PhD Studentship - BuildZero: Circular Economy for the UK’s Buildings Sector

This 3.5 year PhD project is funded by the Department of Civil Engineering & Management at the standard UKRI rate (£19,237 for 2024/25) to support the successful EPSRC BuildZero Programme (EP/Y530578/1). This PhD project is open to UK students and EU students with settled status.

Research theme: "Circular economy", "Sustainable buildings"

This 3.5-year PhD project will explore the extent to which the circular economy could meet the UK’s building needs using zero new material extraction, zero emissions and zero waste.

Buildings and infrastructure are responsible for over 40 per cent of the UK’s carbon emissions, produce over 60 per cent of the UK’s waste, and consume approximately 50 per cent of all extracted materials globally. In order to decarbonise construction, significant and system-wide changes are required.

The construction sector’s economic activity by value focuses predominantly on new work rather than on retrofitting and repurposing, the mainstay of the circular economy. Improving the commercial appeal of circular economy in buildings would require new ownership models focused on service delivery, new supply chains and customer demand. However, the notions of what is viable might be upended by the disruptions that the sector is facing from digitalisation, new materials and sustainability requirements, which could further reinforce stakeholders’ risky perceptions of circular business models. This PhD project aims to evaluate the economic viability of the circular economy solutions and new circular business models.

The PhD researcher will be part of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, which brings together engineers, scientists, social scientists and economists, working together to develop sustainable responses to climate change through interdisciplinary research and dialogue at a local and national level. The role will provide the researcher with a direct link to the Tyndall community, the various Tyndall projects and allow the researcher to be part of a supportive team within the University of Manchester.

About the BuildZero Programme:

BuildZero, a five-year £6 million research programme funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), will develop a detailed vision of more sustainable building practices. The programme is led by Sheffield in partnership with the University of Bath, The University of Manchester, Cardiff University, the University of Cambridge and industrial collaborators.

About the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research:

Over the past 25 years, the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research has applied its unique interdisciplinary expertise to produce academically robust and policy-relevant research. It has established a strong international and national reputation for delivering cutting-edge and impartial analyses of the climate change challenge and successfully disseminating its research to a wide range of stakeholders.

As one of the core Tyndall partners, Tyndall Manchester produces world-class agenda-setting research on Energy systems, Carbon budgets and pathways, the Water energy food nexus, Communities, and Circular economy.

We are a vibrant and committed research community that brings together scientists, engineers, social scientists and economists. Based in the Faculty of Science and Engineering, Tyndall Manchester also enjoys excellent links to departments across the University including the Alliance Manchester Business School, the Sustainable Consumption Institute, and the Dalton Nuclear Institute.

Applicants should be comfortable with quantitative research methods, such as economic feasibility assessment and techno-economic modelling, while appreciating how insights from qualitative research can inform this work. 

If you have any enquiries, please contact the main supervisor, maria.sharmina@manchester.ac.uk. You do not need to contact the supervisor before you apply.

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