Research Associate (1FTE, Fixed-term)

Founded in 1837, the Royal College of Art is the world’s largest community of postgraduate art and design students. It is also the oldest art and design university in continuous operation and has been ranked as the world‘s number one art and design university for a remarkable ten consecutive years, according to the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024 – the worldwide survey of academic and industry opinion.

Applications are invited for a Research Associate, Intelligent Mobility Design Centre. 

The post holder will carry out the following research activities

• Conduct a ‘State of the Art’ on sustainable design approaches and solutions in automotive design using desktop research, surveys, and expert interviews to identify key challenges and opportunities.  
• Identify core concepts and ideological models, and provide an overview of feasible potential directions and approaches for production within a 10-year timeline. 
• Support and produce workshops to investigate, collaborate and define project directions.

About the project - Creative Sustainability

This project will explore how the automotive industry can be transformed by sustainable design and evolve new solutions and strategies leading to holistic, system level transitions towards zero emissions. Specifically, how can we capitalise on the designer’s mindset to facilitate creative and radical approaches, interdisciplinary practice and adopt a more experimental and inquisitive way of working.

Sustainable design is a complex field with various sub-ideologies and approaches. The objective of the project is to develop circular automotive design solutions that consider environmental, economic, socio-ethic as well as subjective aspects of sustainability (quadruple bottom line). 

The project will be developed in four stages: discover, define, develop and deliver. The stages will encompass research into the state of the art of automotive sustainability involving desktop research, expert interviews, workshops, design experimentation and development, and delivery of automotive design concepts.  

For more information on the role please see the Information Pack.  

Interviews are scheduled for 3/6/24.

Further details: Information Pack  

The Royal College of Art (RCA)  aims to foster an inclusive culture which promotes equality, values diversity and maintains a working, learning and social environment in which the rights and dignity of all its staff and students and stakeholders are respected. 

We recognise the broad range of experiences that a diverse staff and student body brings and how this  strengthens our research and enhances our teaching. In order for RCA to remain a world-leading institution we are committed to promoting equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) principles throughout all of our processes, from application through to appointment.

Please tell us if you need any assistance in applying or if you need the information in a different format.

In your message to resourcing@rca.ac.uk include:

• the web address (URL) of the content
• your email address and name

Advert information