PhD in Indoor Air Quality

3 Year, full-time PhD studentship/nBursary p.a.:/n£20,780/nUniversity fees and bench fees:/nThis studentship will cover university fees at the home rate. However, international students and EU students without Settled Status will need to cover the difference between the home rate and the international. Visas and associated costs are not covered./nClosing date:/n20th February 2026/nInterviews:/nTBC (online)/nStart date:/nSeptember 2026/nProject Title:/nHEALS: Heat, Health, and Learning: Co-Designing Climate-Resilient Strategies for Primary Schools in Oxfordshire/nDirector of Studies:/nProf Rajat Gupta/nSupervisors:/nProf Lorraine Dixon, Dr Yuanhong Zhou/nContact:/nProf Rajat Gupta ( [email protected] )/nRequirements:/nEntry requirements:/nApplicants should have a first or upper second-class honours degree from a Higher Education Institution in the UK or acceptable equivalent qualification./nEnglish language requirements:/nInternational/EU applicants must have a valid IELTS Academic test certificate (or equivalent) with an overall minimum score of 6.0 and no score below 5.5 issued in the last 2 years by an approved test centre./nProject Description:/nAnthropogenic climate change is projected to increase the frequency, intensity and duration of heatwaves across the United Kingdom, leading to hotter and drier summers that pose substantial risks to children’s health, wellbeing and learning. In Oxfordshire, these risks are already evident: an estimated 205,000 residents live in high heat-risk areas and around 130 schools are considered particularly vulnerable. This doctoral study will adopt a mixed-methods approach to investigate and mitigate the impacts of extreme heat on health, wellbeing and learning of primary school pupils and staff. In collaboration with schools and local councils, the project will assess overheating and indoor air quality risks in a representative sample of primary schools across Oxfordshire through continuous monitoring of indoor temperature, carbon dioxide and airborne pollutants. This will provide insights into how heat accumulates within classrooms and how it influences comfort, concentration and wellbeing./nThis PhD project will investigate how summer heat affects indoor conditions, health, wellbeing, and learning in Oxfordshire primary schools. Working with the Low Carbon Building Research Group and Oxfordshire County Council, the student will monitor classroom temperatures and air quality, explore the experiences of pupils and staff, and co design simple, low cost cooling and shading solutions such as improved ventilation and outdoor shading. The research will assess how practical and effective these measures are in real school settings and evaluate their wider benefits for pupil wellbeing and learning. The findings will inform clear guidance and recommendations for schools and local authorities. The project will link closely with the recently funded £7.4 million/nHEARTH/nprogramme, the National Research Hub on Net Zero, Health and Extreme Heat./nThe studentship requires you to undertake the equivalent of up to 6 hrs of teaching per week on average, during semester time, and to include preparation and marking (but no more than 20 hrs per week), and to participate in a teaching skills course without further remuneration./nApplication process/nApply directly via the university portal (via the above 'Apply' button). Please include the following in your application:/nA cover letter/nA CV/nDetails of two referees, at least one from an academic background/nA research proposal/nCopies of your previous degree certificates and transcripts/nA scan of your passport/nEvidence of a valid IELTS or other valid English language qualification, in line with Oxford Brookes’ requirements (international and EU candidates only)/nFor any queries, please contact [email protected]