construction PhD Projects, Programs & Scholarships

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project does not have funding attached. You will need to have your own means of paying fees and living costs and / or seek separate funding from student finance, charities or trusts.

In the construction sector an underperformance of on-site project delivery efforts, particularly regarding ‘productivity’ and ’predictability’ remains a principle concern.

Safety in Voluntary Construction (Advert Reference: SF18/MCE/CRAPPER)

Northumbria University
Faculty of Engineering and Environment

Prof M Crapper

Applications accepted all year round

Funding Type

PhD Type

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project does not have funding attached. You will need to have your own means of paying fees and living costs and / or seek separate funding from student finance, charities or trusts.

Commercial construction work is dangerous, often subject to profitmaking pressures that can hinder improvements in safety.

Collaboration in Design and Construction Teams: Exploring the factors that may influence the adoption of Integrated Project Insurance (IPI) and its potential to improve collaboration among project participants

University of Reading
School of the Built Environment

Prof J Connaughton

Applications accepted all year round

Funding Type

PhD Type

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project does not have funding attached. You will need to have your own means of paying fees and living costs and / or seek separate funding from student finance, charities or trusts.

Effective collaboration among design and construction teams is an ongoing challenge in modern building construction due primarily to the increasingly complex and highly-specialised range of inputs required from architects, engineers, specialist manufacturers and installers.

Collaboration and business value proposition in multi-organisational construction projects

University of Reading
School of the Built Environment

Dr S Kabiri, Dr M Shahrestani

Applications accepted all year round

Funding Type

PhD Type

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project does not have funding attached. You will need to have your own means of paying fees and living costs and / or seek separate funding from student finance, charities or trusts.

Despite a wealth of research on the topic of collaboration among construction participants, conflicting instances affecting project success remains as one of the challenges in construction industry with various levels of negative impacts on the output of the project.

Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) in Construction

University of Edinburgh
School of Engineering

Dr F Bosche, Dr S Smith

Application Deadline: 31 December 2019

Funding Type

PhD Type

Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This research project has funding attached. It is only available to UK citizens or those who have been resident in the UK for a period of 3 years or more. Some projects, which are funded by charities or by the universities themselves may have more stringent restrictions.

Modern visualisation technologies like Virtual Reality (VR) / Augmented Reality (AR) / Mixed Reality (MR), along with Building Information Modelling (BIM), AI and Robotics are collectively revolutionising the Architectural, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry.

Sustainable construction: Enhancing earth brick strength and durability through interdisciplinary analyses and biomimicry

University of Reading
School of the Built Environment

Dr M Vahdati, Prof I M Jones, Dr W Matthews, Dr T Lees

Applications accepted all year round

Funding Type

PhD Type

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project does not have funding attached. You will need to have your own means of paying fees and living costs and / or seek separate funding from student finance, charities or trusts.

This multidisciplinary project spanning built environment engineering, archaeology and biological sciences is concerned with a novel sustainable technique for enhancing the strength and durability of unfired earth bricks.

Developing a security-minded but open and transparent digital built environment sector

University of Reading
School of the Built Environment

Prof C Harty

Applications accepted all year round

Funding Type

PhD Type

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project does not have funding attached. You will need to have your own means of paying fees and living costs and / or seek separate funding from student finance, charities or trusts.

The built environment sector in the UK has been undergoing a digital transformation.

University of Reading
School of the Built Environment

Construction Cost Management

Dr L Mbugua, Prof J Connaughton

Applications accepted all year round

Funding Type

PhD Type

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project does not have funding attached. You will need to have your own means of paying fees and living costs and / or seek separate funding from student finance, charities or trusts.

The traditional role of a Quantity Surveyor, focused on measurement and preparation of bill of quantities, is changing as the construction industry embraces new technologies.

Exploring appropriate disaster risk awareness raising methods among informal construction sector

Loughborough University
School of Architecture, Building and Civil Engineering

Dr K Chmutina

Applications accepted all year round

Funding Type

PhD Type

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project does not have funding attached. You will need to have your own means of paying fees and living costs and / or seek separate funding from student finance, charities or trusts.

Rapid but often poorly controlled urbanisation and the increase in construction delivered by informal workers with low levels of education and vocational training in locations highly vulnerable to impacts of natural hazards is common in Low and Middle-Income Countries around the world.

Off-site production and the redrawing of professional boundaries

University of Reading
School of the Built Environment

Prof M Sexton, Dr L Schweber

Applications accepted all year round

Funding Type

PhD Type

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project does not have funding attached. You will need to have your own means of paying fees and living costs and / or seek separate funding from student finance, charities or trusts.

The mix between on and off-site production in the construction sector varies across countries and regions. In many countries, changing market demand is driving a shift in the balance between on and off-site work.