Research Fellow

About UMass Amherst

The flagship of the Commonwealth, the University of Massachusetts Amherst is a nationally ranked public land-grant research university that seeks to expand educational access, fuel innovation and creativity, and share and use its knowledge for the common good. Founded in 1863, UMass Amherst sits on nearly 1,450-acres in scenic Western Massachusetts and boasts state-of-the-art facilities for teaching, research, scholarship, and creative activity. The institution advances a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community where everyone feels connected and valued-and thrives, and offers a full range of undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees across 10 schools and colleges, and 100 undergraduate majors. We believe every member of our university community can contribute to our ongoing success by striving for the highest level of excellence as we seek breakthrough solutions to mounting environmental, social, economic, and technological challenges in our world.

Job Description:

Under the supervision of the Principal Investigator (PI), the candidate will perform activities on multiple research projects. The candidate will be expected to work with a high level of independence, prioritize all aspects of research activities with minimal supervision, and self-initiate suggestions and approaches to research efforts. Research populations will include: people with opioid and other substance use disorders, criminal justice involved individuals, incarcerated individuals, individuals with mental health conditions, and state- and county-level administrators in the fields of public health, medicine and health care delivery, criminal justice, and public policy. The candidate will conduct interviews with research participants, facilitate focus groups for research purposes, analyze qualitative and quantitative data, coordinate training events and meetings, ensure that research projects meet regulatory requirements, coordinate the work of students and staff, oversee COVID-19 mitigation efforts as needed, prepare budget reports, assist with project management, co-author reports and papers for dissemination, and perform other research-related tasks.

Requirements:

• Willingness and ability to maintain confidentiality of participants interviewed.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate clearly and effectively, verbally, and in writing, with participants, staff, and supervisors.
• Experience with teaching or training, preferably in contexts that serve vulnerable and marginalized populations (people with opioid use disorder, people involved with the criminal justice system).
• Experience with training and coordinating the efforts of research staff.
• Ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with staff who are internal and external to the university.
• Organizational skills to maintain records and coordinate other tasks as required.
• Ability to question participants about sensitive behavioral issues, including drug use and criminal behavior, frequency of high-risk sex behaviors, experiences with traumatic events.
• Skill in speaking and writing to persons of various social, cultural, economic, and educational backgrounds.
• Ability to review, recall, and assess interview forms for completeness, accuracy, and internal consistency.
• Ability to think logically.
• Skill in simple mathematics.
• At least 1-year of experience in data collection. Expertise in re-contact methods and interviewing preferred.
• Experience with coordinating and assisting with data collection via focus groups and 1:1 in-depth interviews.
• Experience with working in a team to develop a codebook, code qualitative data, and analyze qualitative data.
• Experience with authoring reports and papers for scientific audiences.
• Demonstrated knowledge of personal computers and relevant software programs (e.g., data entry, word processing, spreadsheets, qualitative data analysis software) such as Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint, and Outlook. Competency with dedoose or Atlas.ti and STATA preferred.
• Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Sciences degree required. Masters degree preferred.
• Ability to travel (able to fly, rent and drive a car, stay overnight when needed).
• Organizational skills to plan and schedule meetings and presentations.
• Willingness to work evenings and weekends.
• Driver's license and car for field interviews.
• Can pass criminal history background check to enter jails and prisons.
• Possesses CITI certification for the conduct of research with Human Subjects, particularly prisoner populations.

Application Instructions

Along with your application, please submit a cover letter, copy of your resume, and the names and contact information for three (3) professional references, at least one being a past or present supervisor.

UMass Amherst is committed to a policy of equal opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, caste, creed, sex, age, marital status, national origin, disability, political belief or affiliation, pregnancy and pregnancy-related condition(s), veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, genetic information, natural and protective hairstyle and any other class of individuals protected from discrimination in employment, admission to and participation in academic programs, activities, and services, and the selection of vendors who provide services or products to the University. To fulfill that policy, UMass Amherst is further committed to a program of affirmative action to eliminate or mitigate artificial barriers and to increase opportunities for the recruitment and advancement of qualified minorities, women, persons with disabilities, and covered veterans. It is the policy of UMass Amherst to comply with the applicable federal and state statutes, rules, and regulations concerning equal opportunity and affirmative action.