Research Associate I, Biological Sciences

Pay Grade: 28N

Department: Biological Sciences

College/Admin Office: Arts & Sciences

Location: Newark, DE

Context Of Job

The College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) is the largest college at the University of Delaware, comprising 22 academic departments, 2 academic centers, and 37 interdisciplinary centers, programs, and institutes across the arts, humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. CAS plays a central role in the University’s academic mission, providing foundational coursework for all UD students and serving more than 8,400 undergraduate and graduate majors. CAS is home to over 520 full-time faculty who are nationally and internationally recognized scholars and innovative teachers. With annual sponsored research expenditures exceeding $40 million, the College supports significant interdisciplinary research and maintains outstanding teaching and research facilities. Supported by over 425 staff members and 45 postdoctoral fellows and researchers, CAS operates with annual expenditures of over $152 million and serves as a hub for interdisciplinary engagement, connecting the University with local, national, and global communities through research, creative activity, and public service.

The Department of Biological Sciences is housed within the College of Arts and Sciences and offers nationally recognized undergraduate and graduate programs. The department currently consists of 37 faculty members, approximately 714 undergraduate majors, and 104 graduate students. Annual department research expenditures total approximately $4.3M per year, with a total fiscal responsibility of $16.8M per year. The unit also supports the Interdisciplinary Science Learning Labs (ISLL).

Under the general direction and supervision of the Principal Investigators (PI), the Research Associate I will participate in and support daily research activities in the Song Lab. The principal emphasis is managing inventories, maintaining marine animal systems, and supporting cutting-edge research. Working directly with the Principal Investigator (PI), postdocs, and students, the Research Associate I will assist with ongoing collaborative projects.

Major Responsibilities

• Assist Principal Investigators in the analyses and interpretation of the experiment results. Collect, and compile data; assist with statistical and narrative reports and/or graphs.
• Maintain supply inventories, organize reagents and experimental protocols, and manage laboratory stock.
• Maintain aquaria and care for live marine organisms used in active research projects; maintain cultured cell lines as needed.
• Work closely with the PI, postdocs, graduate students, and undergraduates on team experiments.
• Assist with research projects, including reading and synthesizing scientific literature to help inform experimental design and troubleshooting.
• Calibrate, set up, and maintain lab equipment; perform digital image processing; and ensure accurate data collection and record-keeping.
• Comply with Department of Environmental Health and Safety, OSHA, and biohazard safety standards and promote workplace safety.
• Maintain sophisticated laboratory tests/apparatus; perform and oversee experiments and data collection to ensure data integrity and protocol compliance.
• Assist graduate and undergraduate students regarding good safety practices with particular attention to monitoring students in the use of hazardous materials.
• Utilize information taken from primary journal articles to carry out relevant experiments and or interpretation of results.
• Present experimental results to the faculty supervisor or to the lab group for discussion and future planning.
• Perform other job-related duties as assigned.
  
  

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Biology, Developmental Biology, Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, RNA Biology, or a closely related discipline or a related field with one year of lab experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Highly organized and attention to details.
• Hands-on bench experience, marine organism care, or equivalent upper-level academic laboratory coursework.
• Basic proficiency in molecular biology techniques (e.g., PCR, gel electrophoresis, nucleic acid extractions).
• Familiarity with standard office software (MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Experience with—or willingness to learn—image processing using Zeiss Zen software and Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop).
• Knowledge of the use and maintenance of laboratory facilities and/or equipment.
• Knowledge of scientific approach and methodologies.
• Ability to understand, follow, and enforce safety procedures.
• Ability to organize and coordinate scientific and/or engineering research projects; as well as ability to develop and follow research methodology and protocol.
• Ability to work effectively with faculty, staff and students.
  
  

Environmental/Occupational Exposures

• Required to use personal protective equipment to prevent exposure to hazardous materials.
  
  

Special Requirements

• With or without assistance, must be able to lift up to 20 lbs.
• Requires dexterity in handling delicate and hazardous materials as well as sensitive laboratory equipment.
• The ability to accurately discern colors and measure laboratory reagents.
• Must be able to work various and sometimes long hours due to the timing on experiments, including possibly holidays, weekends and evenings.