Land Use and Biodiversity Impact of Construction and Building Materials

Applications are invited for a PhD Studentship funded by the Sustainability Research Institute (SRI) at the University of East London in collaboration with AKT-II.

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

Construction is, together with agriculture, responsible for the majority of the material produced. The choice of building materials considering the effects on the environment of extraction, manufacture and processing is critical. This PhD aims to study the land use and biodiversity impact of construction materials, using a life cycle assessment approach while expanding the system boundaries to form a more holistic understanding of impacts. Conventional construction materials such as steel and timber together with novel bio-based alternatives based on an equal functional output will be included in the study. The system boundaries will be expanded to include a given quantity of construction materials, which can achieve the same structural function normalised to strength and stiffness (not mass or volume) and the corresponding co-products. With these expanded systems, the study would consider quantifying the additional benefits of dedicating the residual land to various levels of re-wilding or less intensive productive uses.

Academic requirements and experience

Required

• A good 1st or 2,1 BSc (or international equivalent) in a STEM subject, e.g., Materials Science, Environmental Science, Chemistry, Ecology.
• LCA experience.
• Strong interest in sustainability and research.
• Excellent English communication skills.

Desirable

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

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. Covering letter explaining their plan of work, motivation and suitability (2 pages maximum).

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

Funding notes

The studentship will provide funding for 3 years including tuition fees and a tax-free stipend at the standard UKRI London rate, £21,240 for the 2024/25 academic year. Full funding is available to Home students.