Vacancy Junior or Postdoc Researcher on Urban Digital Twins to support co-creation of Positive Energy Districts

Job description

In the upcoming DigiTwins4PEDs (“Utilisation of Urban Digital Twins to co-create flexible Positive Energy systems for Districts”) project, embedded within the European DUT (Driving Urban Transitions) framework, nine European partners from Germany, Austria, Poland and the Netherlands will develop new research methods and implementation strategies to foster the realisation of PEDs (Positive Energy Districts). The strong involvement of citizens in these PEDs is crucial to push forward the energy transition of their communities and take more informed decisions. To support this participation process, new energy simulation and visualisation tools using Urban Digital Twins will be developed and adapted. In particular, the research topics to be addressed are:

• How and to which extent can Urban Digital Twins contribute to accelerating the realisation of PEDs?
• How can Urban Digital Twins support participatory planning?
• Which software tools (e.g. for energy simulation or visualisation) are best suited, and how can they be efficiently coupled with an Urban Digital Twin?
• How can standards (e.g. in terms of data models) simplify this process, e.g. by streamlining data retrieval, integration and usage?

The 3D Geoinformation group at TU Delft will be involved in a several tasks dealing with technical aspects (e.g. data modelling, data preparation and integration, research software development, etc.) in order to support energy flexibilization strategies and the integration of Urban Digital Twins into the co-creation process for the different case studies. The main tasks, to be carried out in co-operation with the other project partners, will be:

• Investigation on and analysis of spatial and non-spatial data and software requirements of the tools to be used and integrated in the resulting “DigiTwins4PEDs” software platform to be developed within the project
• Extension/update of a geospatial data model based on the international standard CityGML,
• Development of bi-directional data exchange interfaces between the core databases and some of the tools used for simulation, visualization, data editing, etc.
• Evaluation and – if possible – implementation of geospatial solutions for different simulation scenarios in order to quantify the effects of alternative energy strategies at district level.

To support the research work of the TU Delft team, we have opened a 2.5-year research position in our 3D Geoinformation research group, section Urban Data Science, Department of Urbanism, Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment. The candidate is expected to contribute to the above tasks and lead some of them.

Research group

The 3D Geoinformation group focuses on the technologies underpinning geographical information systems (GIS), and aims at designing, developing, and implementing better systems to model 3D cities, buildings and landscapes. It is a multidisciplinary group of around 25 people, including computer scientists, geomatics engineers, and geographers; 6 of them are tenured staff (1 professor, 2 associate professors, and 3 assistant professors). The group has a history of successful collaborations with industry and government in the past: its research has led to open source software, standards, and patents for the management of 3D geographic information and Building Information Models.

Job requirements

Applicants should:

• hold an MSc (for junior researcher) or PhD degree (for senior/postdoc researcher) in geoinformatics/geomatics, computer science or engineering (or in a related discipline)
• have experience in semantic 3D city modelling (in particular: CityGML and its extension mechanism),
• have knowledge of QGIS and it plugin-based extension mechanism,
• have good programming skills (e.g. in Python, SQL, Java, JavaScript, etc.)
• have a good command of English (oral and written)
• have an affinity with working in multi-disciplinary teams in an internationally oriented environment.

What we offer

Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (based on scale 10: € 3.226,00 - € 5.090,00). The employment contract is offered for 2,5 years. The position is open for 38-40 hours per week. The TU Delft offers a customisable compensation package, discounts on health insurance, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged.

For international applicants, TU Delft has the Coming to Delft Service. This service provides information for new international employees to help you prepare the relocation and to settle in the Netherlands. The Coming to Delft Service offers a Dual Career Programme for partners and they organise events to expand your (social) network.

How to apply

You can apply via this webpage

Your application dossier should contain:

• A detailed CV,
• A motivation letter (max 1 page) explaining your interest in the research topics to be addressed and describing how you fit in the advertised position,
• A list of (up to) 5 publications that best relate to this job offer,
• A list of (up to) 5 previous/current projects that best relate to this job offer, with a short summary of the projects and a brief description of the candidate’s role in them,
• Contact details of two references with contact information (recommendation letters from them are not required at this stage).

Please note:

• You can apply only online. We will not process applications sent by email and/or post.
• A pre-Employment screening can be part of the selection procedure.
• Please do not contact us for unsolicited services.

For more information about this position, please contact directly Dr. Giorgio Agugiaro (g.agugiaro@tudelft.nl).