About the Project
The UCL Institute for Environmental Design and Engineering and UCL Energy Institute in collaboration with Public Health England (PHE) are seeking applications for a fully funded studentship on the topic: “Ventilation practices in new homes in relation to air quality, noise and overheating risk, and their impact on health”
Funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) through the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Energy Demand (LoLo CDT - http://www.lolo.ac.uk/) and co-funded by Public Health England this exciting project will aim to provide a detailed insight into how occupants’ ventilation practices determine their exposure to air contaminants, noise and elevated temperatures, with a particular emphasis on vulnerable groups. The innovation of this project is the holistic approach to assess the interaction of the factors that affect Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) in our homes, and consequently our health and wellbeing, with long-term and detailed monitoring campaigns of the IEQ parameters. The findings from this study will help inform future revisions of building regulations and guidance, will help PHE to improve our messages and influence the home building industry, as part of the wider social and environmental determinants of health agenda.
The LoLo CDT provides exciting PhD training at the forefront of research, including opportunities to work with leading researchers, placements with industry and a comprehensive skills and development programme. As a student, joining the LoLo CDT at UCL you will join an active research group, in a unique student-focused environment with ample opportunities to engage with leading researchers, industry and policy makers. In addition to the university doctoral training requirements, LoLo students take part in an exciting range of activities, ranging from residential events and group projects, to conferences and careers events.
Our 4 year funded PhD programme combines a 1-year Master of Research (MRes) and 3 year doctorate (PhD). This structure builds a firm foundation of skills, knowledge and research experience, steadily progressing into world-leading research.
Supervisors: Dr Sani Dimitroulopoulou, PHE and Dr Cliff Elwell, UCL; Dr Benjamin Fenech, PHE; Ross Thompson, PHE; Prof Mike Davies, UCL; Dr Clive Shrubsole, UCL.
There is an increasing interest in how the indoor built environment affects our health and wellbeing. The outdoor environment tends to attract the majority of political, public and media interest. Nevertheless, on average, people spend 80-90% of their time indoors, and the percentage is even higher for some population groups (e.g. new-born, elderly, disabled or sick people). Thus, the indoor environmental quality (IEQ) has an important influence on occupant’s health and wellbeing. IEQ is a multi-dimensional concept, including among others indoor air quality, temperature, relative humidity and noise. Although these attributes are closely interlinked via the need for ventilation and heating/cooling, most design efforts and interventions are designed to tackle individual elements in isolation. Furthermore, occupants’ behaviour is often inadequately captured or ignored completely.
This PhD addresses an important gap in knowledge regarding how occupants’ ventilation practices determine their exposure to air contaminants, noise and elevated temperatures, with a particular emphasis on vulnerable groups.
This project will include a 1-year monitoring campaign of temperature and relative humidity in up to 20 dwellings, together with active monitoring of air pollutants and noise levels, to provide an insight into how the levels of these parameters change over a long period, as a result of occupants’ ventilation practices. The data will be mapped to the corresponding external environmental parameters, energy use and occupants schedules (derived from a number of detailed questionnaires), to identify any patterns. To the team’s knowledge, this would be the first time that all the above IEQ parameters will be evaluated together and not in isolation, combined with ventilation, in a long-term monitoring campaign.
This project will provide a multi-disciplinary research training platform for the student, including elements of environmental science, energy demand, ventilation, outdoor and indoor air pollution, noise, overheating, social science, exposure assessment, housing policy and public health, based on a range of monitoring techniques.
Research hypotheses
Although building design aims to provide good indoor environmental quality (IEQ), ventilation systems that are not properly designed, installed, commissioned or used by occupants lead to unintended consequences in terms of high noise levels, poor indoor air quality and building overheating, putting at risk occupants’ health and wellbeing.
Personal specficiation (specific skills required)
Applicants are welcomed with good degrees (min 2:1) from diverse backgrounds, reflecting our multidisciplinary research; previous experience of energy and buildings is not required. The project is well suited to a quantitative individual with measurement and analysis skills.
The successful candidate is expected to possess the following qualities:
• Passionate about measurement, analysis and conducting research;
• An appreciation of, or willingness to learn, questionnaire design and interpretation, to derive supplementary insights to physical measurements;
• Ability to use own initiative and prioritise workload;
• Good interpersonal and communication skills (oral and written);
• A high level of attention to detail in working methods.
How to apply
The following Pre-application materials should be submitted by email direct to the LoLo Centre Manager Mae Oroszlany, [Email Address Removed]
• A covering letter clearly stating your motivation, and stating your understanding of eligibility according to these guidelines (https://www.epsrc.ac.uk/skills/students/help/eligibility/)
• CV
• Names and addresses of two academic referees
• A copy of your degree certificate(s) and transcript(s) of degree(s)
Application deadline: 23rd April 2018
Following the interview, the successful candidate will be invited to make a formal application to the UCL Research Degree programme. Further guidance will be provided.
Please note successful candidate will have to meet the UCL English language requirements (http://www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/graduate/life/international)
For any further details regarding the project contact Dr Sani Dimitroulopoulou, [Email Address Removed] or Dr Cliff Elwell, [Email Address Removed];
For further details about the LoLo CDT and our programme, contact Dr Cliff Elwell, [Email Address Removed].
Additional information about the project can be found on: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/bartlett/energy/news/2018/mar/fully-funded-phd-studentship-ventilation-practices-new-homes
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