PhD Position: Advancing the Control of Air Pollution in Cities using integrated 
Green Infrastructure and Ventilation Systems

The School of Engineering at RMIT University and the University of Surrey invite 
applications for a PhD Research position in the field of air pollution control 
using CFD modelling. 

Air pollution poses a significant risk to public health worldwide and is known 
to be responsible for the premature death of 6.8 million people per annum. 
Exposure to high levels of air pollution can commonly occur in cities, in indoor 
environments and in transport settings. This project will employ CFD modelling 
to advance knowledge on the control of air pollution in cities incorporating 
green infrastructure, and building and city ventilation concepts. The project 
will also examine the interaction of urban heat island with these air pollution 
control measures.

The project will involve modelling of the dispersion of air pollution in cities 
with a view to reducing exposure to air pollution in indoor and outdoor 
environments. The project will be based at RMIT University in Melbourne 
Australia and will be co-supervised by Prof. Aonghus McNabola (RMIT University) 
and Prof. Prashant Kumar at the Global Centre for Clean Air Research in the 
University of Surrey. 

RMIT University is ranked 123rd worldwide in the 2024 QS rankings and the School 
of Engineering is ranked in the Top 100 Engineering Schools in the world with 
many subject areas being highly ranked. The School of Engineering generates a 
significant annual research income and is the second largest Engineering School 
in Australia. The School of Engineering has a focus on research addressing 
infrastructure resilience and sustainability and this PhD topic aligns with this 
priority area in provide climate resilient and sustainable solutions to the 
control of air pollution in cities. 

The Global Centre for Clean Air Research at the University of Surrey, UK, is a 
multidisciplinary centre, researching in areas of air pollution, air-climate 
interactions, built and natural environments in the context of cities, 
megacities and rural areas, with an aim to develop engineering driven solutions 
and regulatory strategies for mitigation of environmental risks by means of 
advanced measurements and modelling techniques. The GCARE’s research projects 
are funded by the RCUK (e.g., EPSRC, NERC, Innovate UK), numerous national and 
international funding bodies (e.g., QNRF, EU H2020, British Council, UKIERI) and 
the industry.

This PhD project work will comprise:
•	Review of the literature on the sustainable control of air pollution 
using green infrastructure and urban design
•	Development of air pollution control strategies for urban buildings 
integrating green infrastructure and ventilation systems
•	Development of air pollution control strategies for cities integrating 
green infrastructure and street canyon ventilation 
•	Assessment of the interaction between urban heat island and air 
pollution control measures

This project is a follow-on study to previous work described in detail in: 
•	Kumar et al. Air pollution abatement performances of green 
infrastructure in open road and built-up street canyon environments–A review. 
Atmospheric environment 162, 71-86
•	Kumar et al. The nexus between air pollution, green infrastructure and 
human health. Environment international 133, 105181
•	Vasudevan et al. Enhancing ventilation in street canyons using 
adjustable roof-level wind flow deflectors. Energy and Built Environment 6 (2), 
201-218
•	Considine et al. Long-term assessment of energy consumption reduction in 
a building ventilation system with passive particulate matter control technology 
in the fresh air intake. Energy and Buildings 309, 114067
•	Morgan et al. Reducing energy consumption and increasing filter life in 
HVAC systems using an aspiration efficiency reducer: Long-term performance 
assessment at full-scale, Journal of Building Engineering, 12, p267 – 274.

Applicants with a masters or bachelors degree in areas of Engineering or Science 
relating to one or more of the core areas of the project will be considered: 

•	Air Pollution
•	Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Modelling 
•	Building HVAC Systems & Energy Efficiency 

Applicants with a 1st class honours degree or equivalent are strongly 
encouraged. Funding for the research project, commencing in 2025, will be 
$35,888 AUD per annum for a period of 36 months. 
Candidates are asked to send a cover letter, full CV, academic transcripts and 
the names of two referees to the address below. Applications close on the 28th 
of Feb 2025