PhD Study : Human Behavior and Risk Assessment in Fire and Emergencies

Summary

This research area is the study of people’s awareness, beliefs, attitudes, motivations, decisions, behaviour and coping strategies relative to fire and emergencies and the factors that influence them.  The area spans pre, peri and post events, i.e. the preparedness of individuals or organisations for evacuation, through evacuation behaviour to post evacuation analysis of the impact of their involvement. It is highly multidisciplinary traversing the fields of psychology, sociology, human factors, mathematics, engineering, architecture, risk assessment/management and health and safety.

The primary aim of this research is to minimise the risk to people from fire and emergencies. This is achieved by generating and collecting quantitative and qualitative data to inform fire safety education, management, performance based design, evacuation modelling and risk analysis.

Research projects in the following, or any other related research area, are welcome:

*behavioural responses to fire cues and influencing factors,

*movement dynamics and impact of changing demographics,

*stair usage (merging behaviours, impact of fatigue)

*fire safety for vulnerable populations (children, elderly, disabled, intellectual disabilities)

*human behaviour in domestic settings *development and evaluation of fire safety education and training programmes

*impact of involvement in fire e.g Post Traumatic Stress Symptomology

*coupling evacuation and fire models for incorporation into the development of risk analysis tools.

Supervisors have worked and published in the field of human behaviour in fire and quantitative risk analysis for many years.  Students will be based in the FireSERT laboratories / Belfast campus with other PhD students, researchers and academic staff.  The nature of the work will depend on the proposed topic but may involve (in addition to desktop research) experimental work (laboratory or field), surveys, interview studies of survivors of real fires, evacuation modelling and fire modelling.

This research area potentially transverses the disciplines of psychology, sociology, human factors, mathematics, engineering, architecture, health and safety. Irrespective of the project, it is inevitable that interdisciplinary working will take place across one or more of these areas. In undertaking this type of research the student will develop a high level of creativity and innovation in research design, demonstrate their ability to collect, analyse and present complex data using a range of methods and techniques and recognise the potential application of the research in the wider context of fire safety engineering, fire safety education or management.

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.

• Experience using research methods or other approaches relevant to the subject domain
• Sound understanding of subject area as evidenced by a comprehensive research proposal

Desirable Criteria

If the University receives a large number of applicants for the project, the following desirable criteria may be applied to shortlist applicants for interview.

• A comprehensive and articulate personal statement

Funding and eligibility

The University offers the following levels of support:

Department for the Economy (DFE)

The scholarship will cover tuition fees at the Home rate and a maintenance allowance of £19,000 (tbc) per annum for three years (subject to satisfactory academic performance).

This scholarship also comes with £900 per annum for three years as a research training support grant (RTSG) allocation to help support the PhD researcher.

• Candidates with pre-settled or settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, who also satisfy a three year residency requirement in the UK prior to the start of the course for which a Studentship is held MAY receive a Studentship covering fees and maintenance.
• Republic of Ireland (ROI) nationals who satisfy three years’ residency in the UK prior to the start of the course MAY receive a Studentship covering fees and maintenance (ROI nationals don’t need to have pre-settled or settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme to qualify).
• Other non-ROI EU applicants are ‘International’ are not eligible for this source of funding.
• 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) are NOT eligible to apply for an award.

Due consideration should be given to financing your studies. Further information on cost of living