Research Assistant (Term)

Position Summary

We are looking for a full-time Research Assistant as part of the Little Learners Lab in the Psychology and Human Development Department at Vanderbilt University, a research group focused on exploring the foundations of early literacy and scientific literacy development. The Research Assistant will play an integral role in the day-to-day operations of multiple ongoing projects. Responsibilities include maintaining participant relationships, administering cognitive testing managing and coding data, conducting analyses, and training and supervising undergraduate research assistants. The role also involves contributing to scholarly writing and publications, presenting at conferences, supporting administrative tasks, and assisting with reports.

This position reports directly to the Laboratory Director. The position is for 1 year only with the possibility of extension dependent on the availability of new grant funds.

About The Work Unit

The Department of Psychology and Human Development at Vanderbilt University is a group of scholars who work to increase understanding of basic psychological functioning and neuropsychological development in various contexts. The department offers a doctoral degree in Psychological Sciences jointly with the Department of Psychology in the College of Arts and Science, with concentrations in clinical science, cognitive and cognitive neuroscience, developmental science, neuroscience, and quantitative methods. The department also offers master’s degrees in child studies, cognition in context, and quantitative methods as well as undergraduate majors in child development and cognitive studies. The department maintains strong collaborative ties with various units on campus including the Vanderbilt Brain Institute, the Kennedy Center for Developmental Disabilities, the Department of Special Education and the Department of Teaching and Learning. Specifically at the Little Learners Lab, we are committed to better understanding the foundations of early literacy and scientific literacy to help school readiness.

Specifically, the Little Learners Lab is dedicated to understanding the origins of variability in young children’s cognitive skills and motivation for learning, as well as the implications of this variability for children’s science literacy, language development, and overall school readiness. ( https://my.vanderbilt.edu/littlelearnerslab/)

Key Functions And Expected Performance

• PARTICIPANT RELATIONS AND OUTREACH: Scheduling and consenting participants, , maintaining contact through breaks in data collection, building community partnerships (e.g., preschools, children museums), contributing to the disseminate of our work through community events and communications.
• DATA COLLECTION: Administering experiments as well as standardized ability and achievement testing. Requires use of standard protocols to administer psychoeducational measures and use of specialized computer software to collect behavioral data. May require the development of assessments with specialized computer software.
• STUDY PROTCOL DEVELOPMENT: Assist in developing study protocols and measures, documenting and acquiring necessary equipment/stimuli.
• DATA MANAGEMENT AND ANALYSIS: Data scoring and entry, data management, data coding, and data quality checks; design and maintain REDCap surveys and data collection instruments tailored to study needs.
• SUPERVISING RESEARCH ASSISTANTS: Hiring new assistants, training and coordinating assistants that aid in various lab duties, such as collecting and coding data.
• RESEARCH DISSEMINATION: Preparing and presenting posters and talks at academic conferences and in the community; helping to draft manuscripts for publication.
• VARIOUS ADMINISTRATIVE DUTIES: Maintaining information technology, website, purchasing, participant payments, and bookkeeping, coordinating schedules, facilitating and attending lab meetings.
• ASSISTING WITH REPORTS: Helping with periodic review reports for Institutional Review Board.
  
  

Supervisory Relationships

This position has some supervisory responsibility managing several undergraduate research assistants. This position reports administratively and functionally to the Laboratory Director.

Education And Certifications

• Master’s degree or above in a relevant academic area is necessary
  
  

Experience And Skills

• General understanding of scientific research methods, study design, and research ethics is necessary
• Excellent interpersonal skills with warmth, professionalism, and cultural sensitivity when working with diverse populations is necessary
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision while maintaining high-quality standards is necessary
• Reliable and responsive in participant communications and study coordination is necessary
• Flexibility to work evenings and weekends regularly to accommodate participant scheduling needs is necessary
• Experience with data coding, variable creation, and dataset preparation is preferred
• Experience working with young children in research settings is preferred
• Experience in managing research assistants is preferred
• Experience in institutional review board processes is preferred
  
  

Physical Requirements

• Frequently perform desk-based computer tasks, grasp lightly/fine manipulation, lift/carry/push/pull objects that weigh up to 20 pounds
• Occasionally stand/walk, sit, use a telephone, writing by hand, and sort/file paperwork or parts.
• Rarely twist/bend/stoop/squat, kneel/crawl, rarely reach/work above shoulders, and operates foot and/or hand controls