Positive Energy Rural Community Centres (PERCCs)

Summary

Rural community centres play a vital role in Northern Ireland, providing spaces for community events, education, childcare, sports and services for older people. However, many operate from ageing, poorly insulated buildings with high energy costs, oil-fired heating, inadequate ventilation and limited building controls. These pressures can threaten the long-term financial sustainability of organisations that are already operating with limited resources.

PERCCs – Positive Energy Rural Community Centres will investigate how deep energy retrofit and intelligent energy management could transform these buildings into Positive Energy Buildings (PEBs) that generate more energy than they consume, while providing healthy, comfortable and affordable spaces for their communities.

The successful PhD researcher will have considerable scope to shape the project according to their interests. Potential research areas include optimising combinations of insulation, ventilation, heat pumps, solar PV and energy storage; developing intelligent controls that respond to highly variable occupancy; automated detection of energy-system faults; improving thermal comfort and indoor air quality; and investigating how community centres could provide energy flexibility and services to the wider electricity grid.

The research will combine real-world community-centre case studies with advanced modelling, monitoring and/or data analysis, with opportunities to develop and test practical solutions. The student will engage with community organisations and other stakeholders and will benefit from links with ongoing Ulster University and Derry City and Strabane District Council initiatives, including the Smart Villages Network Project and Strabane Positive Energy District.

The project offers an opportunity to undertake applied, interdisciplinary research with tangible benefits for rural communities, energy affordability and Northern Ireland’s transition to net zero.

Essential criteria

Applicants should hold, or expect to obtain, a First or Upper Second Class Honours Degree in a subject relevant to the proposed area of study.

We may also consider applications from those who hold equivalent qualifications, for example, a Lower Second Class Honours Degree plus a Master’s Degree with Distinction.

In exceptional circumstances, the University may consider a portfolio of evidence from applicants who have appropriate professional experience which is equivalent to the learning outcomes of an Honours degree in lieu of academic qualifications.

• Research proposal of no more than 2000 words detailing aims, objectives, milestones and methodology of the project

Equal Opportunities

The University is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applicants from all sections of the community, particularly from those with disabilities.

Appointment will be made on merit.

Funding and eligibility

This project is funded by:

• Department for the Economy (DfE)
• Vice Chancellor's Research Scholarship (VCRS)

PhD Scholarships are available for this project and will cover:

• Tuition fees.
• A maintenance allowance of approximately £22,000 (exact rate is to be confirmed) per annum for three years, subject to satisfactory academic performance.
• A Research Training Support Grant (RTSG) of approximately £900 per annum.

To be eligible for these scholarships applicants must: be a UK or Irish national; or have pre-settled or settled status; or have indefinite leave to remain or enter.

Applicants should also meet the residency criteria which requires that they have lived in the EEA, Switzerland, the UK or Gibraltar for at least the three years preceding the start date of the research degree programme i.e. September 2027.

Applicants who already hold a doctoral degree or who have been registered on a programme of research leading to the award of a doctoral degree on a full-time basis for more than one year, or part-time equivalent, funded from any source, including self-financing students, are NOT eligible to apply for an award.

Students in full-time employment are not eligible for an award.

Due consideration should be given to financing your studies.

Part-time PhD scholarships may be available at a 0.5 pro rata rate of the full-time scholarship, which would require a six-year registration period.

The University will award a successful candidate one of the following scholarships for the project, depending on the funding available at the time an admissions offer is made:

1. Department for the Economy (DfE) PhD Scholarships
2. Vice Chancellor’s Research Scholarships (VCRS)

Please note that the Terms and Conditions for scholarships are subject to change for 2027/28.