Postdoc position on designing medical devices and services towards circular hospitals

Do you have an interest in healthcare, circular economy, co-creation and living labs? Then we are looking for you!

Introduction

Looking at hospitals in the Netherlands (as in many other countries), their value chain is mostly a linear system in which many single-use disposable products are procured, used and disposed. Examples of disposable products are gloves, syringes, infusion bags, catheters, video laryngoscopes, robot surgery consumables, consoles, sensors, and cables. Most products are wrapped in multiple layers of packaging. Medical consumables and their packaging require substantial amounts of energy and use of (virgin) materials during their production and are often disposed of after single-use. As most of the hospital waste is incinerated, the value of the materials is destroyed. Due to protocols focused on efficiency and infection prevention, many consumables are disposed of without being used at all, still in their unopened, original packaging. Given the current climate- and resource crisis, there is an urgent need for a more circular approach concerning material use in the healthcare sector, based on three core principles: (1) design out waste and pollution, (2) keep products and materials in use, and (3) regenerate natural systems.

Our project ESCH-R (Evidence-based Strategies to create Circular Hospitals: Applying the 10-Rs framework to healthcare) addresses this challenge with its mission to accelerate the adoption of circular interventions in hospitals. Our main research question is: How can hospitals move away from single use medical consumables to make the transition towards circularity? Together with societal partners, our interdisciplinary team will develop circular, safe and scalable strategies. For more information https://esch-r.org. Our Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering takes the lead in Work Package 5: Co-creation and Co-validation of Circular interventions for medical disposables with Stakeholders, in Living Labs in Medical Centres.

Within this Work Package, the TU Delft Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering, Department of Sustainable Design Engineering is seeking a highly motivated Postdoc to do research, develop and implement circular design cases within hospitals in co-creation with stakeholders in the healthcare sector, and to develop design methods that systematically engage them in this process.

The candidate will work in an exciting interdisciplinary environment within the NWO ESCH-R project, collaborating with experts in healthcare, design, and sustainability within the two Living Labs at Erasmus Medical Center (EMC) and University Medical Center Utrecht (UMCU).

We invite applications for a fully-funded Post-Doctoral Researcher to contribute to our pioneering research focused on Circular Design within the healthcare sector, specifically the ESCH-R project. The Postdoc will be positioned at the section Design for Sustainability at the Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering at the Delft University of Technology. In practice the Postdoc will be working at Delft University of Technology and the Erasmus Medical Center. As a Postdoc, you will work closely with the ESCH-R research group but you will take significant responsibility for planning and executing your research. Your findings are expected to be published in journals and shared through popular articles and reports (design manuals). You will also take part in organising and participating in meetings, and co-creation session, workshops, and attend international conferences and national seminars.

Activities

The Postdoc will be responsible for amongst others:

• Co-creating circular interventions for medical consumables in hospitals.
• Testing and validating theses interventions with stakeholders in healthcare setting and value chain.
• Quantifying the increased circularity and sustainability per intervention.

In addition, you will be responsible for

• Discussing the results within the ESCH-R research team and the sounding board group.
• Providing education for approximately 15% of the appointment, including supervising ma

You hold (or are close to finishing) a PhD degree in Industrial Design Engineering, Biomechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering or closely related discipline.

• You have a strong affinity with interdisciplinary research and working with academics as well as key stakeholders in the field, preferably in the healthcare sector.
• You have affinity and preferably experience with Design for Sustainability, Medical Device Design, Circular Economy, Co-creation and Human Centered Design.
• You have good social, communication and organization skills to work effectively in a university, healthcare and industry setting.
• Your verbal and written communication skills are excellent, your proficiency in English is good and knowledge of Dutch language is an advantage.
• You have the ability to work in a multidisciplinary team, and navigating and managing complex, multi-stakeholder settings involving technology experts, industrial partners, and other societal stakeholders.
• You are a team player who wants to contribute to the sustainable transition of the healthcare sector.

Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities.The TU Delft offers a customisable compensation package, discounts on health insurance, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged.

For international applicants, TU Delft has the Coming to Delft Service . This service provides information for new international employees to help you prepare the relocation and to settle in the Netherlands. The Coming to Delft Service offers a Dual Career Programme  for partners and they organise events to expand your (social) network.

Delft University of Technology is built on strong foundations. As creators of the world-famous Dutch waterworks and pioneers in biotech, TU Delft is a top international university combining science, engineering and design. It delivers world class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges in the areas of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society. For generations, our engineers have proven to be entrepreneurial problem-solvers, both in business and in a social context.

At TU Delft we embrace diversity as one of our core values  and we actively engage  to be a university where you feel at home and can flourish. We value different perspectives and qualities. We believe this makes our work more innovative, the TU Delft community more vibrant and the world more just. Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale. That is why we invite you to apply. Your application will receive fair consideration.

Challenge. Change. Impact!

Matching the evolution of people with the speed of the revolution of technology. This is the focus of the Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering (IDE). Delft designers act as a bridge between advances in technology and the needs of people, organisations and society to create products, services and systems with purpose.

IDE is a leader in design research across the application areas of mobility, sustainability and health, as well as its development of design tools and methods. A 350-strong research team and over 2,000 students work together in our inspiring hall, labs and studios.

In close cooperation with industry, the public sector and NGOs we rehearse possible futures in research and education to design for a complex future.

Click here  to go to the website of the Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering.

For more information about this vacancy, please contact Prof. Dr. Ir. Jan Carel Diehl, [email protected] 

Are you interested in this vacancy? Please apply before 16 of August 2024 via the application button and upload your motivation and CV.

• You can apply online. We will not process applications sent by email and/or post.
• A pre-Employment screening can be part of the selection procedure.
• Please do not contact us for unsolicited services.