Fully Funded PhD in Building Performance Evaluation and Sustainable, Resilient, Healthy Buildings at Leeds Beckett University Leeds Beckett University in United Kingdom

Leeds Beckett University is advertising a fully funded PhD studentship in the School of Built Environment, Engineering and Computing, focused on building performance evaluation and innovations for sustainable, resilient, and healthy buildings.

The project, titled “Testing the Tests: Advancing understanding of performance evaluation and innovations for sustainable, resilient and healthy buildings”, is hosted by the Leeds Sustainability Institute (LSI). It explores how buildings perform in practice, with emphasis on improving and expanding in-situ performance metrics such as the Heat Transfer Coefficient (HTC).

Research directions may include refinement and critical evaluation of co-heating tests, development of complementary or hybrid methodologies, synthetic data validation approaches, novel testing regimes such as co-cooling tests, and investigation of assumptions and limitations in current BPE standards and practices. The project also connects to major initiatives such as the UK SMETERs programme and IEA Annex 94.

Students will benefit from access to world-leading research infrastructure, including a fully instrumented historic test building, two highly energy-efficient experimental test cells, and extensive datasets and calibrated building energy models. The work is interdisciplinary and may also consider social and behavioural dimensions of how building performance results are interpreted and used.

Funding: Home (UK) fees plus a tax-free stipend of £21,805 per year for 36 months.

Eligibility: Applicants should have a first or upper second-class honours degree in a relevant field such as Building Physics, Architectural Engineering, Civil or Mechanical Engineering, or Environmental/Energy Engineering. A relevant master’s degree is desirable but not essential. Strong analytical skills, interest in experimental methods/data analysis/modelling, and the ability to work independently and collaboratively are important.

Deadline: 31 August 2026. Start date: 1 February 2027.

How to apply: Use the university application portal, select the project, include the reference number, and upload the required documents including a research proposal, statement of purpose, certificates/transcripts, English language qualification, CV, and one academic reference.