PhD position in Circularization of the Construction Industry

Are you interested in transitioning to a sustainable built environment? We offer a PhD position that will allow to deepen your knowledge and actively develop new understandings of circularity strategies for the construction industry.

Project description
The development of buildings and infrastructures is an immensely carbon- and resource-intensive process and circular economy strategies are key to decrease the environmental impacts of the construction industry. Still, reuse rates remain dramatically low. According to practitioners, facilities to store and redistribute reclaimed construction materials - aka urban resource centers (URCs) - are too few and decentralized. As a result, the organizational, logistical, and environmental implications of upscaling URCs remain unclear.

The aim of this PhD project is to investigate the extent to which wide-scale implementation of URCs could help decrease the construction industry’s environmental impact. This project is trans-disciplinary with, at its core, the research topics of material stock modeling and construction logistics. As such, the project will integrate different research methods and tools (e.g., material stock and flow modeling, spatial analysis, stakeholders engagement, multi-criteria decision analysis, life cycle assessment). This trans-disciplinarity will also be reflected in the supervisory team.

Information about the division
The Division of Building Technology brings together knowledge from Sustainable building, Building Physics, Building Materials, and Infrastructure Physics. The research group 'Sustainable building' deals with concepts, tools and strategies to enhance the sustainability performance of construction materials, building products, road infrastructures, and entire cities.

Major responsibilities
As a PhD student, your major responsibility is to pursue your doctoral studies related to the project. This includes developing your own scientific concepts, carrying out empirical studies, applying theoretical perspectives, and collaborating with industrial and academic partners and stakeholders. You are expected to communicate the results of your research in academic journals and international conferences, as well as to actors in the industry, the public sector, and the general public. You will also follow PhD courses. Collaboration with other PhD students and colleagues at Chalmers and at institutions abroad is very important.

The intended start of the project is September 2024. You will be employed by Chalmers on a full-time temporary contract with a competitive monthly salary and full social benefits. There are no tuition fees for PhD studies at Chalmers. The employment is limited to four years' effective time on the PhD project, plus additional time spent on teaching and other departmental duties up to 20%, equaling to a maximum of five years of employment. The employment is tied to successful progress of doctoral studies as evaluated throughout the project.

Read more about doctoral studies at Chalmers here.

Qualifications
Applicants should have a master's degree in architectural or civil engineering, construction management, urban planning, industrial ecology, or another field relevant to the description of the project, and a strong interest in urban sustainability. We are seeking a self-motivated candidate with analytical and creative problem-solving skills, and experience in systems thinking.

Previous experience in stakeholders engagement, multi-criteria decision analysis, environmental assessment (e.g. Material Stock and Flow Analysis, Life Cycle Assessment) are important. Important merits that will be considered include knowledge of digital methods and tools such as GIS for spatial analysis and mapping of urban environments including e.g., data processing, network modelling.

You are expected to take initiatives, work independently when needed and take responsibility for your work. As the project is transdisciplinary and engages stakeholders, you need to have significant collaborative skills. You also need to be able to disseminate results and knowledge within existing and new networks, includes academia, industry, and society at large.

To qualify as a PhD student, you must have a master's level degree corresponding to at least 240 higher education credits in a relevant field.

The position requires sound verbal and written communication skills in English. If Swedish is not your native language, Chalmers offers Swedish courses.

Contract terms
Full-time temporary employment. The position is limited to a maximum of five years.

We offer
Chalmers offers a cultivating and inspiring working environment in the coastal city of Gothenburg. 
Read more about working at Chalmers and our benefits for employees.

Chalmers aims to actively improve our gender balance. We work broadly with equality projects, for example the GENIE Initiative on gender equality for excellence. Equality and diversity are substantial foundations in all activities at Chalmers.

Application procedure
The application should be marked with reference number 20240235 and written in English. The application should be sent electronically and be attached as PDF-files, as below. Maximum size for each file is 40 MB. Please note that the system does not support Zip files.

CV: (Please name the document: CV, Family name, reference number)
• CV
• Other, for example previous employments or leadership qualifications and positions of trust.
• Two references that we can contact.

Personal letter: (Please name the document as: Personal letter, Family name, ref.number)
1-3 pages where you:
• Introduce yourself
• Describe your previous experience of relevance for the position (e.g. education, thesis work and, if applicable, any other research activities)
• Describe your future goals and future research focus

Other documents:
• Copies of bachelor and/or master’s thesis.
• Attested copies and transcripts of completed education, grades and other certificates, e.g. TOEFL test results.

Use the button at the foot of the page to reach the application form. 

Please note: The applicant is responsible for ensuring that the application is complete. Incomplete applications and applications sent by email will not be considered.

Application deadline: 2024-05-15

For questions, please contact:
Assistant Professor Maud Lanau,
maud.lanau@chalmers.se

*** Chalmers declines to consider all offers of further announcement publishing or other types of support for the recruiting process in connection with this position. *** 
   

Chalmers University of Technology conducts research and education in engineering sciences, architecture, technology-related mathematical sciences, natural and nautical sciences, working in close collaboration with industry and society. The strategy for scientific excellence focuses on our six Areas of Advance; Energy, Health Engineering, Information and Communication Technology, Materials Science, Production and Transport. The aim is to make an active contribution to a sustainable future using the basic sciences as a foundation and innovation and entrepreneurship as the central driving forces. Chalmers has around 11,000 students and 3,000 employees. New knowledge and improved technology have characterised Chalmers since its foundation in 1829, completely in accordance with the will of William Chalmers and his motto: Avancez!