Doctoral scholarship holder applied engineering, with a focus on modelling future indoor thermal comfort within the urban building stock

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Department: Department of Construction Engineering
Regime Full-time

Let’s shape the future - University of Antwerp

The University of Antwerp is a dynamic, forward-thinking, European university. We offer an innovative academic education to more than 20000 students, conduct pioneering scientific research and play an important service-providing role in society. We are one of the largest, most international and most innovative employers in the region. With more than 6000 employees from 100 different countries, we are helping to build tomorrow's world every day. Through top scientific research, we push back boundaries and set a course for the future – a future that you can help to shape. 

The research group Energy and Materials in Infrastructure and Buildings (EMIB) of the Faculty of Applied Engineering is looking for a full-time (100%) doctoral scholarship holder in the field of applied engineering, with a focus of modelling future indoor thermal comfort within the urban building stock. 

Position

  • You will work actively on the preparation and defence of a PhD thesis.
    The work will focus on evaluating the robustness of climate adaptation and mitigation strategies at building level (e.g., solar shading, active cooling, night ventilation, etc.) in relation to measures undertaken at urban level (e.g. greenery, water features). In the PhD project, the candidate will develop a toolchain to model energy use and occupant thermal comfort (especially overheating risks) within the urban building stock. These models will build on existing data where available (e.g., from LiDAR data, satellite images, cadastre, surveys, etc.), supplemented by an archetype approach for missing data (e.g., assuming a distribution of occupant typologies and future renovation measures). A toolchain will be developed to define multi‐zone geometric models for use in dynamic energy performance simulation software (e.g. EnergyPlus), generate combinations of building types, occupant behaviour models, and climate data. As a result of this work, optimal strategies for mitigating future overheating risks (and related comfort and health issues) can be derived at both building and neighbourhood level.  
  • The PhD scholarship is part of an interdisciplinary project – Climate-based Hybrid locally-Informed Adaptive Strategies from Modelling of the Urban Stock (CHIASMUS). This collaborative research project involves the University of Antwerp (Belgium), the Louvain research institute for Landscape, Architecture, Built environment (LAB) at the Université catholique de Louvain (Belgium), the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST, Luxembourg), and the Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO, Belgium). The CHIASMUS project aims to identify locally-informed district-and-building level climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies, based on a geographically-differentiated representation of the urban building stock. This can allow accounting for energy use and indoor environmental quality in building operation, emission flows, and life cycle impacts, while quantifying the related uncertainty at diverse spatial resolution and in multiple contexts.
  • You will publish scientific articles related to the research project in high ranking peer reviewed journals.
  • The PhD researcher could be tasked with a limited number of teaching and research support activities (max. 10% of time)
  • The PhD researcher will have opportunities to be involved in research seminars, scientific conferences and upskilling workshops throughout their research work. This will include doctoral training focused on the development and writing of a thesis, and the scientific dissemination associated with the research.

Profile

  • You hold a Master degree in engineering, applied engineering, bio-engineering, architecture, urban planning, or geography, or you will have obtained it by the time you start work.
  • You can demonstrate excellent study results.
  • Your teaching competences are in line with the University of Antwerp’s educational vision.
  • Your research qualities are in line with the faculty and university research policies.
  • You act with attention to quality, integrity, creativity and cooperation.
  • You are eager to collaborate with national and international project partners.
  • Relevant skills for this project include:
  • Expertise in the field of building physics and calculation/simulation of energy performance of buildings
    • Expertise on urban design, building design and geographic information systems (GIS)
    • Expertise on data management, machine learning and programming skills (e.g. Python scripting).

What we offer

  • We offer a doctoral scholarship for a period of two years. Following a positive evaluation, the scholarship can be renewed for another 1.5 years (or - subject to acquiring additional funding - 2 years).
  • The planned start date is February 1st 2025, or as soon as possible after that date.
  • Your monthly scholarship amount is calculated according to the scholarship amounts for doctoral scholarship holders.
  • You will receive ecocheques, Internet-connectivity allowance, and a bicycle allowance or a full reimbursement of public transport costs for commuting.
  • You will carry out most of your work at Building Z of Campus Groenenborger in Antwerp in a dynamic and stimulating working environment. Upon agreement with the supervisors there are possibilities to work flexible hours and (partially) work remotely. During the research project, research stays with the other research partners (or external parties) can be arranged.
  • Find out more about working at the University of Antwerp here.

Want to apply?

  • You can apply for this vacancy through the University of Antwerp’s online job application platform up to and including 3 December 2024 (by midnight Brussels time). Click on the 'Apply' button and complete the online application form. Be sure to include the following attachments:
    • a motivation letter
    • your academic CV
  • The selection committee reviews all applications as soon as possible after the application deadline. As soon as a decision is made, we will notify you. If you are still eligible after the pre-selection, you will be informed about the possible next step(s) in the selection procedure.
  • If you have any questions about the online application form, please check the frequently asked questions or send an email to jobs@uantwerpen.be. If you have any questions about the job itself, please contact Stijn Verbeke (stijn.verbeke@uantwerpen.be) (and cc Amaryllis Audenaert (amaryllis.audenaert@uantwerpen.be).

The University of Antwerp received the European Commission’s HR Excellence in Research Award for its HR policy. We are a sustainable, family-friendly organisation which invests in its employees’ growth. We encourage diversity and attach great importance to an inclusive working environment and equal opportunities, regardless of gender identity, disability, race, ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation or age. We encourage people from diverse backgrounds and with diverse characteristics to apply.

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