The Care-full Design Lab is looking for a Research Assistant to work across two closely-related research projects: Polyphonic Motions and Melodic Motions. In partnership with Fog Theatre in Melbourne, the projects aim to co-create an interactive platform for real-time kinetic audiovisual performance with artists with intellectual disability. This Research Assistant will play multiple roles within the projects, including designing and undertaking ethnographic research, co-design activities, literature and contextual reviews, and assisting with general project activities related to communication, research ethics, and publication.This role would suit a design researcher with academic research experience, particularly in one or more of the following: participatory design, inclusive design, and interactive or experience design.
Candidates with experience or understanding in one or more of the following areas will be preferred: creative practice involving intellectual disabilities, playful digital media, movement-based performance, interactive real-time music composition, collaborative audiovisual performance, and somaesthetics.
Key Responsibilities
- Assisting research staff to conduct data collection and analysis as required.
- Conducting literature and contextual reviews, providing summaries and collating information for reports
- Conducting ethnographic research involving artists with intellectual disabilities, support workers, and carers and kins.
- Designing and facilitating in-person and virtual co-design activities and evaluation
- Collating and analysing data
2. Provide research administrative support to the research team.
- Working with key research staff with the preparation of ethics applications and other administrative requirements.
- Liaising with the Care-full Design Lab researchers, partners, and other external stakeholders to plan and coordinate project meetings, events, and workshops and provide assistance as required to deliver these activities
- Tracking project milestones to ensure timely progress of the projects.
- Assisting with other communication for promotion and engagement of the projects
3. Contribute to project outcomes and reporting.
- Assisting with producing scholarly and public-facing research outputs
- Contributing to the development of the digital platform
Timeframe
- Approximately 1 day per week (with some flexibility) for 10 months between July 2021 – July 2022.
- Key dates will involve 3-4 scheduled workshops during the life of the project.
Other hours may be undertaken flexibly around other activities. - A schedule will be defined jointly at the outset of the collaboration
Payment
Pay will be offered at the standard RMIT Research Assistant casual rate of $47.66/hr + 10% superannuation.
Application requirements
- CV and Portfolio (sample of research and creative work)
- Cover letter describing your interest in this project and any relevant background experience
We welcome you to submit your application to the team Alan (alan.nguyen@rmit.edu.au), Kate (kate.geck@rmit.edu.au), and Jaz (jaz.hee-jeong.choi@rmit.edu.au) no later than 30 July 2021. Please include ‘MOTIONS Research Assistant application’ in the email subject. This position is to be filled as soon as possible.
Selection criteria
- Demonstrated experience with research and practice in two or more of the following: design ethnography, participatory design, inclusive design, experience/interaction design
- Demonstrated experience with academic research – this may involve postgraduate study, e.g. the writing of a thesis, a conference paper, or assistance with other research projects.
- Demonstrated professionalism in collaborative projects with members of diverse backgrounds and/or abilities.
- Competency in utilising standard office software and platforms (e.g. Microsoft Office and Google Suites) and specialized software for research and creative production (e.g. EndNote and Adobe Suite)
- Ability to work autonomously with demonstrated ability to confidently and effectively work in a team environment.
- Attention to detail and high level written and verbal communication skills.
- Highly developed organisational skills including research project support and a well-developed ability to prioritise, monitor, evaluate and meet deadlines.
- Availability to commit on a flexible, yet jointly defined, as outlined in the Timeframe.
The Project – Melodic/Polyphonic Motions
These interrelated projects will involve (1) the co-design of an interactive platform for real-time, collaborative kinetic audiovisual performance by artists with intellectual disability; (2) the co-creation of a movement-based performance work using this platform; (3) the sharing of insights from the process in the form of scholarly publications and accessible guide for doing similar artistic projects. Members of the RMIT Care-full Design Lab will work with artists from Fog Theatre in Melbourne. The digital platform for movement-based performance work will challenge existing technologies that demand adherence to standardised motions, and instead creatively embrace involuntary movements and unique differences in motor skills and coordination, aided by machine learning.
