Key information

Supervision team: Professor Dejan Mumovic (Primary, Education Buildings - UCL IEDE), Professor Mike Davies (Homes - UCL IEDE), Dr Ivan Korolija (SimStock - UCL IEDE), Professor Pia Hardelid (Epidemiology - UCL Institute of Child Health), Dr James Milner (Health Impact assessment - London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine) 

Funding: Home (UK) student tuition fees for three years, A minimum of £21,870** tax free annual stipend for three years*, including London Weighting of £2,000 per year (*) Exact amount still to be confirmed each year  

Dates: 3 years starting 1 February 2026 

Deadline for applications: Sunday 26 October 2025 23.59PM (UK time)

Background

Building stock modelling is a technique commonly used to quantify current and future energy demand or indoor environmental quality performance of large numbers of buildings at the neighbourhood, city, regional or national level. ‘Building-by-building’ stock modelling is a modelling technique whereby individual buildings within the stock are modelled and simulated, and performance results are aggregated and analysed at stock level. 

This PhD focusing on the development of the modelling platform for early years settings (homes, nurseries) through the analysis and integration of a range of data (geometry, size, number of buildings within a school premises etc.) from multiple databases and tools (Edubase/Get Information About Schools, Property Data Survey Programme, Ordanance Survey and others). The initial assessment, evaluation of the modelling procedure of the proposed platform included. The developed platform will be used to evaluate the health impact assessment of decarbonisation pathways for children’s early years settings (homes, nurseries).

Studentship aims

  1. Develop a modelling platform for children’s early settings (homes, nurseries) by combining the methodologies of the existing housing stock model and the Modelling Platform for Schools (MPS).
  2. Evaluate and test the newly developed platform.
  3. Evaluate the health co-benefits of transition of education sector to net-zero. 

Person specification

As per the entry requirements for the Environmental Design and Engineering MPhil/PhD programme a minimum of an upper second-class UK Bachelor's degree and a Master's degree, or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard, in a relevant subject, is essential. Exceptionally, where applicants have other suitable research or professional experience, they may be admitted without a Master's degree; or where applicants have a lower second-class UK Honours Bachelor's degree (2:2) (or equivalent) they must possess a relevant Master's degree to be admitted. We expect any successful application to include a sufficiently strong and convincing proposal, and those holding a Master's degree are typically well prepared to provide one. Relevant work experience is highly desirable.

Furthermore, applicants must have: 

  1. An MEng/MSc in Architecture, Engineering, Physics, Mathematics, Computer Science
  2. A research interest in dynamic thermal simulation (EnergyPlus), building stock modelling, climate change, and building physics
  3. An aptitude for data analytics  
  4. A collegial and friendly team worker
  5. English language proficiency meeting UCL’s requirements for this programme (Level 2).

Application procedure

Stage 1 – Eligibility and how to apply

Please submit a pre-application by email to  with Subject Reference:  PhD in Building Stock Modelling for Children’s Health bartlett.phd-ecidi@ucl.ac.uk

Your pre- application should include only  the following 2 documents: 

  • A covering letter clearly stating why you wish to apply for the project outlining how your interests and experience relate to it
  • CV

Any additional documents sent will NOT be taken into consideration during shortlisting. 

Deadline for applications is Sunday 26 October 2025 23.59PM (UK time).

Stage 2 – Interview process

Interviews will take place in early November. Only shortlisted candidates will be invited for an interview. 

  • For the interview shortlisted candidates will be asked to send proof of their degree certificate(s) and transcript(s) of degree(s), and evidence of their fees background.
  • The interview panel will consist of the project’s academic supervisors at UCL.
  • The interview will include a short presentation from the candidate on their ideas of how to approach this PhD project.
  • Following the interview, the successful candidate will be invited to make a formal application to the UCL Institute of Environmental Design and Engineering. 

Contacts 

The successful candidate will be undertaking this project in UCL at the main (Bloomsbury) campus, based at the UCL Institute for Environmental Design and Engineering.

For further details about the application process, please contact  bartlett.phd-ecidi@ucl.ac.uk

For any further details regarding the project, contact Professor Dejan Mumovic 
 d.mumovic@ucl.ac.uk