Sponsorship of graduate and post graduate theses<br />on gas topics

The Austrian gas markets have been liberalised for ten years now. On this occasion, the regulatory authority E-Control is looking to sponsor a number of master, diploma or doctoral theses.

Sponsoring by E-Control can comprise compensation for actual research expenses (up to € 2,000) such as special software or printing cost. We assume that applicants already have access to research facilities and equipment such as computers and academic literature. In addition to this compensation programme, E-Control considers outstanding papers from the fields of economics, engineering or law that address gas market liberalisation for a special award competition.

The distribution of the total prize money – € 10,000 – among the best papers is at the sole discretion of the jury.

Topics

All papers that address the liberalisation of the gas market can be entered for compensation of expenses and the award competition. E-Control considers that the following topics would currently lend themselves to the development of research projects:

• Incentives for market participants in the current market model
• Incentive regulation and network development
• Assessing the level of competition on the market
• The wholesale market and price formation
• An international comparison of new infrastructure financing
• The secondary market for gas transport capacity
• Smart metering and energy consumption
• Legal issues arising from the implementation of the 3rd energy package

Compensation of research expenses

Applications must be handed in by 30 August 2012 (as shown on the postmark or e-mail date).

Awards for outstanding papers

Graduate theses that address the liberalisation of the gas market can also be handed in for an award competition. A jury will assess the submitted diploma and master theses in September 2012, i.e. the competition is open to all candidates who are shortly awaiting graduation or have graduated no longer than one year ago.

Entries to the award competition must comprise the following documents:

• The paper itself (one print copy and in pdf format)
• CV of the author
• Abstract of the paper

Any incomplete applications will be disregarded.
Applications must be handed in by 30 April 2012 (as shown on the postmark or e-mail date).

Applications and entries can be handed in via e-mail to office@e-control.at or via conventional mail to E-Control, Rudolfsplatz 13a, 1010 Vienna, Austria.

Should you have any questions, please contact kerstin.wernig@e-control.at .

Please note that no claim or title whatsoever to sponsorship or promotion of any kind shall arise.