PhD in Smart Energy Transition, Human-Centred Information Coordination, and Built Environment Simulation
PhD opportunity at Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL), Belgium
in the Louvain Research Institute for Landscape, Architecture, Built Environment (LAB), Research Group
Architecture & Climat
.
This opening is for a
full-time doctoral researcher
on the project
SMART-ETHIC: SMART energy Evaluation Through Human-centred Information Coordination
. The research sits at the intersection of
Architecture
,
Computer Science
,
Environmental Science
, and
Electrical Engineering
, with a strong focus on smart energy transition, building owners and end-users, energy efficiency, governance, data sharing, and security.
The PhD will develop simulations and a knowledge base to study how ownership, control, and data-sharing decisions affect smart heating, cooling, ventilation, and electricity systems. The project also involves mapping policies, governance schemes, technical standards, and business models; extracting patterns and rules; representing them using
OntoAgency
,
Protégé
, and
OWL/RDF
; and validating the framework through real case studies.
Funding:
initial funding is provided for 24 months, with the contract renewable for another 24 months (4 years total) subject to progress and doctoral admission/confirmation. The net monthly salary is approximately
€2,500
. Public transport home-to-work trips are covered within the scholarship.
Eligibility highlights:
a master’s degree of at least 300 ECTS in Architecture, Engineering, Architectural Engineering, Energy Engineering, Knowledge Engineering, Computer Science, or equivalent; a top-tier final grade; a relevant master’s thesis; strong teamwork and communication skills; independence; and excellent English (IELTS/TOEFL or prior English-medium education). Experience with energy modelling, building simulation, Python/R, ontologies, and scientific writing is desirable.
Location:
Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium. The post notes a commitment to reside in Belgium.
Deadline:
31 October 2026 at 18:00 (Europe/Brussels). Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, so early submission is encouraged.
How to apply:
send a single PDF by email to
[email protected]
with a cover letter, CV, itemised response to criteria, transcripts, proof of English proficiency, and two academic references. File name format:
<LastName_FirstName_SMART-ETHIC>.pdf
.
