PhD Stipend in AI-supported sustainability assessment for early design processes

At the Technical Faculty of IT and Design, Department of Sustainability and Planning, a PhD stipend is available within the general study program Development and Planning.
The stipend is open for appointment from spring 2026, with a start date of March 1 or soon hereafter.

The Department of Sustainability and Planning conducts research and teaching on development and planning in a broad sense, including social science aspects as well as more technical aspects of development, and with a focus on environmental, international as well as administrative dimensions.

Job description
The PhD stipend is financed by Aalborg University as part of a new initiative establishing a generative sustainability lab between the Department of Sustainability and Planning and the Department of Architecture, Design and Media Technology. This interdisciplinary lab will include two PhD students and a cross-disciplinary team of supervisors. The team members, including the two PhD students, will collaborate closely to bridge technical development and creative design processes. The lab will provide access to shared resources, joint supervision, and interdisciplinary training in AI, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), and computational design tools. 

The PhD student will join the Life Cycle Sustainability (LCS) group that brings together multiple competences within industrial ecology and sustainability science for the holistic and quantitative assessment of human systems in a life cycle perspective. 

The objective of the project is to explore how generative AI can be integrated into early-stage design workflows to improve sustainability-driven decision-making. A main challenge is finding ways to link AI-driven creativity with clear environmental performance feedback early in the design process. This phase is characterized by high uncertainty in data availability and design parameters. Importantly, the AI implementation should act as a facilitator of creativity, enhancing, and inspiring the early design phase rather than constraining or replacing it. The goal is to understand how a trustworthy LCA AI assistant can provide meaningful and actionable feedback early in the design process. This requires addressing questions such as:

•    What role can AI-based design tools play in shaping material choices, structural properties, and life cycle performance?
•    How can uncertainty in LCA results during early design stages be modeled and communicated, ensuring that sustainability insights remain actionable despite incomplete or evolving data?

The successful PhD candidates will be expected to:

•    Work closely with the other PhD in the interdisciplinary lab to bridge environmental concerns and creative design processes.
•    Investigate the creative process at the intersection of LCA, AI, and early design phases.
•    Merge Python-based approaches for LCA with generative AI and computational design tools in novel approaches (using technologies such as Brightway, Rheino, Ollama, LangChain, and Neo4j)
•    Work with novel methods for generative AI, such as graph-based approaches with Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) and fine-tuning of LLMs.
•    Contribute to developing open-source tools and code repositories 
•    Produce high-level scientific publications and present findings at international conferences.
•    Carry out teaching activities as part of the PhD program.

The ideal candidate for these projects has excellent academic qualifications, strong self-motivation, and a genuine interest in environmental issues, design, and AI. Preferably, the candidate has experience with relevant software/AI tools and/or environmental science. Relevant educational backgrounds include software science, data science, environmental science, sustainability science, or environmental engineering. Advanced analytical skills, quantitative abilities, and systems-thinking are essential, along with the ability to plan and work independently. Documented experience with Life Cycle Assessment and programming for data science, such as Python, LangChain, Ollama, or LangGraph, will be considered a strong advantage. Proficiency in English is required, and knowledge of Danish will be an asset.

To apply, please send the following documents (in English, pdf format): 

•    Motivation letter (max 1 page) outlining your qualifications and motivation to conduct this project
•    Applicants are required to prepare a small slide presentation that addresses their understanding of the project’s problem, the angle they want to take, and the expected challenges, as well as ideas to overcome them (max 6 slides). The slides can include both images and text and will serve as a starting point during the interview.
•    CV including a list of scientific outputs (e.g. thesis, projects, papers, etc.) and contact info for two academic references
•    Project description
•    Copy of MSc diploma* 
•    Copy of Master thesis (in any language)*
•    List of exams with ECTS and grades
•    Recommendation letter (1 page)

*If you haven’t completed your Master studies at time of submission, please substitute the MSc diploma with a written statement by your supervisor specifying the expected completion date and confirming that you are expected to finish on time and send the most recent draft of your thesis.

The application must be submitted via Aalborg University’s recruitment system, which can be accessed under the job advertisement on Aalborg University's website. 

Qualification requirements
PhD stipends are allocated to individuals who hold a Master's degree. PhD stipends are normally for a period of 3 years. It is a prerequisite for allocation of the stipend that the candidate will be enrolled as a PhD student at  the Doctoral School of the Technical Faculty of IT and Design in accordance with the regulations of Ministerial Order No. 1124 of September 19, 2025 on the PhD Programme at the Universities and Certain Higher Artistic Educational Institutions. According to the Ministerial Order, the progress of the PhD student shall be assessed at regular points in time.

Aalborg University wants to reflect the surrounding society and has diversity as a core value. Therefore, everyone, regardless of personal background and orientation, is encouraged to apply for the position.

The qualifications of the applicant will be assessed by an assessment committee. Based on the recommendation of the assessment committee, the Dean of the Technical Faculty of IT and Design will make a decision for allocating the stipend. 

Do you have any questions?     
You may obtain further information from the upcoming supervisor Associate Professor Lotte Ansgaard Thomsen,+45 9940 8436, lotteat@plan.aau.dk  concerning the scientific aspects of the stipend.

For further information about stipends and salary as well as practical issues concerning the application procedure contact Helle Studsgaard Thomsen, The Technical Faculty of IT and Design, email: hellest@adm.aau.dk.

Further information  
Read more about our recruitment process here.

The assessment of candidates for the position will be carried out by qualified experts.
Shortlisting will be applied. This means that after the application deadline, the head of the department, with the assistance of the hiring committee, will select the applicants to be assessed. All applicants will be informed whether they have been shortlisted for assessment or not.

The hiring process at Aalborg University may include a risk assessment as a tool to identify potential risks associated with new hires, ensuring the safety, compliance, and integrity of the workplace.

Read more about The Technical Doctoral School of IT and Design

Salary and terms of employment
The employment is in accordance with the Ministerial Order on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Universities (the Appointment Order) and the Ministerial Order on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Universities (in Danish).

Salary and terms of employment are in accordance with the collective agreement between the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations and the state (AC collective agreement) (in Danish)