Grade and Salary: Grade 7 (£36,924-£46,485) FTE and working pattern: 35 Hours (1 FTE, 5 from 7 days as required), fixed term contract for 24 months Detailed Description The work will be managed within the School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society with input from Aston University Birmingham and University of Birmingham. The Urban Energy Research Group within ISBE comprises a team of experienced researchers in the field of energy and buildings, with a long track record in industry and research council funding. The individual will therefore be part of, and be expected to contribute to, a successful research team. The chosen candidate will be working within the Institute for Sustainable Built Environment (ISBE) which undertakes cutting-edge research to deliver technological advances and inform government policy on topics relevant to the global challenges of climate change; sustainable development; infrastructure deterioration; and personal and national security. Our research includes the specialist themes of water management; ultra-speed railways; systems, sustainability and society; construction materials and geo-mechanics; and structures. Particular areas of expertise include building energy systems, acoustics, water and drainage, building simulation, low carbon innovations, construction informatics, building conservation, construction management, circular economy approaches, as well as innovation in built environment education. Our work aims to provide new insights into the current technical, social and management challenges facing the building industry. Our research outcomes help inform policymakers and provide the knowledge and tools required by building professionals. Our work ranges from multi-million-pound research council projects, such as the Flood Risk Management Research Consortium, to individual PhD studentships on topics as diverse as numerical modelling of wave propagation in soil, to the impact of psychological states on situational awareness in transport domains. The Project “Advancing the use of biochar in the building industry: a multi-stakeholder study” Project Link is an £0.8M project led by Heriot-Watt University and funded through the UKRI Cross Research Council Responsive Mode (CRCRM) Scheme. The project aims to provide a decision support framework to enhance the use of biochar within the UK building industry to contribute significantly to fighting climate change. The goal is to increase awareness of biochar and its commercial, healthy revenue generation potential, carbon credits, and environmental benefits for the building industry. The project is highly interdisciplinary, bringing together Civil engineering, Building Modelling, and Social Science in the research design process and solution development. Participation and collaboration of stakeholders are key to generating qualitative and quantitative indicators to express, holistically, the value of biochar in modern low-carbon construction. Heriot-Watt leads the work on stakeholder engagement and building modelling of biochar composites to investigate their contribution to energy savings and enhanced thermal efficiency in buildings. Carbon savings will be compared against standard building construction for chosen building archetypes to assess the value of biochar in construction. Project Aims Identify appropriate types of biochar to be used as a building material Analyse the energy performance and carbon reduction potential of biochar cementitious composites for different building types Apply an integrative multi-stakeholder approach to co-create indicators to express the value of biochar in buildings Undertake life cycle analysis of biochar composites to realise carbon credits and environmental benefits Deliver a decision support framework for adopting biochar within the building industry with transferrable indicators Description of Duties The successful appointee will carry out the work in all phases including literature reviews, stakeholder consultations, and building and energy modelling. The appointee will be expected to undertake the following: Carry out research tasks independently and within an interdisciplinary team Publish papers and produce output relating to own research Help develop methodology for building modelling of biochar composites Apply qualitative approaches to design events and stakeholder workshops Assist academic duties of line manager as appropriate Travel to partner universities for interdisciplinary research and meetings Identify appropriate sources of funding and prepare research proposals Please note that this job description is not exhaustive, and the role holder may be required to undertake other relevant duties commensurate with the grading of the post. Activities may be subject to amendment over time as the role develops and/or priorities and requirements evolve. Person Specification Essential: Qualifications A first degree in an engineering or science discipline A PhD (or forthcoming PhD) in a topic relevant to energy and buildings Experience Experience in the use of dynamic building simulation software (e.g. IES-VE/EnergyPlus) Experience of statistical analyses of energy demand datasets Knowledge of low-carbon buildings and life cycle analysis Competencies, Skills and Knowledge Excellent IT and communication skills and attention to detail Evidence of a developing publication record Experience or desire to work with those from other disciplines Evidence of excellent administrative and project management skills Evidence of self-motivation and ability to work independently Evidence of excellent oral and written communication skills Excellent time management skills Good team player with interpersonal skills Desirable: Experience of working as part of an interdisciplinary team Experience of steady-state building modelling in the UK (e.g. SAP/SBEM) Knowledge of programming languages for data analysis (e.g. Python) Experience of using social science techniques for data collection Evidence of delivering on externally funded research projects Contact For further information about the position, please contact Dr Mehreen Gul (m.gulhw.ac.uk) The School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society The School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society (EGIS) is a leading institution for multidisciplinary research and teaching in areas critical to economic development and societal equity. We aim for excellence in teaching core disciplines contributing to a sustainable, resource and energy efficient society. How to Apply Applications with FULL CV (and Cover letter) can be submitted up to midnight (UK time) on Monday, 6 th January 2024. Shortlisting is anticipated that week and interviews are anticipated w/c 13 th January 2025.