The bilingual (Spanish/English) research assistant 20hr per week part-time role is part of The Department of Special Education at Vanderbilt University and is a responsible primarily for transcribing and coding data for a naturalistic language intervention clinical trial. This position reports directly to the project coordinator for all research tasks. The position start date is not before February 1, 2024, and working hours are flexible and typically occur between 9 am and 5 pm Monday-Friday. This is a hybrid role; some workdays can be remote and other days will be in the office. 

The bilingual research assistant will transcribe and code caregiver-child interactions and other observational language samples. The bilingual research assistant may aid in the collection of survey data from parents and help with assessment visits. The bilingual research assistant will adhere to all research protocols. 

About the Work Unit

Ranked as the #1 Special Education Program in the nation by U.S. News & World Report for more than a decade, our department has long been a leader both in research and practice. 

The mission of the Department of Special Education is to improve the lives of children and youth with disabilities through (a) the preparation of exceptionally competent teachers and researchers, (b) conducting research that informs and improves educational programs and behavioral interventions, and (c) leadership in professional associations and advocacy for persons with disabilities. We are committed to equipping students with diverse backgrounds and experiences to provide exceptional services and supports to people with disabilities and their families. 

The Vanderbilt KidTalk Lab is an interdisciplinary research group focused on early interventions to improve language, literacy, and social emotional outcomes for young children with or at high risk for disabilities in these developmental domains. The lab is affiliated with the Department of Special Education and the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center on Human Development at Vanderbilt University. The lab is directed by Ann P. Kaiser, PhD (Developmental and Child Psychology). Tatiana N. Peredo, PhD (Developmental Psychology) is the research director for Spanish-language projects. Senior staff in the lab include both English speaking and English-Spanish bilingual speech language therapists, behavior analysts and early educators, as well as professional researcher staff with expertise in transcription, coding, and behavioral language assessments. The lab also includes doctoral students in Special Education and Speech and Hearing Sciences and masters’ students in Special Education and Applied Child Development. Current federally funded projects in the lab include a Phase 1 multi-site clinical trial (U01) grant evaluating the EMT intervention implemented by caregivers of toddlers at risk for DLD, an IES efficacy trial of EMT en Espanol with Spanish speaking families with toddlers evidencing delays across English and Spanish, and an IES development grant on a childcare intervention for young children at-risk for language delays and co-occurring social emotional difficulties. Drs. Kaiser and Peredo are affiliated with four OSEP funded personnel preparation grants which provide funding and training for doctoral and master’s students in the lab. The Kidtalk Lab includes facilities for child assessments, caregiver and child intervention sessions, office space, and equipment software for video recording, remote training sessions, transcription, coding, and data management. 

Duties and Responsibilities

• The bilingual research assistant will transcribe interactions in SALT (systematic analysis of language transcripts) software following specific conventions. 
• The bilingual research assistant will code interactions using the EMT en Español behavioral code and maintain reliability on this observational code. 
• The bilingual research assistant will learn additional codes and have the flexibility to work across research projects. 
• The bilingual research assistant will aid in the collection of survey data from parent/caregiver participants in the study. 
• The bilingual research assistant will enter assessment session data into secure database. 
• The bilingual research assistant will help preparing reports and analysis for data tracking. 
• To ensure fidelity of all aspects of the project, the bilingual research assistant will follow all research protocols as written and communicate with the project director when there are any deviations. 

Supervisory Relationships: 

This position reports administratively and functionally to the PI/co-PI. This is not a supervisory position. 

Qualifications

A bachelor’s degree in psychology, human development, education, special education, or a related field is required.

• Experience with working in research projects and following research protocols is highly preferred. 
• Experience with creating transcriptions of recorded audios/ videos is preferred. 
• Bilingual in Spanish and English (speaking, writing, and comprehension skills in both languages) is necessary. Must be fully fluent in written and conversational Spanish. 
• Experience with SALT software is preferred.
• Basic/Intermediate experience with Microsoft Excel is desirable.

Commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

At Vanderbilt University, we are intentional about and assume accountability for fostering advancement and respect for equity, diversity, and inclusion for all students, faculty, and staff. Our commitment to diversity makes us who we are. We have created a community that celebrates differences and lets individuality thrive. As part of this commitment, we actively value diversity in our workplace and learning environments as we seek to take advantage of the rich backgrounds and abilities of everyone. The diverse voices of Vanderbilt represent an invaluable resource for the University in its efforts to fulfill its mission and strive to be an example of excellence in higher education. 

Vanderbilt University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran, or any other characteristic protected by law. 

Please note, all candidates selected for an offer of employment are subject to pre-employment background checks, which may include but are not limited to, based on the role for which they have been selected: criminal history, education verification, social media review, motor vehicle records, credit history, and professional license verification.