Design HOPES Research Associate

Design HOPES Research Associate (827781)

FTE: 1

Term: Fixed (12 months)

Closing Date: 20/07/2026

We’re delighted to offer this opportunity to join Design HOPES (Healthy Organisation in a Place-based Ecosystem, Scotland). Design HOPES is AHRC-funded, multi-partner collaborative research project that aims to advance societal understanding of design’s impact as well as the opportunities, barriers, behaviour changes and tools needed to transition the health sector to a green approach.

In this role, you will work closely with a small, established team of senior Design academics and NHS Scotland pharmacists to address the challenge of pharmaceutical waste.

Playing a lead role in the Pharmaceutical Waste project and building on initial research conducted in Phase One of the project, you will further develop research and outcomes with clear and evidenced impact. You will be able to work independently and collaboratively and contribute to the development of new research methods and tools.

This work will explore, identify, generate and test solutions/ innovations, critical gaps, and required research for design-led interventions that will reduce pharmaceutical waste initially in the Glasgow area, and then nationally. This project will be structured around the UK Design Council’s Systemic Design Framework (Design Council, 2021).

The work will address pharmaceutical and medicine waste in three areas highlighted through engagement with practitioners:

• Facilitating a shift to tablet medication, identifying the barriers to prescription across NHS Scotland and using this knowledge to develop impactful training programmes for staff.
• Supporting better informed prescription interactions with medical practitioners through the formulation of communication tools.
• Addressing the efficient storage and transportation of medicines within hospitals, care homes and community pharmacy facilities.

This project will result in a range of design-led interventions addressing tablet medication, patient-practitioner prescription meetings, and medicine transportation and storage. It will involve challenging assumptions, increasing awareness and co‑designing/ co‑developing innovative packaging solutions to support staff and patients across Scotland.

The solutions will be embodied in physical product prototypes, communication guidelines, staff training programmes, and operational workflows. These will be trialled with our partners in each of the activity areas, and qualitative and quantitative data gathered to highlight long‑term sustainability benefits. Routes to wider adaptation will also be addressed.

Formal interviews for this post will be held on a date to be confirmed.

Informal enquiries about the post can be directed to Paul Rodgers, Professor ().

Department:
Design, Manufacture and Engineering Management