PhD in Scaling Renovation Passports through Responsible Business Models and Management Learning 1

Buildings don’t change themselves—and neither does the system behind them. We’re looking for a PhD candidate ready to rethink renovation from the inside out. Sound like you?

This PhD position focuses on scaling Renovation Passports through responsible business models and management learning.

Job description

The construction sector is central to the energy transition—but it is not moving fast enough. Despite the urgency to decarbonize, renovations remain fragmented, costly, and often fall short in performance. The Renovation Passport—a standardized, digital record of building data—holds great potential to streamline renovation processes, improve quality, and reduce pressure on an overstretched labor force. And yet, adoption remains limited.

The reasons are structural. The sector is marked by inertia, fragmented responsibilities, and limited learning capacity. Data is collected inconsistently, rarely reused, and often lost when buildings change hands. Small and medium-sized firms, which dominate the industry, lack the capacity and incentives to embrace digital tools. At the same time, the workforce is under-equipped to navigate this shift. Business models for the Renovation Passport remain weak, and legal frameworks for data ownership are still under development.

As a PhD candidate you will explore how economic, legal, and organizational conditions can be reshaped to accelerate responsible renovation practices. Your central role will be to help build a Learning Lab—a collaborative research and training environment that brings together public and private actors to co-develop solutions for a digital, data-literate renovation ecosystem.

You will be part of a large NWO funded consortium and project called RenoDat and will join two other PhD students: one from the Urbanism department at TU Delft, and the other from the department of Environmental Economics at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.

Your key responsibilities will include:

• Designing and testing business models that incentivize responsible data sharing and long-term adoption of the Renovation Passport.
• Investigating legal and organizational mechanisms that enable building data to transfer reliably with property ownership.
• Co-creating and piloting training programs for professionals, volunteers, and educators aimed at boosting digital and data literacy in the renovation sector.
• Collaborating with software developers, municipalities, housing associations, and contractors to ensure practical relevance and policy alignment.
• Contributing to scientific and policy debates on how to make digital renovation tools inclusive, effective, and scalable.

This project offers the opportunity to conduct impactful, interdisciplinary research that feeds directly into national strategies for energy renovation, workforce development, and digitalization in the built environment.

Job requirements

We are looking for a highly motivated and independent researcher with an interdisciplinary mindset. This project may be an excellent fit for you if you have:

• A MSc degree in architecture, construction management, environmental studies, urban planning, or a related field.
• Excellent knowledge of energy transition, circular economy principles, sustainable development, or policy frameworks related to housing and real estate.
• Strong skills in mixed research methods.
• Excellent analytical and critical thinking skills, with the ability to translate research findings into actionable recommendations.
• Strong communication skills and are comfortable engaging with policymakers, real estate professionals, and community stakeholders.
• Proficiency in English (C1 level or higher) and ideally Dutch.

We encourage you to apply if you are passionate about driving change in the construction industry and shaping actions for a more sustainable and resilient future.

TU Delft (Delft University of Technology)

Delft University of Technology is a top international university combining science, engineering and design. It delivers world class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges in the areas of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society.

Faculty Architecture & the Built Environment

The Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment has a leading role in education and research worldwide. 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.

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.

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.