Latest news from º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ

20 Apr 2015

º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ seeks students for 5 PhDs to create more sustainable and resilient buildings

The School of Civil and Building Engineering at º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ is seeking five students to undertake PhD projects in collaboration with the Building Research Establishment (BRE).  This is the first stage in a programme of collaborative research between BRE and the University. 

The research covers three core strands that align with BRE’s priorities and build on existing areas of strength in the University:

High performing buildings: including building information modelling and design, energy demand reduction, ventilation, thermal and daylight simulation, monitoring and post-occupancy evaluation.

Sustainable construction: including sustainability management, assessment and informatics, responsible and ethical sourcing of materials, sustainable procurement and supply chains, waste minimisation and resource efficiency.

Resilient buildings and communities: including disaster risk reduction, community resilience, flooding research, condition monitoring and assessment of buildings and civil infrastructure.

Professor Jacqui Glass, Professor of Architecture and Construction and Associate Dean for Enterprise in the School of Civil and Building Engineering, stated:

“We are delighted to be collaborating with BRE in these important areas.  Support from the BRE Trust in particular enables the researchers to leverage BRE’s wealth of experience and achieve wide reaching impact via BRE’s standards such as BREEAM. This significant support builds upon our status as a Royal Academy of Engineering Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Building Design, and will extend the internationally leading research undertaken in our School in this area. ”

Dr Deborah Pullen, BRE Group Research Director, reiterated BRE’s support for the initiative:

“Working with the Centre at º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ allows us to build on our own research capabilities through alignment with the extensive work being carried out at the University.  º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ is one of the foremost universities with regards to built environment research, and working together enables us to significantly advance knowledge and innovation in these core areas..”

In the 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF), º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ consolidated its position in the premier league of research universities. It was ranked 14th in the UK and 9th among universities in England for research intensity. At subject level, seven of º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ’s subject areas feature in their national subject top ten.

In the subject assessment for Architecture, Built Environment and Planning, º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ was ranked fifth overall in the UK. 100% of its research impact and of its research environment was rated as world-leading or internationally excellent.

Applications for the five studentships are open until 22nd May. 

Traceability in the construction supply chain http://www.lboro.ac.uk/study/finance/research/studentships/studentships/phd-studentship-traceability-in-the-construction-supply-chain-ref-gs15cbe1m1.html

Repeatability in building modelling and design http://www.lboro.ac.uk/study/finance/research/studentships/studentships/phd-studentship-repeatability-in-building-modelling-and-design-ref-gs15cbe1m.html

Bringing big data into building energy modelling http://www.lboro.ac.uk/study/finance/research/studentships/studentships/phd-studentship--bringing-big-data-into-building-energy-modelling-ref-gs15cbe.html

Embedding the idea of the circular economy into buildings http://www.lboro.ac.uk/study/finance/research/studentships/studentships/phd-studentship--embedding-the-idea-of-the-circular-economy-into-buildings-ref.html

Measuring the resilience of communities http://www.lboro.ac.uk/study/finance/research/studentships/studentships/phd-studentship--measuring-the-resilience-of-communities-ref-gs15cbe1m5.html

Notes for editors

Article reference number: April News

º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ is one of the country’s leading universities, with an international reputation for research that matters, excellence in teaching, strong links with industry, and unrivalled achievement in sport and its underpinning academic disciplines.

It has been awarded five stars in the independent QS Stars university rating scheme, putting it among the best universities in the world, and was named Sports University of the Year 2013-14 by The Times and Sunday Times. º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ is consistently ranked in the top twenty of UK universities in the Times Higher Education’s ‘table of tables’ and has been voted England's Best Student Experience for six years running in the Times Higher Education league. In recognition of its contribution to the sector, º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ has been awarded seven Queen's Anniversary Prizes.

In 2015 the University will open an additional academic campus in London’s new innovation quarter. º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ in London, based on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, will offer postgraduate and executive-level education, as well as research and enterprise opportunities.