Scholarship overview
Key facts
Application dates
This scholarship provides a stipend to support a Master of Design (MDes) student with an interest in health and medical product design and innovation.
The Cold Chain quality assurance system is a process of monitoring and managing the care and storage of valuable vaccines and temperature-sensitive pharmaceuticals, ensuring they remain within safe temperature ranges from storage through to administration. Maintaining the quality, safety, and effectiveness of vaccines and other temperature-sensitive pharmaceuticals as they move through the community cold chain remains a significant challenge for healthcare providers. From storage and transportation to preparation and administration, opportunities exist to improve how these medicines are managed and delivered in real-world healthcare settings.
Working with the Medical Design and Innovation Research Cluster within Toi Rauwhārangi College of Creative Arts, the successful applicant will undertake a research project exploring the design of products, services, systems, and experiences that support community-based vaccine and pharmaceutical delivery. The project will investigate the needs of healthcare professionals, patients, whānau, and community providers, identifying opportunities to improve efficiency, usability, safety, accessibility, and patient outcomes.
Research activities will include stakeholder engagement, user-centred design research, systems mapping, concept development, prototyping, and design evaluation. The successful candidate will work alongside researchers and healthcare partners to explore complex challenges and translate insights into innovative and practical design solutions.
Potential outcomes will include new product concepts, storage and transport solutions, monitoring technologies, service innovations, workflow improvements, communication tools, or integrated systems that enhance the management and administration of temperature-sensitive medicines within community healthcare environments.
Applicants will normally have completed, or be in the final year of, a Bachelor of Design with Honours or an equivalent qualification. Preference will be given to candidates with interests or experience in industrial design, product design, healthcare innovation, human-centred design, design research, or systems design. Applicants should demonstrate strong critical and creative thinking, research capability, collaboration and communication skills, and a commitment to creating positive health outcomes through design.
The scholarship is funded through the Medical Design and Innovation Research Cluster, and the successful applicant will be expected to actively engage with the cluster's research activities and collaborations throughout their study.
For more information about the Medical Design and Innovation Research Cluster, visit:
https://creative.massey.ac.nz/our-research/medical-design-innovation
Who we're looking for
The ideal candidate will be a creative and motivated designer able to work independently, with a strong interest or experience in healthcare, medical devices, and improving patient outcomes through design. They will be curious, adaptable, and capable of working across complex systems, combining design thinking with practical problem-solving skills. Strong communication and collaboration abilities are essential, as the project involves engagement with researchers, healthcare professionals, and community stakeholders.
Experience in product and industrial design methodology and practical prototyping and visualisation skill is essential. Human-centred design, design research, healthcare innovation, or systems design will be an advantage, along with a commitment to creating meaningful real-world impact.
You will have completed an Honours qualification or have a B average in 400/700 level courses if currently completing a Honours qualification at Massey.
Application checklist
Include the following with your application:
- Research/Project Proposal
- Transcripts and Portfolio if not currently studying with at Massey
- CV