Student Research Assistant (TRUE THREADS)

The current opportunity is available for current Manchester Met students, to apply you must be based in the UK for the duration of the role., The Student Research Assistant will support MFI's contribution to TRUE THREADS, an exploratory research project examining how sustainability, provenance, and traceability evidence generated at farm and upstream supply-chain level can be translated into credible, usable information for textile and fashion organisations. The postholder will gather and organise knowledge on emerging regulatory and environmental-data requirements, support stakeholder research and project administration, and assist with industry-facing workshops and events., Undertake structured desk research on the EU Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), including relevant Digital Product Passport requirements, delegated measures, standards activity, implementation guidance, and implications for textiles and fashion. The post holder will be required to read through the relevant legislation (e.g., ESPR) as well as life cycle assessment and product environmental footprint methodologies to ensure that the data captured by the proposed True Threads tool is in scope of the legislation. Any out-or-scope data should be identified as such. Gather, review, and summarise authoritative knowledge on farm level environmental impact of textile fibre crops; carbon accounting, product and organisational carbon footprints, greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions, life-cycle assessment (LCA), Product Environmental Footprint (PEF), and related calculation methods relevant to cotton, hemp; flax and other natural fibres; textiles, and fashion supply chains. Identify the data fields, evidence sources, calculation boundaries, assumptions, verification needs, and data-quality limitations associated with environmental impact information generated at farm and upstream supply-chain level. Map relationships and differences between carbon accounting, carbon-footprint calculations, GHG reporting, LCA, PEF, traceability systems, and prospective DPP data requirements, using clear comparison tables and evidence logs. Maintain an accurate, referenced knowledge base or evidence register, recording source, date, jurisdiction, status, relevance, key findings, and any uncertainties or implementation gaps. Support reviews of academic literature, legislation, standards, policy documents, technical guidance, and credible industry reports; use primary and authoritative sources wherever possible. Assist with preparation of research materials, stakeholder maps, interview or workshop materials, presentations, briefing notes, and project communications. Support the organisation and delivery of industry workshops, roundtables, panels, and other stakeholder events, including invitations, attendance records, logistics, materials, note-taking, and post-event follow-up. Where authorised and covered by ethical approval, assist with consent administration, anonymisation, transcription checking, qualitative data organisation, and preliminary thematic coding under academic supervision. Contribute to accessible project outputs for academic, industry, and policy audiences, including short briefings, visual summaries, event reports, and website content. Attend project meetings, maintain action logs, communicate progress, and deliver agreed tasks to schedule. Comply with University requirements relating to research ethics, data protection, confidentiality, information security, equality, health and safety, and responsible research practice. Indicative outputs A referenced ESPR and textile-DPP requirements briefing, updated as agreed with the project lead. A glossary and comparison matrix covering carbon accounting, carbon footprinting, GHG emissions, LCA, PEF, relevant boundaries, and principal data requirements. An evidence register of authoritative regulatory, standards, academic, and technical sources, with transparent notes on currency and uncertainty. Farm-to-fashion data-field and evidence-gap summaries that support TRUE THREADS research and industry engagement. Event preparation packs, accurate discussion notes, action logs, and concise post-event summaries. Contributions to project presentations, briefings, reports, and dissemination materials. Development opportunity This appointment offers applied experience at the intersection of fashion and textile sustainability, EU product policy, environmental-impact data, digital traceability, research practice, and industry knowledge exchange. The student will develop skills in evidence synthesis, regulatory scanning, data structuring, stakeholder engagement, event delivery, and communication for mixed audiences. Dates: 5 October 2026 - 22 February 2027 Times: 6 hours per week

• Current undergraduate or postgraduate student in a relevant discipline, such as fashion, textiles, sustainability, environmental science, business, supply chains, data, policy, or a related field.
• Strong research and information literacy skills, including the ability to locate, evaluate, synthesise, and accurately reference complex sources.
• Ability to explain technical or regulatory information clearly for non-specialist academic and industry audiences.
• Strong written English skills, with excellent attention to detail, organisation, and the ability to meet agreed deadlines.
• Competence in Microsoft Office (or equivalent tools), including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, and shared document management systems.
• Ability to work independently, seek clarification when appropriate, and collaborate professionally with academic and external stakeholders.
• Awareness of confidentiality, research ethics, data protection requirements, and respectful stakeholder engagement.
Desirable Criteria
• Knowledge of one or more of the following areas: ESPR/DPPs, textile supply chains, carbon accounting, greenhouse gas (GHG) reporting, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Product Environmental Footprint (PEF), agricultural data, or traceability.
• Experience supporting research projects, qualitative data collection and analysis, events, stakeholder engagement, or knowledge exchange activities.
  
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