Research Assistant

Position Summary

The Department of Psychology at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science invites applications for a full-time Research Assistant position in the Sexuality, Health, and Gender (SHAG) Lab, directed by Dr. Brian Feinstein. The overarching goals of the SHAG Lab are: 1) to advance research on the role of stigma-related stress in the development and maintenance of mental and behavioral health problems among sexual and gender minority (SGM) populations across the lifespan; and 2) to develop and test interventions to improve SGM health.

The Research Assistant will contribute to an NIMH-funded study examining the longitudinal and daily associations between sexual orientation-related rejection, rejection sensitivity, and mental health in a diverse cohort of sexual minority adolescents. They will assist with all day-to-day operations of the project, including: participant recruitment (e.g., creating and distributing advertisements, monitoring recruitment channels, reviewing screener data), assenting and onboarding participants via Zoom, monitoring participant compliance with study activities (e.g., experience-sampling data collection), paying participants, and assisting with other project-related tasks as needed. If desired, there will be opportunities to contribute to conference presentations and peer-reviewed publications. 

Given the needs of the project, the Research Assistant will be expected to work some of their regular weekly hours outside of business hours (i.e., evenings, weekends). Specific hours will be collaboratively determined by the Research Assistant and Supervisor.

Start date: Flexible; as soon as possible preferred

Term: 2 years, pending successful performance in Year 1 (with the possibility of extending the position beyond 2 years)

Location: On-site preferred; remote will be considered

Salary: $23.59 an hour ($46,000 annually)

To apply, please submit a CV/resume and a cover letter including:

• A description of your interest in the position and relevant experiences;
• Contact information for 2-3 references (references will only be contacted if you are invited for an interview)

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

Who We Are

Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, a national leader in interprofessional medical and healthcare education, is a graduate-level health sciences university situated on an attractive 85-acre campus in North Chicago, Illinois, approximately 40 miles north of the city of Chicago and 50 miles south of Milwaukee. As such, the University benefits from active collaborations with local hospitals, as well as academic institutions in both cities. The campus is shared with the North Chicago VA Medical Center and the Great Lakes Naval Training Center, both of which provide the University with potential research and clinical training resources.

Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science offers equal employment opportunities to all persons without regard to race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, marital status, physical or mental disability, parental status, housing status, genetic information, source of income or military status, in accordance with applicable federal, state and local EEO laws. People of color, LGBTQ individuals, and members of other minoritized groups are strongly encouraged to apply.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Recruit participants (e.g., create and monitor advertisements, review screener data)
• Assent and onboard participants via Zoom
• Monitoring participant compliance with study activities (e.g., experience-sampling data collection)
• Send participants reminders to complete study activities
• Pay participants
• Monitor project phone and email accounts, and respond to texts and emails from participant
• Assist with other project-related tasks as needed

Conditions of Employment

• Must achieve satisfactory results from a background check
• Compliance with the current COVID-19 vaccination policy

Required Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in social/behavioral/health sciences or a related field (e.g., psychology, public health, human development and family studies)
• Experience conducting social/behavioral/health sciences research

Required Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills
• Strong organizational skills, including time management
• Strong leadership and management skills 
• Exceptional attention to detail
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office software (e.g., Excel, Word, PowerPoint)
• Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience interacting with research participants
• Experience working with sexual and gender minority populations
• Experience using survey programming software (e.g., Qualtrics)
• Experience using data processing and analysis software (e.g., SPSS)
• Experience using mobile data collection software (e.g., MetricWire)

Typical Physical Demands & Working Conditions

• Selected candidate must have the mental and physical capabilities to perform the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodations.

EOE, Including Disability / Vets