Description 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 with informing policy makers and providing 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” https://www.ukri.org/news/first-projects-from-ukris-new-interdisciplinary-scheme-announced/ is an £0.8M project led by Heriot-Watt University and funded through the UKRI Cross Research Council Responsive Mode (CRCRM) Scheme. The project envisions to provide a decision support framework to enhance the use of biochar within the UK building industry to make a significant contribution to fight climate change. The aim is to increase the level of 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. The participation and collaboration of stakeholders is key to generate qualitative and quantitative indicators to express, holistically, the value of biochar in modern low-carbon construction. Heriot-Watt are leading 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. The project aims to: 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 qualitative and quantitative indicators to express, holistically, 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 indicators proposed would be transferrable to other new materials 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 other output relating to own research Help develop the methodology relating to building modelling of biochar composites Apply qualitative approaches to carefully design a series of events and stakeholder workshops Assist academic duties of line manager as appropriate Travel to partner universities (research collaborators) to carry out interdisciplinary research and/or attend meetings presentations etc. Identify appropriate sources of funding and help prepare research proposals for funding bodies 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 with relevance 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 high 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 the ability to work independently Evidence of excellent oral and written communication skills Excellent time management skills including the ability to prioritise workload Good team player with good interpersonal skills Desirable: Experience of working as part of an inter disciplinary 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 one of the UK’s leading institutions for multidisciplinary research and teaching in areas critical to economic development and societal equity. We aim to attain excellence in the teaching of the core disciplines that contribute to a sustainable, resource and energy efficient society and are committed to undertaking high value, high impact research and knowledge transfer in topics of relevance to global challenges. The School of EGIS enjoys facilities consistent with its location in modern, purpose-built accommodation across global campuses and is well equipped in respect of laboratories for materials, structures, engineering, building services and hydraulics research and teaching. Our research and teaching facilities in Dubai and Malaysia are contained within purpose-built campuses in Dubai Knowledge Park and Putrajaya, respectively. Teaching The School’s undergraduate teaching on our Edinburgh campus covers civil and structural engineering, architectural engineering, construction project management, quantity surveying, geography, urban studies, interior design and the biology suite. On our Dubai campus we teach civil & structural engineering, architectural engineering, architecture, construction management, quantity surveying and interior design. On our Malaysia campus we teach civil engineering, construction project management, quantity surveying and geoenergy engineering. We offer a high-quality educational experience underpinned by practical and laboratory teaching and informed by contact with professional practice. Most of our degree programmes hold the appropriate accreditation from the relevant professional body. This educational philosophy ensures excellent employment prospects for all of our graduates. Programmes of postgraduate study are aligned to the expertise contained in each of our research institutes. Our postgraduate students therefore benefit from state-of-the-art knowledge in their chosen study area. You can find further information about the School’s postgraduate programmes at https://www.hw.ac.uk/schools/energy-geoscience-infrastructure-society/postgraduate-programmes.htm Research The School is one of the leading research centres in the UK. It has sustained a high reputation for the international standing of its research over two decades. The School of EGIS is a leader in fundamental and applied research and directly aligns with addressing the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Our research institutes facilitate cross-disciplinary collaborations and the delivery of large consortium projects to provide impact solutions. Environmental science and sustainability are areas for which we have a long history and are integral to the research strategy of the School going forward. https://www.hw.ac.uk/schools/energy-geoscience-infrastructure-society/research.htm Institute of Life and Earth Sciences (ILES) The Urban Institute (TUI) Institute of Geoenergy Engineering (IGE) Institute of Sustainable Built Environment (ISBE) Institute for Social Policy, Housing, Equalities Research (I-SPHERE) All academic staff based on our campuses contribute to the research activities of one (or more) of our Institutes. These Institutes support a wide range of research activities of relevance to a sustainable, resource and energy efficient society. Institute staff undertake research funded by research councils, charitable foundations, local and national government. Research outcomes are published in leading international and national journals and key findings are widely disseminated through other media and forms of output. Staff in the School are embedded with HWU Global Research Institutes (e.g., the Lyell Centre Global Research Institute as well as the soon to be formed Net-Zero Global Research Institute). How to Apply Applications with FULL CV (and Cover letter) can be submitted up to midnight (UK time) on Monday, 6 th January 2025. Shortlisting is anticipated in that week and interviews are anticipated to be conducted w/c 13 th January 2025. At Heriot-Watt we are passionate about our values and look to them to connect our people globally and to help us collaborate and celebrate our success through working together. Our research programmes can deliver real world impact which is achieved through the diversity of our international community and the recognition of creative talent that connects our global team. Our flourishing community will give you the freedom to challenge and to bring your enterprising mind and to help our partners with solutions that can be applied now and in the future. Join us and Heriot Watt will provide you with a platform to thrive and work in a way that also helps you live your life in balance with well-being and inclusiveness at the heart of our global community. Heriot-Watt University is committed to securing equality of opportunity in employment and to the creation of an environment in which individuals are selected, trained, promoted, appraised and otherwise treated on the sole basis of their relevant merits and abilities. Equality and diversity are all about maximising potential and creating a culture of inclusion for all. Heriot-Watt University values diversity across our University community and welcomes applications from all sectors of society, particularly from underrepresented groups. For more information, please see our website https://www.hw.ac.uk/uk/services/equality-diversity.htm and also our award-winning work in Disability Inclusive Science Careers https://disc.hw.ac.uk/ We welcome and will consider flexible working patterns e.g. part-time working and job share options.