Associate Research Scientist (PREP0004119)

Johns Hopkins University; Baltimore (MD); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Career support

Retirement plan

Job summary

Johns Hopkins University is seeking a PREP Research Associate to support research on life-cycle assessment and uncertainty quantification for building design. This role includes evaluating natural hazard impacts and conducting life-cycle assessments for reinforced concrete structures.

The ideal candidate should possess a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering, preferably with a focus on Structural Engineering, and experience in life-cycle analysis and risk assessment. This position offers a unique opportunity to contribute to advancing building design standards.

Qualifications

• U.S. Citizen.
• Ph.D. in Civil Engineering with a focus on Structural Engineering preferred.
• Extensive experience in life-cycle analysis and quantifying construction impacts.

Responsibilities

• Integrate natural hazard impacts into the LCA framework.
• Conduct life-cycle assessments for reinforced concrete buildings.
• Quantify uncertainties in structural design requirements.

Skills

Building life-cycle analysis

Uncertainty quantification

Technical writing

Risk assessment

Collaboration in multidisciplinary teams

Education

Ph.D. in Civil Engineering

Job description

PREP Research Associate

This position is part of the National Institute of Standards (NIST) Professional Research Experience (PREP) program. NIST recognizes that its research staff may wish to collaborate with researchers at academic institutions on specific projects of mutual interest, hence requires that such institutions be recipients of a PREP award. The PREP program involves staff from a wide range of backgrounds working on scientific research in many areas. Employees in this position will perform technical work that underpins the scientific research of the collaboration.

Description of Work

A research scientist is sought to support a project on life‑cycle assessment and uncertainty quantification for forward‑looking building design. Functional recovery design has emerged as a new design approach that aims to expedite building recovery and enhance community resilience to natural disasters. To harness its benefits, it is crucial to understand the long‑term implications of this design approach. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a method commonly employed to evaluate the lifelong impacts of a building. However, the impact of post‑disaster repairs is not well integrated into building LCA practices. The lack of standardized methodologies and guidelines for incorporating seismic risk into LCA may hinder the ability of designers, owners, and policymakers to make informed decisions about building design. Current building codes and standards are often inadequate for protecting assets against the changing frequency and severity of natural hazards. New standards (such as ASCE 7‑28) are introducing chapters to account for projected changes in hazards like wind, tornadoes, and floods. These future conditions introduce significant aleatory and epistemic uncertainties that challenge traditional engineering design.

The research scientist will evaluate the impact of changing hazard conditions on design requirements and analyze the uncertainty of structural designs to prevent either overly conservative or overly cautious outcomes. This work will advance understanding of uncertainties in designing and retrofitting buildings, ultimately supporting the adoption of forward‑looking building standards in the context of deep uncertainty. Additionally, the researcher will evaluate design trade‑offs across the entire building life cycle, quantifying how enhanced design reduces future damage, repair costs, and demolition impacts, and providing evidence for multi‑objective performance targets in future building standards.

Key Responsibilities

• Integrate natural hazard impacts, especially seismic risks, into the LCA framework for a comprehensive evaluation of building performance.
• Perform life‑cycle assessments (LCA) for reinforced concrete moment‑frame and shear‑wall buildings to demonstrate the impact of functional recovery design.
• Conduct a detailed review of methodologies, assumptions, and datasets referenced in building codes, standards, and provisions, specifically regarding hazard loads such as wind, flood, and snow.
• Quantify uncertainties related to future hazard changes in structural design requirements using the non‑stationary reliability method to calibrate load and resistance factors.
• Apply performance‑based assessment methodologies to conduct in‑depth uncertainty analysis for buildings with high‑performance requirements, such as hospitals.
• Review literature on reliability models for evaluating structural failure under hazard loads and draft content for publication.
• Document findings and collaborate with colleagues at NIST to publish research findings and results into NIST Technical reports and high‑impact journal articles.

Qualifications

• U.S. Citizen.
• A Ph.D. in Civil Engineering (focus on Structural Engineering preferred).
• Extensive experience in building life‑cycle analysis (LCA) and quantifying the impacts of building construction and repair.
• Strong background in economics, structural engineering, risk assessment for various hazards, and performance‑based earthquake engineering.
• Demonstrated expertise in benefit‑cost analysis and uncertainty quantification (UQ).
• Excellent record of research and technical writing for both academic and practitioner audiences.
• Ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a multi‑disciplinary, collaborative team to meet project milestones.

Salary Range

The referenced salary range represents the minimum and maximum salaries for this position and is based on Johns Hopkins University's good faith belief at the time of posting. Not all candidates will be eligible for the upper end of the salary range. The actual compensation offered to the selected candidate may vary and will ultimately depend on multiple factors, including geographic location, skills, work experience, internal equity, market conditions, education/training, and other factors reasonably determined by the University.

Total Rewards

Johns Hopkins offers a total rewards package that supports employees' health, life, career and retirement. More information can be found in the university benefits portal.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The Johns Hopkins University is committed to equal opportunity for its faculty, staff, and students. The university does not discriminate on the basis of sex, gender, marital status, pregnancy, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or other legally protected characteristics. The university ensures access to all programs, benefits and activities on the basis of demonstrated ability, performance and merit without regard to personal factors or demographic characteristics that are irrelevant to the program involved.

EEO is the Law

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) prohibits employment discrimination.