UCL IEDE, UCL-Energy and Public Health England (PHE) are seeking applications for a fully funded studentship in Modelling children’s exposure to air pollution in deprived communities
The UCL Institute for Environmental Design and Engineering and UCL Energy Institute in collaboration with Public Health England (PHE) are seeking applications for a fully funded studentship on the topic: “Quantifying the benefits of measures to reduce exposure of deprived communities to indoor and outdoor sources of air pollutants”.
Funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) through the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Energy Demand (LoLo CDT) and co-funded by Public Health England this exciting project will aim to identify the specific factors that influence the exposure to air pollution of deprived communities, to quantify the exposure of children and to quantify the public health benefits of policy interventions aiming to reduce air pollution exposure and health inequalities. This will be achieved by using a novel integrated modelling tool that will combine building physics, indoor and outdoor air pollution and population exposure models.
About the project
Supervisors: Dr Sani Dimitroulopoulou, PHE and UCL; Prof Mike Davies, UCL; Prof Mike Ashmore, University of York; Dr Jonathon Taylor, UCL.
Studentship: The studentship will cover home fees and an enhanced stipend of up to a maximum of £18,285 per year (current rate) for eligible applicants for four years (start date September 2017), along with a substantial budget for research, travel, and centre activities. Non-EU applicants are not eligible for funding unless they meet EPSRC eligibility criteria .
Overview
The adverse effects of air pollution on human health are well documented; there is increasing public and political awareness of its impact on public health. The current public health messages emphasise that deprived communities may live in areas with higher levels of outdoor air pollution, close to heavy road traffic, without mentioning the impact of the indoor environment on their exposure.
This PhD proposal addresses an important gap in knowledge regarding how deprivation influences the population exposure in indoor environments to nitrogen dioxide and particles, from indoor and outdoor sources. Exposures are influenced by the type and quality of dwellings and building characteristics, which define the ventilation characteristics, the number of occupants, including overcrowded dwellings, the occupant activities and other indoor sources.
It will use a new modelling framework that will combine building physics, indoor and outdoor air quality and population exposure models, thus offering considerable advantages over previous methods. It will provide new research evidence of public health relevance by comparing the benefits of different interventions in deprived communities which aim to reduce the exposure to air pollution, and identify interventions that will have greatest overall benefit, while also reducing health inequalities.
This project will provide a unique opportunity for multi-disciplinary research training platform for the student, including elements of environmental science, energy demand, outdoor and indoor air pollution, social science, exposure assessment, housing policy and public health, based on a range of modelling tools and GIS software.
Find out more and how to apply on the UCL Energy Institute website. Deadline 26 June 2017. Interviews will be held on 3rd July 2017.