PhD Studentship in Development of the Technological Performance Certificate for Commercial Buildings

The UCL Institute for Environmental Design and Engineering invites applications for a fully funded studentship funded by EPSRC

PhD studentship in Development of the Technological Performance Certificate for Commercial Buildings

Supervisors:

Academic: Dr Ljiljana Marjanovic-Halburd and Peter McLennan
Industrial: Dr Chris Kwok

Start Date: November 2016
Stipend: £17,289 & fees
Funding Duration: 3 years

Eligibility: You will need to meet residence requirements – see  https://www.epsrc.ac.uk/skills/students/help/eligibility/

Overview:

The UCL Institute for Environmental Design and Engineering (IEDE), with KSBC PLC, invites applications for a fully funded 3-year PhD studentship covering fees plus stipend. The UCL Institute for Environmental Design and Engineering academics, doctoral and postdoctoral researchers are carrying out some of the world’s leading research in the field of sustainable building design and engineering, and making a valuable contribution to culture and society. We are part of The Bartlett: UCL's global faculty of the built environment. The quality of our research has been recognised by the UK’s most recent Research Excellence Framework exercise in which The Bartlett confirmed its elite research position having produced the largest quantity of 4* world-leading research outputs. This fully funded studentship is an excellent opportunity for a talented candidate to work with an outstanding network of academics in the built environment field giving unparalleled access to data, knowledge and professional contacts.

The main aim of this PhD project is to develop a methodology for assessing new and existing buildings in terms of their current and future technological capacity including but not limited to IT and communication services in relation to different commercial building types (business activities). The newly developed methodology needs to recognise building design and planning characteristics as well as the business needs of the company occupying the space. It will also have to be compatible with the latest developments in the field of building information modeling (BIM). This research project will create the opportunity for the student to push the boundaries of the building assessment process towards bridging the gap between design and engineering approaches on one side and the business needs of the occupiers on the other side.

Person Specification:

The successful candidate is expected to be at ease or become familiar with a variety of disciplines, including IT, electrical and mechanical engineering and space management.
• A self-motivated researcher willing to develop their technical and analytical skills
• A MSc degree in a built environment related disciplines e.g. civil engineering, architecture, mechanical, electrical or similar is highly desirable. However, candidates with strong honours degree with a demonstrated aptitude for research, or a combination of qualifications and/or experience equivalent to that level are welcome to apply.
• Ability to use own initiative and prioritise workload
• Good interpersonal and communication skills (oral and written)
• Strong organisational skills
• A high level of attention to detail in working methods

Funding:

We are offering a 3 year fully funded studentship for *eligible applicants for entry into the 2016/17 academic year (Start date: November 2016)

*Please see EPSRC's guidance on eligibility criteria for funding: 

Application Procedure

Stage 1 - Pre-application documents below should be emailed directly to Mae Oroszlany at e.oroszlany@ucl.ac.uk
1) CV
2) academic transcripts
3) 1-page personal statement outlining motivation, interest and eligibility for the post
4) Name and contact details of those providing an Academic Reference for you – references will NOT be taken at this stage
5) if applicable, pdf copy of the two most important pieces of research work you contributed. Please state clearly your contribution in case of jointly authored work. 

Interviews are expected to be held during the first week of October 2016 or soon afterwards.

Stage 2 - Following the interview, the successful candidate will be invited to make a formal application to the UCL Research Degree programme. Further guidance will be provided.

References may be asked before the interview after consent from candidates to do so.
Please note that if English is NOT your first language, you will need to provide evidence that you meet the UCL's English Language requirements

Any offer made will be subject to references and proof of meeting the UCL English language requirements.

Informal enquiries on the content of the research topic should be emailed to Dr Ljiljana Marjanovic-Halburd on l.marjanovic-halburd@ucl.ac.uk

CLOSING DATE: 30 SEPTEMBER 2016

After interview, the successful candidate(s) will be required to formally apply online via the UCL website.

Expected start date: November 2016