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Behavior Science / Human Factors / Social Computation Fellowship
Location: Boston, Massachusetts
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Job Description

About the Position:

The Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy Systems (CSE) in Boston, MA is part of Fraunhofer USA, a 501 (c) (3) non-profit contract R&D organization, affiliated with Fraunhofer Gesellschaft, Europe's largest contract R&D group. Fraunhofer CSE's interdisciplinary R&D team is dedicated to serving the applied research needs of the sustainable energy industry, helping established industry players and startup companies alike develop clean energy technologies from the laboratory to the production line.  The Center has active development projects in the areas of energy-efficient building technologies,  photovoltaic systems, and the grid impact of renewable energy technologies. For additional information please view our website at http://cse.fraunhofer.org.

We are looking for a Fellow to join the Building Energy Technologies group, working with our Behavioral Scientist. The Fellowship will provide opportunities to evaluate and understand the attitudes and perceptions of individuals related to the adoption more sustainable behaviors renewable energy sources by designing, conducting, and evaluating surveys, focus groups, and structured interviews. The Fellow should feel comfortable with handling and analyzing data using both quantitative and qualitative methods. Prospective candidates should enjoy engaging with an international team at work and have the ability to engage with target participants of different backgrounds. The Fellowship may involve moderate levels of travel to and from field test sites within the U.S.

Responsibilities and Learning Opportunities:

  • Learn about and participate in the design and deployment of field experiments designed to promote the adoption of sustainable behaviors, habits, and lifestyles. 
  • Collaborate in the design and implementation of field experiments to gain experience in: design, engagement, interview, development of survey instruments, analysis and reporting.
  • Learn about and help design surveys, as well as laboratory (e.g., focus group interview) and field tests to evaluate the effectiveness of different types of energy-use feedback devices from a human factors perspective.
  • Learn about and assist in data collection and data analysis, as well as helping to prepare results for publication or client reports.
  • The Fellow will also have the opportunity to acquire practical research experience through the interaction with clients and other organizations.

 

Required Education and Academic or Fellowship Experience:

  • An excellent academic record in environmental/experimental psychology, social computation, sociology, or similar field.
  • Strong quantitative analysis skills and experience in conducting statistical data analysis
  • Good interpersonal skills.
  • Good verbal and written communication skills.
  • Ability to accept a high degree of responsibility in a team-based organization, combined with ability to work independently.
  • An understanding of human factors research methods is a plus.
  • Willingness to go the extra mile to support the team’s research projects.

Please apply through the career page on our website at http://cse.fraunhofer.org/jobs-careers/

In your cover letter, please explain what motivates you to apply and how, in your opinion, the skills you would develop from this Fellowship would help you achieve your next career step. 

Fraunhofer USA, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer of Individuals with disabilities, protected veterans and is a federal contractor.

 





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