Postdoctoral Fellow; PREP

Johns Hopkins, founded in 1876, is America's first research university and home to nine world-class academic divisions working together as one university.

$70,000 - $85,000

Johns Hopkins University:
Whiting School of Engineering:
Office of Research and Translation

This position is part of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Professional Research Experience Program (PREP).NIST recognizes that its research staff may want to collaborate with researchers at academic institutions on specific projects ofmutual interest and, therefore, requires those institutions to be recipients of a PREP award. The PREP program involves staff from awide range of backgrounds conducting scientific research across various fields.

Individuals in this position will perform technical work supporting the collaboration's scientific research.

Assessment Framework for Digital Twins in the Built Environment

This project focuses on developing a foundational framework tosupport organizations in understanding, evaluating, and leveraging digital twin technologies specifically in the built environment. Asdigital twins (DTs) continue to gain traction across industries fortheir ability to virtually replicate physical assets, there remainsa critical gap in how organizations assess the quality and value ofDT solutions, especially when services are procured from external vendors. This project aims to address the maturity, functionality,and alignment of DT solutions with their operational needs.

The framework will serve as a decision-support tool for stakeholders to critically evaluate vendor offerings and make informed choices about DT implementation. Additionally, this project represents the initial phase in a broader effort to develop standardized guidelines and templates for DT assessment. These resources will support transparency, promote consistency, and reduce ambiguity inDT-related procurement and deployment processes. By providingaserstructured approach to DT evaluation, the project willempowerorganizations to better manage risks,ensure return on investment,and accelerate the adoption of high-quality DT solutions that alignwith their strategic goals.

• Lead the development of a structured framework for evaluating digital twin solutions, focusing on maturity, functionality, and alignment with strategic goals
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary stakeholders, includingindustry partners, to gather insights and validate the framework
• Design and validate assessment templates for digital twin procurement and implementation
• Disseminate findings through guidelines, technical reports,conference presentations, and publications
• Support in contributing to the long-term roadmap for establishingDT evaluation standards.

• Ph.D. degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Manufacturing, ora related field.
• Ability to understand, develop, and use applications related to Digital Twin solutions for buildings.
• In-depth understanding of current open-source tools and open standards related to buildings.
• Strong oral and written communication skills.

15 U.S.C. § 278g-1(e)(1) and (e)(3) and 15 U.S.C.§ 272(b) and (c)

The National Institute for Standards and Technology(NIST) hosts the Professional Research Experience Program (PREP) , which is designed to provide valuable laboratory experience and financial assistance to undergraduates, post-bachelor’s degree holders, graduate students, master’s degree holders, postdocs, and faculty.

PREP is a 5-year cooperative agreement between NIST laboratories and participating PREP Universities to establish a collaborative research relationship…