Research Assistant/Associate in Interaction Design / Human-Computer Interaction

We are a world class research-intensive university. We deliver teaching and learning of the highest quality. We play a leading role in economic, social and cultural development of the North East of England. Attracting and retaining high-calibre people is fundamental to our continued success.

Salary
Research Assistant:£31,396 to £32,982 per annum.
Research Associate: £33,966 to £42,978 per annum.

We are seeking to recruit an excellent Researcher Assistant/Associate with a background in Interaction Design and/or Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) or related fields (e.g. Computer-Supported-Cooperative Work, Participatory Design, Digital Social Innovation, Transition Design). You will have strong interaction design skills and knowledge of designing digitally supported participatory processes and collaborative interactive civic engagements, alongside practical experience of co-designing with diverse stakeholder communities.

You will be based in Open Lab, in the School of Computing at Newcastle University, working on the UKRI EPSRC funded project Hydrogen Integration for Accelerated Energy Transition (HI-ACT) Hub.

HI-ACT is an exciting cross-disciplinary consortium, led by University of Birmingham, exploring pathways to net-zero, including scrutiny of hydrogen integration for the energy transition, and mapping the complex relationships, interdependences, risks, expectations and needs of energy citizens and stakeholders.

You will have knowledge and/or a strong interest in Transition Design and designing for ‘just transitions'. You will be passionate about conducting research that advances the role of design and digital technologies in enabling inclusive democratic practices and collective explorations of pathways towards more sustainable, just and equitable net-zero futures.

You will be immersed in the cross-disciplinary environment of Open Lab - a world leading HCI research group. You will work closely with other researchers, academics, and partners, to conduct collaborative research to design, deliver and evaluate novel interaction designs for place-based participatory engagements with energy futures in a digital and data-driven age. You will also conduct collaborative research to design, test and evaluate novel digital tools to support planning to net-zero.

You will work closely with the projects' external non-academic partners, who will provide real-world contexts and settings for the research. You will be supported throughout by the HI-ACT project's academic team, who will provide ongoing mentoring and guidance to deliver research with external partners.

It is expected that this position will spend all their time working on the UKRI EPSRC funded project HI-ACT, including contributing to wider engagements and dissemination activities.

You will have a unique role as a researcher leading, and supporting research in interaction design that creatively uses a range of resources, including data, to support place-based critical engagements with energy futures. You will also conduct research exploring the design of responsible human-data interactions to support planning to net-zero. You will support the development of research activities with collaborations across the UKRI EPSRC funded projects and their networks, highlighting positive computing and sustainable patterns of engagement. You will benefit from being based within the multi-award-winning Urban Sciences Building on the Newcastle Helix site, a ‘living laboratory' and an exemplar of sustainable urban development in the heart of Newcastle upon Tyne.

This position is expected to start around mid-October on a full-time, fixed-term basis for 20 months post start date (with possibility of this being extended).

For all informal enquiries about this position, please contact Dr Clara Crivellaro.

For more information about Newcastle Universities HI-ACT, please click here.

For more information about the School of Computing and our research, please click here.

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