The University of Bath is advertising a competitive PhD on smart water-resilient housing and occupant-led lifecycle assessment. UK and international applicants may compete for funding. The deadline is 29 November 2026. The expected start is 4 October 2027. Applicants should consider the research fit and financial conditions together before deciding whether to apply.
Research Focus
The research combines building-performance evidence, monitoring, AI and occupant feedback. It examines water efficiency and adaptation across design, occupation and retrofit. The intended outcome is a prototype assessment and decision-support approach. Read the project description as a starting point for identifying a question that interests you, rather than assuming that every possible method will appear in the eventual thesis.
Location and Academic Team
The university base is Bath, United Kingdom. The research concerns homes and neighbourhoods. Architecture and Civil Engineering hosts the opportunity. It belongs to the faculty’s studentship competition. Dr Kemi Adeyeye is the named academic contact. The work involves residents and sector partners.
Who Can Apply
The project lists first or 2:1 honours preparation or international equivalent and a master’s or equivalent research or professional experience in a relevant discipline. It requests analytical, building-performance, interdisciplinary and stakeholder skills, alongside research-ethics commitment. Non-UK applicants not currently studying in the UK must meet the English requirement before the deadline. Check the current programme requirements for the precise qualifications and supporting documents needed. A relevant subject or an eligible nationality does not by itself guarantee admission or an award.
Funding and International Conditions
Competitive funding covers tuition, £1,000 annual training support and a stipend listed at £21,805 for 2026/27. Overseas awards are capped, and visa and Immigration Health Surcharge expenses must be met personally. The stated stipend does not confirm the 2027/28 rate. Review the written award terms before making financial commitments.
Exploring the Research Problem
For optional preparation, imagine a building that appears efficient in a design calculation but performs differently after people begin using it. Ask what evidence would help distinguish changes in use, environmental conditions and a problem with the original assumptions. Consider how you would include the occupants’ perspective without treating one account as a complete explanation. This is a hypothetical research-thinking exercise, not a project case study, a practical housing recommendation or a specified admissions assessment.
You could extend the example by considering a monitoring system that produces accurate measurements but offers little useful feedback to residents. Explain what you would need to learn about the decisions those residents can actually make. Identify how you would make assumptions and limitations understandable without claiming that a technical display alone changes behaviour. A bounded discussion of these issues can help demonstrate an interest in the relationship between data, buildings and people rather than only the presence of a new technology.
Presenting Evidence of Preparation
If you have completed a relevant design, analytical or professional project, explain the problem, your individual contribution and how you assessed whether the result was useful. Describe any experience working across technical and social perspectives using a concrete example. If stakeholders were involved, state your actual role and what feedback you received without inventing a practical impact. Distinguish established skills from learning goals and review the specific master’s or equivalent-experience condition carefully before deciding whether your background matches the opportunity.
If supporting materials are requested, make your individual contribution clear when discussing work completed with other people. Distinguish a class exercise, an unpublished report and a peer-reviewed research output instead of presenting them as equivalent achievements. Explain what your evidence can establish and what remained unresolved, including any limitation that would matter to the conclusion. Adapt these preparation suggestions to the actual application questions, since optional advice does not add requirements to the programme’s document checklist or guarantee a particular assessment outcome.
How to Apply
Use the current programme instructions to establish the submission route and complete supporting-document checklist. Review the exact project title and academic contacts wherever the form asks you to identify your research preference. An informal academic conversation can clarify fit, but it does not replace a formal application or constitute an admission or funding offer.
- View scholarship details and follow the linked institutional application instructions.
- Select the Architecture PhD and University of Bath URSA funding.
- Identify the exact project and supervisor, observing the maximum of two project choices, and submit by 29 November 2026.
Before Submitting
Information was checked on 23 October 2026. Reconfirm the deadline and current terms before submission, particularly where your ability to enrol depends on receiving an international award. Keep a copy of the final form and any written clarification that materially affects your eligibility, financial expectations or decision to accept an offer.