Visiting Research Associate II (Vaccine Messaging)

Hiring Department: Health Policy and Administration

Location: Chicago, IL USA

Requisition ID: 1021808

Posting Close Date: 11/6/23

About the University of Illinois Chicago

UIC is among the nation’s preeminent urban public research universities, a Carnegie RU/VH research institution, and the largest university in Chicago. UIC serves over 34,000 students, comprising one of the most diverse student bodies in the nation and is designated as a Minority Serving Institution (MSI), an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPSI) and a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI). Through its 16 colleges, UIC produces nationally and internationally recognized multidisciplinary academic programs in concert with civic, corporate and community partners worldwide, including a full complement of health sciences colleges. By emphasizing cutting-edge and transformational research along with a commitment to the success of all students, UIC embodies the dynamic, vibrant and engaged urban university. Recent “Best Colleges” rankings published by U.S. News & World Report, found UIC climbed up in its rankings among top public schools in the nation and among all national universities. UIC has nearly 260,000 alumni, and is one of the largest employers in the city of Chicago.

POSITION SUMMARY
The University of Illinois Chicago School of Public Health is seeking applications for a Visiting Research Associate II position to support the Policy, Practice and Prevention Research Center Special Interest Project titled “Identifying Optimal Messages and Messengers for Community-level Vaccine Conversations in Rural and Urban Settings.” The goal of this study, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is to investigate what factors are associated with effective messages and trusted messengers among unvaccinated and incompletely vaccinated adults in rural and urban communities. The project will use multiple methods to leverage our existing knowledge about why people hesitate in order to understand what aspects of messaging or messengers could address their hesitancy. Working with local partners, we plan to assess how messages can be tailored to enhance people’s intentions to vaccinate. This position collaborates with and coordinates UIC researchers and partner organizations in activities around data collection, analysis, and interpretation.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Research

• Contribute to design, execution, analysis of the evaluation of a multi-level outreach intervention designed to increase vaccine confidence in communities that have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.
• Formulate and assist in the conduct of evaluation activities, including development of vaccine messaging.
• Organize and manage the grant activities, in collaboration with a project manager at Rockford.
• Develop, vet, and maintain comprehensive protocols and IRB submissions.
• Monitor project development and participate in decision-making about methods and protocols.

Coordination and Communication

• Assist with writing, formatting, and disseminating outputs from evaluation and other collaborative activities.
• Assist in writing and preparing reports and manuscripts for publication.
• Communicate with grant partners directly and through various media formats.
• Convene partners and assist with planning and scheduling interviews and focus groups.
• Serve as a liaison to the UIC Policy, Practice and Prevention Research center throughout the research project life cycle and to support translation and dissemination of study outcomes.

Perform other related duties and participate in special projects as assigned.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in social science or related field.
• A minimum of one-year related research experience.
• Knowledge of research concepts, practices and procedures.

• Master’s degree in social science.
• At least 2 years’ experience in public health research.
• Qualitative research experience (surveys, interviews, focus groups).
• Excellent organizational skills.
• Strong writing and communication skills.
• Knowledge and experience working with local departments of public health and community organizations.

Please be sure to submit a cover letter and current resume along with your application. Please contact Susan Lynch at slynch2@uic.edu or 312-996-3552 with any questions.

The University of Illinois System is an equal opportunity employer, including but not limited to disability and/or veteran status, and complies with all applicable state and federal employment mandates. Please visit Required Employment Notices and Posters to view our non-discrimination statement and find additional information about required background checks, sexual harassment/misconduct disclosures, COVID-19 vaccination requirement, and employment eligibility review through E-Verify.

The university provides accommodations to applicants and employees. Request an Accommodation