Research Assistant

This position is a part of the Non-Academic Staff Association (NASA).

This position has an initial appointment length of 6 to 8 months. 

Location - This is a remote work from home position.

Working for the University of Alberta

The University of Alberta acknowledges that we are located on Treaty 6 territory, and respects the histories, languages and cultures of First Nations, Métis, Inuit and all First Peoples of Canada, whose presence continues to enrich our vibrant community.

The University of Alberta is teeming with change makers, community builders, and world shapers who lead with purpose each and every day. We are home to more than 40,000 students in 200+ undergraduate and 500+ graduate programs, over 13,000 faculty and staff, 260,000 alumni worldwide and have been recognized as one of Canada’s Greenest Employers for over a decade.

Your work will have a meaningful influence on a fascinating cross section of people—from our students and stakeholders, to our renowned researchers and innovators who are quite literally curing diseases, making discoveries and generating solutions that make the world healthier, safer, stronger, and more just.

Working for the Department of Women's and Gender Studies

The Department of Women's and Gender Studies (WGS) is a hub for feminist research, social justice studies, and engaged citizenship at the University of Alberta. It is a field of study that encourages students to ask big questions about the way that gender impacts how we think, how we live, and how we understand ourselves and others. Though the field historically focused on the lives of women, in the contemporary Women's and Gender Studies classroom, an emphasis is placed on the ways that gender, race, class, age, sexuality, ability, and size work together.

Position Summary

The Partnership for Research with African Newcomers (PRAN) (Website: https://pran-network.ca/) is looking for a suitable candidate to support research and academic manuscript development on several projects funded by Canadian agencies including the Social Science and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), and Women and Gender Equality (WAGE). Headed by Dr. Philomina Okeke-Ihejirika, PRAN is a national, partnership research program aimed at enhancing the lives of people of African descent through research, community engagement and policy development. Current projects are collaborative initiatives between PRAN and community-based partners organizations. Reporting to the PRAN research project manager and working in collaboration with members of the PRAN team, the RA will be responsible for supporting the development of manuscripts from several projects including the topics of intimate partner violence, entrepreneurship, and gender and work. While not required to have knowledge and expertise in any or all of these areas, successful candidates will demonstrate curiosity and enthusiasm to quickly learn and integrate knowledge on new topics. This position will remain open until Feb 15, 2024 but review of applications will begin on Jan 31, 2024.

Duties

• Literature review and updating literature reviews, with coherent analyses of results to support manuscript development;
• Qualitative data analysis (coding and re-coding of transcripts for developing thematic analyses of results);
• Interpretation of quantitative survey results;
• Development of discussion sections of manuscripts (including the implications of findings) emerging from study results (qualitative and quantitative);
• Submission of manuscripts to appropriate publication outlets.

Miniumum Qualifications

• Master’s degree in relevant social science or health science fields (e.g. women’s and gender studies, sociology, public health, nursing, education, anthropology, political science, etc.).
• Senior doctoral students are preferred;
• Previous experience writing and editing for academic publications;
• Demonstrated experience and skills in qualitative or quantitative research, especially data analysis;
• Excellent computer skills (e.g. Microsoft Office Suite, word processing);
• Excellent academic research and writing skills, including literature review, results interpretation, academic editing, and academic copy-editing skills;
• Excellent skills in academic referencing;
• Applicants must be legally allowed to work in Canada.

Preferred Qualifications

• Excellent command of the English language; fluency in French is an advantage.
• Intrinsic motivation and ability to work independently;
• Innate curiosity;
• Adaptability;
• Careful attention to detail;
• Familiarity with African and/or African Canadian communities;
• Strong time management, organizational and problem-solving skills;
• Interest in research topics related to immigrant and/or African Canadian communities. 

Application Instructions

Please apply online and submit the following as separate documents

• Cover Letter
• Resume
• List of Publications
• Sample of Academic Writing - uploaded under "Other"

At the University of Alberta, we are committed to creating an inclusive and accessible hiring process for all candidates. If you require accommodations to participate in the interview process, please let us know at the time of booking your interview and we will make every effort to accommodate your needs.

Note: Online applications are accepted until midnight Mountain Standard Time of the closing date.

We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those individuals selected for an interview will be contacted.