Applications are open for 1 Research Studentship, within the framework of project nexIK: Exploring the Human-Water-Energy Nexus in Industrial Kitchens, EXPL/CCI-COM/1234/2021, financed by national funds through FCT/MCTES (PIDDAC

Workplan: Industrial kitchens (IKs) use between 5 and 7 times more energy per square meter than other commercial building spaces like office buildings and retail stores. Nevertheless, despite the size and ubiquity of this industry, its role in the global quest for sustainable energy systems is still widely under-explored.

The nexIK project will address this important topic, proposing a new methodology to quantify the interactions between Water, Energy, and Food in IKs. Commonly known as the Water-Energy-Food Nexus (WEFN), the developed methodology will provide a holistic approach to assess the impact of IK activity on the consumption of electricity and water.

To achieve this vision, the project will start by understanding the perceptions of the stakeholders (IK managers and users) about the WEFN, through questionnaires and interviews with IK stakeholders in the city of Lisbon. During this process, two IK will be recruited to collaborate in this project. These two IKs will then be equipped with a set of sensors and metering systems to measure the consumption both of energy and water for 12 consecutive months.

The selected candidate will contribute with several tasks that need to be developed in this phase of the project. More precisely:

1. Improve an existing data collection hardware-software platform that will be deployed in the scope of the project. This includes for example the definition of data cleaning strategies.
2. Actively participate in the process of deploying the platform in the selected IKs, as well as the data quality assessments.
3. Conduct research in the topic of disaggregation, with a particular focus in disaggregating water consumption by combining both water and electricity consumption data.
4. Assist the research team in the continuous monitoring of the data collection campaign.
5. Assist the research team in the production of reports and scientific presentations/publications.

Duration: The research fellowship(s) will have the duration of 6 months. It’s expected to begin in 12/2022. The research fellowship is not renewable.

It is mandatory to formalize applications with the submission of the following documents:

1. B1 Form – Fellowship application (http://drh.tecnico.ulisboa.pt/bolseiros/formularios/ );
2. Curriculum Vitae;
3. Motivation letter;
4. Academic degree certificate, where applicable;
5. Proof of enrollment at an academic degree course (Master or Integrated Master);

Applications must be submitted to the email: nexik@tecnico.ulisboa.pt with the subject [nexIK: BI2]