Researcher 2 - Food Insecurity, Community-Engaged Design, and Design Research Methods

Researcher 2 - Food Insecurity, Community-Engaged Design, and Design Research Methods

This role is a 50% time role. The researcher will support an MAES-funded research project focused on improving food insecurity through community-engaged design practices, systems thinking approaches, and design research methods. The project examines how design-led research, interview training, co-design, and emerging technologies can support early-stage understanding of complex social challenges and inform more effective community-centered solutions.
The researcher will work closely with the principal investigator and research team to support qualitative data collection, analysis, literature synthesis, dissemination, and project coordination. This role is intended for a researcher with expertise in human-centered design, qualitative research methods, design interviewing, community-engaged research, and scholarly writing.

• Qualitative Fieldwork & Interviewing (25%)
  • Conduct and support semi-structured interviews, practice interviews, field interviews, and other qualitative data collection activities with community members, stakeholders, students, and/or participants.
  • Apply expert interviewing strategies, including interview protocol development, active listening, follow-up questioning, storytelling prompts, rapport-building, and ethical engagement with participants.
• Participatory Research & Co-Design Facilitation (20%)
  • Support the planning and execution of community-engaged research activities related to food insecurity, rural and community development, and human-centered design.
  • Assist with the design, facilitation, and documentation of co-design sessions, systems-thinking workshops, and other participatory research activities.
• Qualitative Data Analysis & Synthesis (20%)
  • Contribute to qualitative data analysis, including thematic analysis, coding, memo-writing, synthesis of needs and insights, and interpretation of interview and workshop data.
  • Use qualitative analysis tools, such as NVivo or similar software, to organize, code, and analyze research data.
  • Support the development and analysis of systems-thinking and design artifacts, such as stakeholder maps, service model maps, journey maps, influence diagrams, and synthesis frameworks.
• Scholarly Research, Dissemination & Technology Exploration (15%)
  • Assist with literature reviews related to food insecurity, community-engaged design, human-centered design, design education, design interviewing, systems thinking, co-design, and technology-supported design research.
  • Contribute to peer-reviewed publications, conference papers, research reports, presentations, and grant-related materials.
  • Support research related to how technology, including AI-supported feedback or coaching tools, may be leveraged in early-stage design research and design education.
• Project Coordination & Administrative Support (10%)
  • Help coordinate research logistics, including participant communication, scheduling, consent materials, data management, meeting documentation, and project timelines.
  • Participate in regular research team meetings and contribute to the intellectual development of the project.
• Mentorship & Capacity Building (10%)
  • Support training and coaching related to design interviewing practices, including identifying strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for improvement in novice interviewers.

Required Qualifications

• BA/BS degree plus at least two years of relevant experience or a combination of education and relevant experience to equal at least six years.
• The ideal candidate will bring expertise in several of the following areas:
• Graduate-level training or equivalent experience in design, human-centered design, product design, engineering design, human factors, design education, qualitative research, public health, community development, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience with qualitative data collection, including semi-structured interviews, stakeholder interviews, field interviews, or community-based research.
• Strong knowledge of qualitative analysis methods, such as thematic analysis, content analysis, grounded theory-informed coding, abductive…