Research Assistant

Job no: 509281
Position type: UW Student Assistant
Location: Partially Remote
Division/Equivalent: School of Medicine & Public Health
School/Unit: Population Health Sciences
Categories: Critical Thinking/Problem Solving, Teamwork/Collaboration, Professionalism/Work Ethic, Data Analysis, Honoring Context and Culture

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Department Overview:

 The Department of Population Health Sciences is one of the most academically productive Department in the School of Medicine and Public Health. The annual operational budget is over $8 million and there are endowment funds with a value of over $5 million. Faculty research interests and expertise are broad and varied and include epidemiology, health services research, health economics, informatics, demography, biostatistics, and environmental health. Several faculty members hold joint appointments in other departments and schools including Medicine, OB/GYN, Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, Mathematics, Family Medicine and Community Health, the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, and the La Follette School of Public Affairs.

Anticipated Start Date:

 November 1st, 2025

Anticipated End Date (If Applicable):

  

Remote Work Eligibility Detail:

Partially Remote

 

Anticipated Hours Per Week:

 Minimum: 10 Maximum: 12

Schedule:

 Approximately 15 hours per week. The specific work schedule is flexible and can be negotiated. The student must be available for one weekly virtual team meeting.

Salary/Wage Range/Lump Sum:

 Minimum: $21.00 

Number of Positions:

 1

Qualifications:

 Required: Experience conducting qualitative data analysis (can be from coursework, thesis/dissertation work, or prior research positions).

Preferred: Currently enrolled in a graduate program (Master's or Ph.D.) in a relevant field such as social work, nursing, sociology, psychology, education, human ecology or public health.

Preferred: Familiarity with Dedoose or other qualitative data analysis software (e.g., NVivo, ATLAS.ti) is highly preferred, but not required. Training on Dedoose will be provided.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

Strong analytical and critical thinking skills with the ability to interpret qualitative data and identify salient themes.

Excellent attention to detail and high-level organizational skills.

Ability to work independently, manage time effectively, and consistently meet project deadlines.

Strong communication skills for collaborating with the principal investigator and research team.

Position Summary/Job Duties:

The Department of Population Health Sciences is seeking a motivated and detail-oriented research assistant for a temporary, part-time position. This grant-funded research project examines the critical intersection of law enforcement and public health. The project aims to identify the barriers to law enforcement adoption of harm reduction strategies and understand the factors that influence their involvement in overdose prevention and public health-oriented approaches for people who use drugs (PWUD).
The research involves the qualitative analysis of interviews conducted with both harm reduction advocates and law enforcement officers to explore their conflicting and collaborative dynamics. The successful candidate will play a vital role in analyzing these perspectives, applying theoretical frameworks like Strategic Action Fields (SAFs) theory to uncover themes related to advocacy, organizational change, and inter-group collaboration. This is a remote position ideal for a graduate student passionate about social justice, public health, and policy reform, offering a unique opportunity to contribute to research aimed at promoting health-centered approaches over punitive ones.

Physical Demands:

This is a desk job that primarily requires you to sit for long periods while using your hands for typing and your eyes for looking at a computer screen. There is minimal physical exertion, such as walking or lifting light objects.

Institutional Statements:

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement:

UW-Madison is an Equal Employment, Equal Access Employer committed to increasing the diversity of our workforce.

Institutional Statement on Diversity:

Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background-people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world.

For more information on diversity and inclusion on campus, please visit: diversity.wisc.edu

Accommodation Statement:

If you need to request an accommodation because of a disability, you can find information about how to make a request at the following website:https://employeedisabilities.wisc.edu/disability-accommodation-information-for-applicants/
 
 

Advertised: Central Daylight Time
Application close: Central Daylight Time

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