BRIC Post Graduate Researcher

Location

Springfield Campus

Faculty/Department

Faculty of Science and Engineering

Salary

£32,344 - £35,326 pa

School of Architecture and the Built Environment

Brownfield Research and Innovation Centre (BRIC)

The BRIC project is a research Centre of Excellence based at the University’s Springfield Campus in the centre of Wolverhampton. A team of researchers, academics and knowledge transfer specialists have established the Centre, supplemented by additional university expertise. The Centre has received £4.3million of support, 50% from ERDF programme, to fund the staffing and equipping of the Centre, and has the remit to build a brownfield knowledge hub for the region and to directly support businesses in the Black Country.

BRIC provides an essential and much-needed core of Brownfield expertise in the Black Country sub-region. The Centre is developing a knowledge bank of remediation best practice, and is sharing gathered intelligence and expertise with stakeholders in both the public and private sectors, to identify research and support regional demand for the release of brownfield land for development. It is informing how land and buildings can be restored, remediated and bought back into use, with a particular focus on bio-remediation and environmental sensitivities, and developing environmentally sound solutions for complex remediation issues.

Target beneficiaries include local enterprises, the Black Country local authorities, large contractors and SMEs seeking improved links with the University in brownfield remediation and interested in engaging in research collaboration with the Centre. BRIC is investing in scanning and testing facilities to support existing soil, materials and bioremediation expertise, bringing together a team of sufficient size and necessary resources to tackle the Black Country’s complex brownfield challenges. The ultimate beneficiary of BRIC’s work is the Black Country with the Centre supporting the process of bringing de-contaminated land back into use for development, thereby attracting investment into the region.

We are seeking to recruit a Post Graduate Researcher to the existing team who can support the delivery of business and research outputs. The role is part funded by the European Regional Development Fund with funding secured to 31st March 2023.

The PGR will support the delivery of BRIC and its outputs by developing relationships with local SMEs that need access to information on the location and condition of brownfield development sites within the Black Country. Specifically the PGR will lead on the further development of the BRIC Index, a dynamic, searchable GIS database of the Black Country’s brownfield sites.

The PGR will also undertake site visits, working on the physical evaluation of samples and scans as necessary, and accessing the skills of chemists and materials scientists to support SMEs when necessary. The PGR will be expected to report on findings and recommendations in a clear and concise way through presentations, briefings and case studies, and to provide data that can be incorporated into the BRIC evaluation reports and to be included in future EU funding applications

Virtual interviews will take place on 24th January 2022 

The University of Wolverhampton celebrates diversity and recognises that difference brings value to our organisation.

As part of our commitment to ensure the diversity of staff body reflects the diversity of the student and local communities we serve, we particularly welcome applications from candidates of Black, Asian, or Ethnic Minority heritage, and candidates who are Disabled (including people who whilst not self-defining as disabled do encounter challenges due to a society that disables them by lack of inclusivity).

We are proud to have been awarded Disability Confident employer status, included in the Stonewall list of employers and are working towards improving our practices against Athena Swan and the Race Equality Charter. We believe in creating an even playing field for all our colleagues, where we can all belong.

PLEASE NOTE: Applications are scored against the criteria set out in the job description and person specifications attached to this advert. Applications are not assessed against the job advert so please ensure your applications are crafted against the Job Description and Person Specification contained within it.