PhD Scholarship: Building Resilience to Extreme Weather at DTU Sustain
DTU Sustain invites applications for a position as a PhD student in “Resilience of buildings, systems and people to extreme weather events in a Danish context”.
People spend about 90% of their time indoors (e.g., in buildings, in transport, etc.), and therefore the indoor environment has substantial effects on occupant comfort, health and well-being. Buildings globally are one of the most intensive users of energy and a large part of this energy is used for conditioning indoor environments. There is a global need to identify heating, cooling and ventilation (HVAC) solutions that create optimal indoor environments with minimum energy use, and at the same time, these solutions should also be sustainable and resilient.
Buildings have a very long lifetime, and earlier designs were not prepared for the impact of a changing climate and extreme weather events such as heat waves. In this perspective, the resilience of buildings, their occupants, and technical systems is increasingly important. Resilience of buildings has been defined in relation to their resistance to extreme weather events, in particular in relation to passive and active technologies and components used for heating, cooling, and ventilation. In addition to the resilience of buildings and their systems, there is a need to focus on the resilience of people, i.e., the users of buildings. It is currently not clear how this should be evaluated when transitioning from conventional comfort norms to sufficiency-based norms.
This topic has a high societal relevance as we more often and more severely experience heatwaves or “unusually hot” periods. In a broader view, the topic also relates to the tolerance of vulnerable populations (e.g., elderly, children) and to the energy and sustainability agenda via future proofing of new and existing buildings in sustainable ways.
The objectives of this PhD project are to develop methods to assess the resilience of buildings, their systems, and occupants, and to suggest appropriate methods for the design and operation of energy efficient and resilient buildings that will not compromise occupant health and well-being in a changing climate. The specific research questions to be addressed are
How can the resilience of buildings be increased so they can withstand impacts from a changing climate?
What are the impacts of buildings designed according to sufficiency-based norms on the health and well-being of people occupying those buildings?
The work will include theoretical evaluations, dynamic simulations (either by existing tools or by development of in-house software), experiments in climate chambers and field studies. You will be involved in ongoing national and international projects and expected to contribute actively to these projects.
Responsibilities and qualifications
Responsibilities
- You will be responsible for planning and executing experiments in climate chambers and in buildings.
- You will be responsible for creating dynamic building simulation models and using those models for carrying out parametric studies. You may be required to develop new models of certain HVAC system components.
- You will be responsible for disseminating research findings in the form of scientific journal articles, conference papers and presentations, and in professional journals.
- You should be able to function in an international environment, and you are open to working with other colleagues.
Qualifications
- You can work independently, plan and execute complicated and challenging tasks.
- You are flexible, self-motivated, interested in collaboration and take personal responsibility for your work.
- You have experience with evaluating indoor environmental quality and HVAC system performance by means of climate chamber measurements.
- You have worked with dynamic building simulation tools for indoor environment and energy performance assessment of buildings (knowledge of and experience with TRNSYS or IDA ICE is an advantage).
- Experience in carrying out Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) is an advantage but not a requirement.
The candidate is expected to have excellent communication skills in spoken and written English. Some level of spoken and written Danish is a benefit but not a requirement.
You must have a two-year master's degree (120 ECTS points) or a similar degree with an academic level equivalent to a two-year master's degree.
Approval and Enrolment The scholarship for the PhD degree is subject to academic approval, and the candidate will be enrolled in one of the general degree programmes at DTU. For information about our enrolment requirements and the general planning of the PhD study programme, please see DTU's rules for the PhD education .
Assessment
The assessment of the applicants will be made by an internal assessment committee.
We offer
DTU is a leading technical university globally recognized for the excellence of its research, education, innovation and scientific advice. We offer a rewarding and challenging job in an international environment. We strive for academic excellence in an environment characterized by collegial respect and academic freedom tempered by responsibility.
Salary and appointment terms
The appointment will be based on the collective agreement with the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. The allowance will be agreed upon with the relevant union. The period of employment is 3 years.
The starting date is as soon as possible. The position is a full-time position.
You can read more about career paths at DTU here http://www.dtu.dk/english/about/job-and-career/working-at-dtu/career-paths.
Further information
Further information may be obtained from Head of Section Prof. Jørn Toftum (jtofdavidsteeleangelicacoopertravisdodson@dtu.dkdavis.dkbell.dkcaldwell.dk ) or Assoc. Prof. Ongun Berk Kazanci (pkingumilleronkasheila99@dtu.dkroberts.dkfriedman.dk ).
You can read more about DTU Sustain at https://sustain.dtu.dk/
If you are applying from abroad, you may find useful information on working in Denmark and at DTU at DTU – Moving to Denmark . Furthermore, you have the option of joining our monthly free seminar “PhD relocation to Denmark and startup “Zoom” seminar ” for all questions regarding the practical matters of moving to Denmark and working as a PhD at DTU.
Application procedure
Your complete online application must be submitted no later than3 September 2025 (23:59 Danish time) .
Applications must be submitted as one PDF file containing all materials to be given consideration. To apply, please open the link "Apply now", fill out the online application form, and attach all your materials in English in one PDF file . The file must include:
- A letter motivating the application (cover letter)
- Curriculum vitae
- Grade transcripts and BSc/MSc diploma (in English) including official description of grading scale
You may apply prior to obtaining your master's degree but cannot begin before having received it.
Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.
All interested candidates irrespective of age, gender, disability, race, religion or ethnic background are encouraged to apply. As DTU works with research in critical technology, which is subject to special rules for security and export control, open-source background checks may be conducted on qualified candidates for the position.
***The Department of Environmental and Resource Engineering (DTU Sustain)** is one of the largest university departments specializing in environmental and resource engineering in Europe. The department conducts research, development & scientific advice and provides educational programs and service to society. We are working to develop new environmentally friendly and sustainable technologies, methods and solutions, and to disseminate this knowledge to society and future generations of engineers. The department has approximately 300 employees from more than 30 nationalities.*
***The Section for Indoor Environment** at DTU Sustain conducts research to develop design criteria and technical solutions with the purpose of establishing healthy, comfortable, and productivity-stimulating indoor environments as energy efficiently as possible. Within this framework, you will carry out experimental and theoretical research to enhance occupant well-being and energy efficiency of buildings. The work includes theoretical evaluations, simulations, experiments in climate chambers and field studies.*
Technology for people
DTU develops technology for people. With our international elite research and study programmes, we are helping to create a better world and to solve the global challenges formulated in the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Hans Christian Ørsted founded DTU in 1829 with a clear mission to develop and create value using science and engineering to benefit society. That mission lives on today. DTU has 13,500 students and 6,000 employees. We work in an international atmosphere and have an inclusive, evolving, and informal working environment. DTU has campuses in all parts of Denmark and in Greenland, and we collaborate with the best universities around the world.