Research Assistant

Job no: 497959
Position Type: Staff Full Time
Campus: UMass Boston
Department: Ctr for Social Devel & Ed
Pay Grade: 26
Date opened: 15 Feb 2019 Eastern Standard Time
Applications close: 04 Mar 2019 Eastern Standard Time

General Summary:

The Research Assistant (RA) for the Center for Social Development and Education (CSDE) will provide project coordination and research support for exciting and dynamic research and program evaluation related to youth with disabilities. The RA will work with a team of researchers on projects focusing on peer social relationships, attitudes, and social inclusion of students with disabilities in schools. Under the supervision of the Director of Program Evaluation, and as part of the research team, the RA will oversee and coordinate the daily operations of one or more research projects and assist in study design and data collection. The RA will also be expected to help prepare written reports, conference presentations, and journal articles summarizing study findings. For more information about the CSDE please visit: www.umb.edu/csde.

Examples of Duties:

• Oversee and coordinate the daily operations of one or more research objectives on a large, multi-objective research study;
• Conduct literature searches to develop hypotheses and study variables;
• Develop research protocols and methodologies for data collection, in collaboration with other members of the research team;
• Coordinate and monitor the administration of multiple large-scale surveys, administered in hard copy and online;
• Oversee and manage data collection occurring at the individual, school, and state levels, including utilizing computer software or developing systems to enhance efficiency and effectiveness of study operations and data management;
• Monitor and review data collection, data entry, informed consent procedures, and related activities to ensure compliance with Institutional Review Board (IRB);
• With oversight from the Director of Program Evaluation, and in collaboration with other members of the research team, conduct site visits to schools and conduct in-person and telephone interviews with school staff, students with and without disabilities, and parents;
• Coordinate and conduct qualitative data analysis, including entering and coding open-ended responses on surveys, and coding and analyzing interview transcripts;
• Coordinate and conduct intermediate and complex quantitative data analysis, such as analysis of variance (ANOVA), chi-square, regression analyses, etc.;
• In collaboration with Director of Program Evaluation, write up study findings and collaborate on written products for a variety of venues, including articles for journal publications, conferences, and national organizations;
• Collaborate in making presentations at meetings, conferences, and webinars;
• Establish and maintain communication and collaboration with partners, including schools and states;
• In collaboration with Director of Program Evaluation, select and train new Research Assistants, Graduate Assistants, and/or interns;
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

Bachelor’s Degree, preferably in Psychology or Sociology, along with coursework in intermediate research methodology and quantitative statistics and at least one year of previous experience as a Research Assistant is required. A thesis presenting original research is also required. Experience using statistical programs, particularly SPSS, is required. Skill in performing intermediate-level quantitative data analysis independently is required. Excellent writing skills at the level expected for publishing articles is required. The incumbent may be required to travel, both locally and nationally, and at certain times of the year may be required to work extra hours to meet project deadlines.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Additional Research Assistant experience or experience with advanced statistics is highly desired.
• Authorship on peer-reviewed journal articles is preferred.
• Knowledge of or experience with qualitative research methods and software, such as Atlas.ti or NVivo, is preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Demonstrated understanding and use of intermediate-level statistical analysis and statistical concepts;
• Demonstrated competency working independently and as a member of a team;
• Ability to collaborate and oversee completion of tasks;
• Ability to manage multiple competing project deadlines;
• Demonstrated excellent quantitative analysis skills;
• Strong oral and written communication skills and familiarity with writing styles common for academics and policy makers as target audiences;
• Strong interpersonal, organizational and problem-solving skills;
• Strong attention to detail and initiative;
• Strong commitment to customer service.

Application Instructions:

Please apply online with your resume, cover letter, and list of three professional references.

Review of candidates will begin following the application closing date.

Only Internal candidates in the Professional Staff Bargaining Unit will be considered during the first 10 business days of the posting. All other candidates will be considered after that period.

Salary Ranges for the appropriate Pay Grade can be found at the following link:

Salary Ranges

Grant funded until 09/30/2019; contingent on funding.

Applications close: 04 Mar 2019 Eastern Standard Time

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