UCL AECOM PhD Scholarship: Complex multi-level integration to deliver Gigaprojects

Job title:

UCL AECOM PhD Scholarship: Complex multi-level integration to deliver Gigaprojects

Company

University College London

Job description

About usWe are The Bartlett, UCL’s global faculty of the built environment. Individually, our schools and sections lead their fields. In partnership, they develop new responses to pressing world issues. As a whole, they represent a world-leading, multidisciplinary faculty, united by the radical spirit of UCL. Our vision is of a world where everything that’s built aims to add to the well-being of people and the environment. The Bartlett is unrivalled in its breadth and depth of disciplines, programmes and departments. Overall, the Bartlett is number one for Research Power in the built environment field. The appointed PhD candidate will be based at The Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction at the Bartlett Faculty of the Built Environment, a world-leading faculty ranked #1 in the world for Built Environment studies and #1 in the UK for its research environment.About the projectUniversity College London (UCL) is inviting applications for a fully funded PhD scholarship (3 years full time) on “Complex multi-level integration to deliver Gigaprojects”. The PhD Scholarship is situated at UCL’s Megaproject Delivery Centre and is part of the AECOM Infrastructure Scholarship Programme, created to advance science in major programme management globally.Infrastructure provision is a key priority of governments around the world, unlocking societal benefits and enabling economic growth. Given their transformational nature, infrastructure projects are often delivered through megaprojects, which are notoriously difficult to manage and often plagued with cost overruns and delays. Yet, such major programmes are fast increasing in size, requirements, and complexity (Denicol et al., 2020).UCL’s research identified the ingredients of successful megaproject management in six themes, which reveal 18 causes of poor performance and 54 solutions. The theme on Strategy, Governance, and Procurement highlights the importance of establishing the organisational structures to integrate a large network of suppliers, partners, and stakeholders.Considering the scale of investments to build entire new cities and rebuild countries, the term Gigaproject is progressively being used to describe a collection of megaprojects (at city, region, country levels) and convey the size of the challenge faced by governments. It is urgent to rethink the strategies needed to deliver infrastructure projects at pace and scale, charting a path for sustainable transitions.This PhD Scholarship will investigate integration capabilities to deal with the scale and complexity associated with Gigaprojects.Programme organisations are often established to structure and manage a multi-level network of suppliers and partners, which collectively contribute with products and services. Gigaprojects operate with hundreds of billions, structurally resulting in several megaprojects that need to be integrated at multiple levels. Such programme organisations have the overall responsibility for integration throughout the lifecycle of the project, with the strategy of programme initiation and set-up playing an important role.The research will investigate how clients can advance integration capabilities by exploring topics such as: Intra-organisational integration (teams, functions, client-delivery partners), inter-organisational integration (programme organisation vs multiple megaprojects), technical vs organisational integration (within megaprojects), integration of external stakeholders and partners, the set-up and evolution of integration strategies across multiple phases of the Gigaproject.The appointed PhD candidate will be based UCL’s Megaproject Delivery Centre and will have the opportunity to collaborate with AECOM’s Global Programme Management leadership to disseminate cutting-edge scientific findings. UCL and AECOM are on a mission to advance programme management and improve the delivery of the world’s largest infrastructure projects.About YouRequirements:Applicants should hold a Master’s degree, or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard, in a relevant subject such as, but not limited to (project management, construction management, engineering management, operations management, organization studies, strategy). The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• Excellent academic record (including a Master level degree in an appropriate subject)
• Good proficiency in English
• Commitment to a 3-year period of research within UCL
• Interest in working closely with world leading infrastructure companies.

What we offerThe PhD scholarship will cover:3 years tuition fees (UK rate).

• We welcome the application of International candidates. If successful, the International applicant will have to cover the UK/international fee difference.

3 years maintenance stipend at £21,237 per year. A cost of living increase is expected to be added to this and will be confirmed in due course.How to applyThe closing date for applications is 14 March 2025, 11pm UK time. The PhD Scholarship will commence in June 2025.Applicants are asked to submit the following six documents through UCL’s system.

• Full CV.
• Master’s transcripts.
• Research proposal outlining how you would approach the research (max. 5 pages).
• Personal statement outlining your motivation to investigate this topic (1 page).
• Statement confirming that you are prepared to commit three years (full time) to this research project.
• If you are applying as an International student, statement confirming that you will be able to cover the UK/international fee difference.

Please see Document ‘Compulsory Questionnaire’ – You MUST complete the form and attach this to your application. Your application may not be processed or may be delayed if the documentation is not provided.After all submissions are reviewed, selected candidates will be invited for an interview. All those candidates who are not shortlisted for an interview will be notified at this stage. After the interview, the preferred applicant will be invited to submit a full PhD application to the PhD Programme of The Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction. Any inquiries or further information about the scholarship should be emailed toAvailable documents

Expected salary

Location

North West London

Job date

Thu, 13 Feb 2025 03:09:31 GMT

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