PhD Position on Effective Chemical Barriers against Rising Damp

Help Shape the Future of Damp-Proofing Technology in Buildings! Join a cutting-edge PhD project tackling one of the most persistent challenges in the built environment: rising damp.

Job description
Rising damp poses an increasing threat to buildings and their occupants worldwide. In the Netherlands alone, around 150,000 homes are vulnerable to groundwater-related moisture problems, and this number is expected to grow as climate change intensifies.

While chemical damp-proofing treatments are among the most widely used solutions to tackle rising damp, their effectiveness remains inconsistent and poorly understood. Laboratory studies often report promising results, yet field performance frequently falls short.

Why? Because key-questions remain unanswered. How do damp-proofing products spread through porous building materials? What reactions occur within the pore network? Which factors determine whether a treatment succeeds or fails in practice?

As a PhD researcher in the CHEMBARIDA project, you will tackle these fundamental challenges and contribute to the development of more reliable and effective solutions for protecting buildings against rising damp.

Using a unique multiscale research approach, you will investigate chemical damp-proofing treatments across different scales, studying the behaviour of chemical products within building materials and validating the laboratory findings on real masonry structures. You will develop innovative methods to monitor the spreading and reaction of chemical products, identify the variables that influence products performance, and evaluate their effectiveness under realistic conditions. A central objective of your work will be the development and validation of a new laboratory testing protocol, capable of reliably assessing damp-proofing products within practical timeframes, an important step forward for both research and industry.

Your research will combine:

• advanced laboratory experimentation. 
• moisture transport modelling in porous materials. 
• in-situ testing on masonry structures. 
• validation across scales, from building material to full-scale constructions.

You will join the Architectural Engineering + Technology (AE&T) Department at the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment, TU Delft, under the supervision of Dr. Barbara Lubelli and Prof. Dr. Ir. Martin Tenpierik. Part of your experimental work will take place at The Green Village, TU Delft’s renowned living lab for sustainable innovation, where new technologies are tested in realistic environments. The project is carried out in close collaboration with researchers from the University of Amsterdam, Faculty of Science, providing a highly interdisciplinary research setting that bridges materials science, building physics, and building conservation.

You will have the opportunity to work alongside research, industry, and public-sector partners, including Buildwise, Safeguard Europe, the Central Government Real Estate Agency, the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands.

You will be part of an international research environment, with access to state-of-the-art research facilities, and you will get ample opportunities for academic growth, conference participation and scientific publication.

If you are passionate about building materials, moisture transport, experimental research, and creating innovative solutions for a more resilient built environment, this PhD position offers a unique opportunity to make a lasting impact.

Job requirements
We are looking for a motivated candidate who has:

• A Master's degree in Engineering, Materials Science, Building Physics, or a related field. 
• A hands-on attitude and demonstrated experience with laboratory work. 
• Knowledge of moisture transport modelling in porous materials. 
• Experience with experimental techniques for the characterization of building materials. 
• Enthusiasm for connecting fundamental research questions with real-world applications. 
• Excellent command of written and spoken English (e.g.a TOEFL score of 100 or IELTS of 7.0). 
• Strong communication skills and the ability to work effectively in an international, multidisciplinary team. 

Preferred Qualifications:

The following qualifications are considered an advantage:

• (Basic) knowledge of organic chemistry. 
• Previous academic research experience, for example through participation in research projects, conference contributions, or scientific publications.

 Faculty Architecture & the Built Environment

The Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment has a leading role in education and research worldwide. The driving force behind the faculty’s success is its robust research profile combined with the energy and creativity of its student body and academic community. It is buzzing with energy, with four thousand people enthusiastically studying, working, designing, conducting research and acquiring and disseminating knowledge. Our faculty has a strong focus on 'design-oriented research’, which has given it a top position in world rankings.

Staff and students are working to improve the built environment with the help of a broad set of disciplines, including architectural design, urban planning, building technology, social sciences, process management, and geo-information science. The faculty works closely with other faculties, universities, private parties, and the public sector, and has an extensive network in the Netherlands as well as internationally.

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment.

Conditions of employment 
Doctoral candidates will be offered a 4-year period of employment in principle, but in the form of 2 employment contracts. An initial 1,5 year contract with an official go/no go progress assessment within 15 months. Followed by an additional contract for the remaining 2,5 years assuming everything goes well and performance requirements are met. 

Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, increasing from €3059 - €3881 gross per month, from the first year to the fourth year based on a fulltime contract (38 hours), plus 8% holiday allowance and an end-of-year bonus of 8.3%.  

As a PhD candidate you will be enrolled in the TU Delft Graduate School. The TU Delft Graduate School provides an inspiring research environment with an excellent team of supervisors, academic staff and a mentor. The Doctoral Education Programme is aimed at developing your transferable, discipline-related and research skills. 

The TU Delft offers a customisable compensation package, discounts on health insurance, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged.  

Will you need to relocate to the Netherlands for this job? TU Delft is committed to make your move as smooth as possible! The HR unit, Coming to Delft Service, offers information on their website to help you prepare your relocation. In addition, Coming to Delft Service organises events to help you settle in the Netherlands, and expand your (social) network in Delft. A Dual Career Programme is available, to support your accompanying partner with their job search in the Netherlands.  

Additional information
For more information about this vacancy, please contact Dr. Barbara Lubelli, via e-mail: B.Lubelli@tudelft.nl.

For more information about the application procedure, please contact Paulien Stastra, via e-mail: recruitment-bk@tudelft.nl.

Application procedure
Are you interested in this vacancy? Please apply no later than 4 September 2026 (local Dutch time + 2 hrs) via the application button and upload the following documents:

• A motivation letter (maximum 1 page) explaining your interests and describing how your experience and plans fit with the position.
• A detailed CV (maximum 4 pages), including any relevant publications and/or research projects.
• Undergraduate and graduate transcripts (if available).
• A digital copy of your MSc thesis.

Shortly thereafter, selected candidates will be invited for a first-round interview on 18th and 21st of September 2026.

Doing a PhD at TU Delft requires English proficiency at a certain level to ensure that the candidate is able to communicate and interact well, participate in English-taught Doctoral Education courses, and write scientific articles and a final thesis. For more details please check the Graduate Schools Admission Requirements. 

Please note:

• You can apply online. We will not process applications sent by email and/or post. 
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