Research Associate

Boston College Introduction

Founded in 1863, Boston College is a Jesuit, Catholic university located six miles from downtown Boston with an enrollment of 9,654 full-time undergraduates and 5,072 graduate and professional students. Ranked 37 among national universities, Boston College has 923 full-time and 1,336 FTE faculty, 2,822 non-faculty employees, an operating budget of $1.4 billion, and an endowment in excess of $3.9 billion.

Job Description

Hiring range (28 hours / week): $48,000 - $60,000; salary commensurate with relevant experience.

Boston College School of Social Work is looking for a Research Associate who is interested in research, implementation science, mental health, and adolescent population.

The Research Associate (0.8 FTE) will oversee research activities in the Greater Boston area, and will report to the PI of the project, Dr. Carolina Vélez-Grau. This project is funded by the National Institute of Mental Health and consists of implementing brief Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Adolescents (BIPT-A) in community settings, delivered by lay providers to examine the feasibility and acceptability of BIPT-A when task-shifted to youth community centers. The proposed study aims to: (1) Adapt BIPT-A for use by lay providers (youth mentors) in community centers to decrease depression symptoms, increase belongingness, and reduce burdensomeness among youth with subthreshold depression (Aim 1). (2) Train youth mentors in the adapted BIPT-A (Aim 2). (3) Conduct a pilot pragmatic randomized trial to test the feasibility, acceptability, and mechanisms of change of BIPT-A task-shifted to youth mentors (Aim 3). The Research Associate will collaborate with the community agency partners to coordinate research efforts, implementation, and dissemination activities. Some activities may need to be conducted in Spanish; therefore, Spanish proficiency is required.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

• Coordinate and centralize efforts from different community agencies in Boston.

• Maintain critical relationships with partners and monitor study progress.

• Qualitative and quantitative data management.

• Train research assistants on qualitative data analysis.

• Lead qualitative data analysis.

• Coordinate weekly team meetings between all partners (including PI).

• Contribute to writing manuscripts for publication and conference abstracts to disseminate study findings.

• Maintain open and constant communication with research team members, partners, and the PI.

Oversee and monitor budget and help forecast expenses

Assist with IRB applications, including local ethics committee applications as relevant

Supervise Boston College students and/or trainees

Assist with other duties as assigned by the PI and community partners

Application Process

Please submit the following materials:

• Current resume or curriculum vitae.

• Cover letter (briefly explaining your interest in this position).

• Writing sample.

• Contact information for three references.

Applications will be accepted and reviewed until the position is filled.

Requirements

• A Master’s degree in Social Work, Public Health, Psychology, Epidemiology, or related fields preferred.

• 1-2 years of previous research experience requiredMental health research experience preferred.

• Proficiency in Spanish.

• Exceptional organizational and time management skills, strong attention to detail.

• Self-starter with experience taking initiative and working both independently and as part of a team.

• Excellent coordination and collaboration skills.

• Excellent communication and administration skills.

• Excellent analytical and critical skills.

• Have an enthusiastic, engaged, and positive attitude.

• Previous experience using qualitative and quantitative software (e.g., SPSS, STATA, Miro).

• Authorization to work in the U.S. required.

Closing Statement

Boston College offers a broad and competitive range of benefits depending on your job classification eligibility:

• Tuition remission for Employees

• Tuition remission for Spouses and Children who meet eligibility requirements

• Generous Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance

• Low-Cost Life Insurance

• Eligibility for both University-Funded 401k and Employer-Sponsored 403b Retirement Plans

• Paid Holidays Annually

• Generous Sick and Vacation Pay

• Additional benefits can be found on https://www.bc.edu/employeehandbook

Boston College conducts pre-employment background checks as part of the hiring process.

Boston College is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of any legally protected category, including disability and protected veteran status. Boston College's Notice of Nondiscrimination can be viewed at https://www.bc.edu/nondiscrimination .