Doctoral students in Fire Safety focusing on virtual reality for evacuation

Description of the workplace

The department of building and environmental technology includes several divisions conducting research and teaching related to society's needs for infrastructure and construction. As part of this, consideration of safety aspects and development of methods for managing fire risks in society is also included. 

Fire safety research relates to physical and chemical processes associated with the origin, growth, spread and extinguishing of fires, interactions between fire and buildings/facilities, systems for preventing or detecting fire or limiting its consequences, and evacuation and human behavior in fire. The general objective is to find cost-effective and innovative methods of keeping damage to people, the environment, and property at an acceptable level.

The work is usually carried out in smaller research groups linked to a certain subject area and characterized by an interdisciplinary activity in both research and teaching. At the division of fire safety engineering, fire and safety-related research is conducted, and the group consists of around 20 researchers and administrative staff. 

The work environment is characterized by commitment, cooperation, creativity, and personal responsibility. It is stimulating work with varied tasks, which is why there are good opportunities for professional development.

The main office location is in Campus Helsingborg.

Subject description

This doctoral position relates to the area of evacuation in emergency scenarios using virtual reality as an experimental method. In particular, this doctoral position refers to the development, use and testing of Virtual Reality tools for the study of human behaviour and perceived safety in emergency evacuation scenarios. This includes both development of multi-sensorial VR scenarios as well as their testing for evacuation, human behaviour and perceived safety applications. Research in this field is performed in relation to the Helsingborg Safety Hub. 

Work duties

The main duties of doctoral students are to devote themselves to their research studies which includes participating in research projects and third cycle courses. The work duties can also include teaching and other departmental duties (no more than 20%).

Admission requirements 

A person meets the general admission requirements for third-cycle courses and study programmes if the applicant: 

• has been awarded a second-cycle qualification, or
• has satisfied the requirements for courses comprising at least 240 credits of which at least 60 credits were awarded in the second cycle, or
• has acquired substantially equivalent knowledge in some other way in Sweden or abroad.

A person meets the specific admission requirements for third cycle studies in Fire Safety if the applicant has: 

• a BSc in Fire Protection Engineering comprising 210 credits, or
• a second-cycle degree in a relevant field 

Additional requirements:

• Very good oral and written proficiency in English.

Assessment criteria

Selection for third-cycle studies is based on the student’s potential to profit from such studies. The assessment of potential is made primarily on the basis of academic results from the first and second cycle. Special attention is paid to the following: 

1. Knowledge and skills relevant to the thesis project and the subject of study.
2. An assessment of ability to work independently and to formulate and tackle research problems.
3. Written and oral communication skills.
4. Other experience relevant to the third-cycle studies, e.g. professional experience. 

Other assessment criteria:

• Good ability to use game engines (e.g. Unity, Unreal or Godot) and programming skills (e.g. Java, or C#).
• Knowledge in the area of game development.
• Previous thesis work related to the use of VR for the study of perceived safety in emergency scenarios or equivalent.

Consideration will also be given to good collaborative skills, drive and independence, and how the applicant, through experience and skills, is deemed to have the abilities necessary for successfully completing the third cycle programme.

We offer

Lund University is a public authority which means that employees get particular benefits, generous annual leave and an advantageous occupational pension scheme. Read more on the University website about being a Lund University employee Work at Lund University. 

Terms of employment 

Only those admitted to third cycle studies may be appointed to a doctoral studentship. Third cycle studies at LTH consist of full-time studies for 4 years. We intend to employ 1 or 2 doctoral students mainly located in Campus Helsingborg. A doctoral studentship is a fixed-term employment of a maximum of 5 years (including 20% departmental duties). Doctoral studentships are regulated in the Higher Education Ordinance (1993:100), chapter 5, 1-7 §§.

We intend to employ 1-2 doctoral students. 

How to apply

Applications shall be written in English and include a cover letter stating the reasons why you are interested in the position and in what way the research project corresponds to your interests and educational background. The application must also contain a CV, degree certificate or equivalent (including grade transcripts), a copy of your Masters thesis or equivalent or a summary if the work is not finished, and other documents you wish to be considered (contact information for your references, letters of recommendation, etc.).

Welcome to apply!