Studentship at Centre for Doctoral Training Science and Engineering in Arts, Heritage and Archaeology (SEAHA)

Doctoral studentships
Centre for Doctoral Training Science and Engineering in Arts,
    Heritage and Archaeology, UCL (SEAHA)
University of Oxford
University of Brighton

The Centre for Doctoral Training Science and Engineering in Arts,
Heritage and Archaeology at UCL, University of Oxford and University
of Brighton is delighted to be offering three exceptionally exciting
doctoral studentship:

"The role of plasticiser loss in the degradation of plastic objects
in heritage collections"
<URL:http://www.seaha-cdt.ac.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Website-Full-Advert-2.pdf>

    This exciting project aims to answer these questions.  The
    dynamics of degradation of PVC and CA will be investigated using
    a combination of novel experimental techniques.  Plasticizer
    concentrations will be tracked using hyperspectral imaging, and
    the resulting deformation will be measured using digital image
    correlation, amongst other techniques.  By exploring the
    relationships between degradation and environmental parameters,
    this research will provide crucial evidence that will inform
    preventive conservation and storage conditions.  The project
    will be supervised by the Institute for Sustainable Heritage in
    University College London (Dr. Josep Grau-Bove and Dr. Katherine
    Curran), the Smithsonian Museum Conservation Institute (Dr.
    Odile Madden) and Dow Chemical (Dr. Michael Petr).  The
    candidate will have the opportunity to work both in the Heritage
    Science Laboratory in UCL and in the Smithsonian Institute.

    Application deadline: 1 September 2016.

"Total Performance of 'Passivhaus' Schools: Making Heritage Schools
    Fit for Purpose"
<URL:http://www.seaha-cdt.ac.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/P45-SEAHA-Website-Full-Advert1.pdf>

    Schools in England and Wales are responsible for 15% of the
    energy used in public buildings.  A significant proportion of
    the school building stock in England and Wales could be
    considered as heritage and school building age is a strong
    predictor of carbon intensity.  The challenge of reaching the
    Government's target to reduce national carbon emissions by 80%
    compared to 1990 levels by 2050 is overwhelming, and this
    project addresses whether and how the Passivhaus standard could
    be applied to the new and existing school stock.  The Passivhaus
    standard has potential to deliver on carbon reductions, but
    there are serious concerns that this is mostly at the expense of
    overheating and poor indoor air quality, as well as heritage
    characteristics.

    Before wider adoption of Passivhaus standards across the
    historic UK school building stock occurs, this project aims to
    explore and compare the operational performance of contemporary
    schools built to the Passivhaus standard and of historic schools
    that are listed or with outstanding heritage characteristics,
    to analyse possible implications to retrofit of historic schools
    and to contemporary school buildings with the potential of
    becoming future heritage.

    The project will be supervised by Dr Anna Mavrogianni and
    Professor Dejan Mumovic, UCL Institute for Environmental Design
    and Engineering and Professor Matija Strlic, UCL Institute for
    Sustainable Heritage.  The candidate will collaborate closely
    with Architype (industrial sponsor) and Historic England
    (heritage partner).

    Application deadline: 1 September 2016.

"Novel Retrofit Technology Incorporating Robots for Lower Energy
    Healthy Buildings"
<URL:http://www.seaha-cdt.ac.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/P42-SEAHA-Website-Full-Advert.pdf>

    There are approximately 22.2 million dwellings in England.  One
    in five (21%) dwellings were built before 1919.  About three
    quarters of these older dwellings have been subject to at least
    some major alterations since they were built, mostly extensions
    or loft conversions.  A further 17.9% of dwellings was built
    between 1919 and 1944 and further 18% from 1945 to 1964.
    Dwellings built after 1990 account for just 12% of the stock.  A
    large proportion of English housing stock is thus considered as
    heritage.

    Customers such as local authorities value the low-disruption
    energy performance improvement.  However, an important question
    needs to be addressed: the PU foam itself and its impact on the
    indoor environment and occupants during the installation and
    afterwards.  The currently used PU foam is sourced from BASF
    (Walltite) and it appears to contain approximately30 Volatile
    Organic Compounds (VOCs), some with unknown effects on human
    health. This could potentially create a risk to inhabitants due
    to exposure to chemicals that might, in the future, turn out to
    be (or have been) harmful.

    This project aims to explore the impact of various PU foams (and
    other sprayable insulation materials) on environmental and
    energy performance of retrofitted historic houses.  The project
    will be supervised by

    Professor Dejan Mumovic UCL Institute for Environmental Design
    and Engineering
    <URL:https://iris.ucl.ac.uk/iris/browse/profile?upi=DMUMO03>

    and

    Professor Matija Strlic UCL Institute for Sustainable Heritage
    <URL:https://iris.ucl.ac.uk/iris/browse/profile?upi=MSTRL90>

    The candidate will collaborate closely with Q-Bot (industrial
    sponsor) and Historic England (heritage partner).

    Application deadline: 1 September 2016

For more information on the projects, partners and supervisors,
please visit:

    <URL:http://www.seaha-cdt.ac.uk/opportunities/>

The UK EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Science and Engineering
in Arts, Heritage and Archaeology (SEAHA) is an 8-year initiative
(2014-2022) to establish an infrastructure to meet challenges set by
the heritage sector, industry and government.  Working with heritage
and industry partners, SEAHA students will create, innovate or use
sensors, instrumentation, imaging, digital and creative technologies
to improve our understanding of heritage, to develop science and
engineering capabilities and to benefit the economy.

For more information on SEAHA, please visit:

    <URL:http://www.seaha-cdt.ac.uk>

Studentship enquiries should be emailed to the project supervisor
(details provided in the studentship advert) or the Centre Manager
<manager<-at->seaha-cdt<.>ac<.>uk>


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 30:13
                  Distributed: Monday, August 15, 2016
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