Position summary
EPFL (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne) invites applications for a PhD student position in the School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering. The PhD position will be based in the Human-Oriented Built Environment Lab (HOBEL) at the EPFL Fribourg campus, as part of the Smart Living Lab. HOBEL’s research interest is centered on air quality engineering, emphasizing two main interconnected research themes:
1) Pollutant Dynamics in Indoor Air and Exposure Science
2) Indoor Air Monitoring and Smart Ventilation Controls
Your profile
HOBEL is committed to investing in the next generation of exceptional researchers, and applications are welcomed from high-caliber candidates. Selected candidates will seek to pursue advanced study that is aligned with HOBEL’s mission. Successful candidates should:
• Hold a Master’s degree (or to be near its completion) in Civil, Architectural, Environmental, Mechanical Engineering, or a related discipline.
• Be interested in topics related to building sustainability, HVAC systems, building ventilation, indoor air quality (aerosol dynamics, indoor particulate matter, human exposure, etc), human factors/human perception related to the built environment, human productivity, health and well-being in the built environment
• Have strong interest and aptitude in experiments with humans, building experimental and simulation tools, and multi-modal data analysis
• Be team-oriented and have good interpersonal skills
• Possess strong written and oral communication skills in English
• Solid programming and data handling skills (MATLAB, R, Python, or similar) are desirable.
Main duties and responsibilities
• Cutting-edge research including experimental design, data collection and analysis, and dissemination
• Tight collaboration with the project partners and participation in working meetings
• Teaching assistantship
• Occasional supervision of MSc students
How to apply
Applicants should send in a single PDF file (max. 3 MB) including a motivation letter describing their research interests and qualifications (max. 2 pages), a CV and publication list (the latter if applicable), grade transcripts, names and contact information (including e-mail addresses) for two references, and a copy of their diploma/masters thesis to: Prof. Dusan Licina, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering at EPFL:
with the following email subject: “PhD application – Building Ventilation and Indoor Air Quality”.
Note: To be enrolled in the EPFL PhD program, the candidate also needs to apply, and be accepted, to the Doctoral Program in Civil and Environmental Engineering (EDCE). For EDCE, the three application deadlines each year are January 15th (target date), April 30th and September 15th. In order to meet January 15th timeline, the candidates are expected to send their application to Prof. Licina by the end of December 2023.
Timelines
Intended start date for PhD students is in Spring 2024; however, some degree of flexibility is permitted. Applications are being reviewed as received with an interest in early appointment.
What we offer
• A research project that will allow you to make a strong contribution to the research community and the society
• National and international development opportunities through collaborations within EPFL and with industry
• Experimental experience together with outstanding infrastructure and an international working environment that will give you a comprehensive research portfolio
• A dynamic, interdisciplinary and young research group and a great working atmosphere and ample opportunities for professional and personal development with access to many continuing education courses
• Career planning and networking opportunities through conferences
• Competitive salaries (https://www.epfl.ch/education/phd/doctoral-studies-structure/doctoral-s…)
Please note, PhD positions are awarded initially for one year. After one year of successful probation, the initial contract will be extended up to a total of four years.
For more about doctorate program at the School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, see: https://www.epfl.ch/education/phd/edce-civil-and-environmental-engineer…
For more information about HOBEL, see: https://search.epfl.ch/ubrowse.action?acro=HOBEL
For more information about Prof. Dusan Licina, see: https://people.epfl.ch/dusan.licina
For more information about EPFL, see: https://www.epfl.ch/en/
Posted: 05 October 2023