference list. The proposal must contain a preliminary presentation of the problem area, theoretical foundation, methodological approach and planned progression for the doctoral project. The quality of the project proposal will receive a high level of consideration during the application assessment process.
• Fluency in written and oral English is a prerequisite.

• The DC will enroll into the PhD program at the Faculty of Social Sciences, specialization in Information Systems, at the University of Agder (UiA), Norway
• The DC will spend part of their time at the academic institution supervising their Ph.D. as well as in another partner of the project.
• The DC will qualify for eligibility if they do not hold a doctoral degree on the recruitment date.
• The DC will work exclusively for the action.
• The DC must not have resided or carried out any main activity in Italy for more than 12 months during the 3 years prior to the recruitment date, in accordance with the European Commission's guidelines. Nevertheless, it is essential to emphasize that the doctoral program is open to applicants of any nationality.  
• Recruitment involves physical mobility.

Optional Qualifications

• Previous research experience on Business Models and Strategies will be considered a plus.
• Previous research experience on Metaverse will be considered a plus.
• Practical experience or knowledge of Business Models and Strategies.
• Experience in academic writing.
• Record of scholarly publications.

Personal Qualifications

We search for a candidate who has:

• The ability to generate innovative ideas and contribute to the advancement of Metaverse technology and applications.
• Effective communication and teamwork skills, as during the doctoral program collaboration with diverse teams and AGORA’s DCs is essential.
• The ability to adapt to new developments, given the rapidly evolving nature of Metaverse technologies.
• An understanding of how the Metaverse intersects with various fields such as society, economics, and business can be advantageous.
• Ability to work independently and accurately.
• Strong problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and high-quality output.
• Excellent organizational, analytic and interpretive skills.
• Excellent writing and communication skills in English.
• Self-motivated and able to tackle challenging, complex problems in an individual or team-based setting.
• Inquisitive and a self-learner.

We offer

• The Gross Salary for the successful Ph.D. candidate will be 3911.60 Euros. The salary includes living, and mobility allowance. Family allowance, if aplicable, is in excess of the Gross Salary.These salaries are in accordance with the MSCA rules of the European Union for Doctoral Researchers that are part of the AGORA contract. 
• We have a positive and inclusive company culture that values diversity, teamwork, and employee well-being. We are committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace where everyone is valued and respected. We believe that a diverse workforce leads to creativity, innovation, and better problem-solving. We actively promote diversity and inclusion in all aspects of our organization and are dedicated to creating a supportive and welcoming environment for all employees. 

Application Process

The application and supporting documentation must be in English and must be submitted by the deadline of 31 May 2024. Please ensure that your application clearly demonstrates how your skills and experience align with the abovementioned qualifications. The application must include:

• Academic CV.
• Transcripts and diplomas for bachelor's-, and master's- degrees. If you have not yet completed your master, provide a transcript of courses completed and your estimated date for the master´s degree completion.
• A copy of the master thesis. For those who are near to completion, an extended abstract combined with a statement about plans to complete the thesis. Documentation of a completed master’s degree must be presented before taking up the position.
• Project proposal (max 5000 words).
• Cover letter (max 1 page/500words) with your motivation for this position. This should include why you would like to be part of a doctoral network and what you feel you can contribute to AGORA.
• Academic works - published or under review - that you would like to be considered in the assessment (up to 5 items)
• Name and contact information of two reference people.

The application process is fully compliant with the GDPR requirements for handling of your personal data. Your personal data will be used striclty confidentialy and only for the purposes of evaluating your application. You have the right to request deletion of all your data (and subsequent withdrawal of your application) at any time during the evaluation process.

For a formal application, please submit your application and all supportive documents to agora-dc7@maggioli.gr, using the Subject: "AGORA: DC7 Ph.D. application."

Application deadline: 31 May 2024

Applications are reviewed on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.

CONTACT

For questions about this position, please contact:

• Sofoklis Efremidis, sofoklis.efremidis@maggioli.gr
• Ilias Pappas, ilias.pappas@uia.no