Fully Funded PhD Scholarship on the Impact of Occupant Behaviour on Ventilation and Indoor Air Quality

Application(s) are invited from suitably qualified candidates for full-time funded PhD scholarship(s) starting in July 2024 affiliated to Physics in the School of Natural Sciences at the University of Galway.

University of Galway

Located in the vibrant cultural city of Galway in the west of Ireland, the University of Galway has a distinguished reputation for teaching and research excellence

For information on moving to Ireland please see www.euraxess.ie

Detailed Project Description: The BEVENT project, funded by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), is an interdisciplinary research project designed to provide insight into the factors that influence how occupants interact with ventilation systems in energy efficient homes in Ireland. The objective of the project is to design, implement and evaluate a behavioural intervention programme to improve the level of awareness regarding indoor air quality, and to promote positive engagement with building ventilation systems.

The PhD student will be required to perform field work related to Indoor Air Quality sampling, the design and execution of a questionnaire survey and a behavioural intervention study, and they will also work on project data analysis. The field work will involve travelling to different locations around Ireland to measure indoor air pollutants (IAPs) in energy efficient homes. The successful candidate will join an active multidisciplinary project team and gain expertise in indoor air quality, exposure science, ventilation, health psychology, and environmental health. The collaborative project will include various work packages led by staff with expertise in exposure science and psychology. The research project also involves a collaboration with  Leeds Sustainable Institute at Leeds Beckett University in the UK.

Living allowance (Stipend): € 25,000 per annum, [tax-exempt scholarship award]

University fees: € 24,000

Start date: July 2024

Academic Entry Requirements: First or Upper Second Class Honours degree and/or Masters level in Science, Engineering, or Psychology discipline or equivalent discipline.

To Apply for the Scholarship: The successful candidate should be self-motivated and demonstrate interest in fields related to indoor air quality and environmental health. In addition, the candidate must have the following skills:

• Be prepared to work in a multidisciplinary environment.
• Excellent verbal and written communication (English language) skills.
• Willingness to develop their skills in statistical analysis.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Driver licence.  

Contact Name: Dr. Marie Coggins

Contact Email:marie.coggins@universityofgalway.ie

Application Deadline: 01/06/2024at 12:00 (Irish time 24hr format)

Primary Supervisor name (if applicable): Dr. Marie Coggins