Fee Waiver PhD Scholarship: Dynamic life cycle assessment of bio-based building materials

Applications are invited for a PhD Scholarship with tuition fee waivers funded by the Sustainability Research Institute (SRI) as part of the University of East London (UEL) Year of Science Festival celebration.

Established in 2001, the SRI was one of the first dedicated sustainability research institutes in the UK. SRI has since built an excellent international reputation by applying our ground-breaking research and development in the real world with a strong track record of delivering multidisciplinary research for and with external partners in industry, local and regional authorities, non-statutory government agencies, NGOs, and local communities.

Scope

Building with biomass and the use of plant-based materials in construction to store the biogenic carbon for as long as the lifetime of the building is considered one of the viable negative emissions technologies. Among available biomass resources, fast-growing plants have been considered a superior option for use in construction because of their short crop rotation periods which can provide a net cooling effect. Adoption is being hampered by a lack of suitable assessment methods.

 Various lifecycle assessment (LCA) methodologies have been used to quantify the amount of CO₂ released during the lifetime of a building product. However, conventional carbon footprinting methods are largely indifferent to the timescale and the re-growth cycles. This project aims to develop a dynamic LCA model, which considers the timing of carbon uptake and GHG emissions to addresses the issues related to current methods.

The proposals are expected to develop a model capable of capturing the time-related benefits of bio-based materials. This would provide the data needed to optimise decarbonisation strategies and support adoption of the alternative low-carbon products. Additionally, the model should be aimed to be implemented within a software tool that will provide a rigorous comparative assessment of bio-based materials and so demonstrate the benefit of the novel, short-rotation products.

Applicants are expected to have sufficient experience with dynamic lifecycle modelling and relevant carbon footprinting and programming software tools.

Academic requirements and experience

Required

• A good 1st or 2,1 BSc (or international equivalent) in a STEM or relevant subject, e.g., Environmental Science, Materials Science, etc.
• Strong interest in sustainability and research.
• Excellent English communication skills equivalent to IELTS 7.0 overall (minimum 6.5 in all elements)

Desirable

• A master’s level degree qualification in any course with a strong emphasis on sustainability.

How to apply

Applicants wishing to be considered for this opportunity should send the following application documents to Dr Bamdad Ayati (b.ayati@uel.ac.uk):

1. Current CV including details of their academic record.
2. Research Proposal explaining how they are addressing the topic and their motivation and suitability (2 pages maximum).

Application via the UEL website is not necessary at this stage. Applications will be regularly reviewed until the positions are filled. The expected start date of this PhD project is November 2024 or January 2025.

Funding notes

The studentship will provide funding for 3 years of tuition fees. Funding is available to Home and International students.