Research Specialist - HIES & iWell

About the Job

The Health, Intersectionality, Essentialism, & Stigma (HIES) Research Team and the Identity and Well-being (iWell) Research Lab in the University of Minnesota Department of Psychology seeks to hire a Research Specialist (8351SM: Research Professional 1 - Social Science Multidisciplinary) responsible for supporting the conduct of human psychological research and providing general support to researchers in and affiliated with the lab. The HIES Research Team examines how different dimensions of stigma become embodied at multiple levels to affect racial and sexual minority health.

The iWell Lab at the University of Minnesota examines how identity, culture, and social context shape psychological and health outcomes across the life course.

The Research Specialist will work as part of a team to refine research protocols, supervise undergraduate research assistants, and help establish foundational processes for research in the lab. The Research Specialist may also contribute to scientific writing and perform statistical analyses under the guidance of the Principal Investigator and other members of the team to establish and maintain data integrity and to test various hypotheses.

The laboratory is running several studies related to social and psychological determinants of health and well-being among racial and sexual minoritized groups, as well as research on racial essentialism. This position is ideal for a college graduate interested in counseling, social and health psychology research who wants to grow their career and professional development related to research. The successful applicant will join an active laboratory with a team of graduate and undergraduate researchers addressing a broad array of questions of interest to counseling psychology.

You will have the opportunity to learn advanced techniques, publish scientific papers, and attend conferences. The research professional will be primarily supervised by Professor James but will also work closely with Professor Ajayi and take work direction from him, as appropriate.

The Start Date of this position is around mid-July, 2026, with an initial End Date (or contingent extension) of mid-July, 2027 (any extension or continuation is contingent upon available funding and acceptable performance).

Job Responsibilities:

* Establishing foundational lab practices, including creating and implementing a lab manual for the standardization of training and implementation of open science practices (30%)

* Literature reviewing and scientific writing (30%)

* Study design, data collection, and statistical analysis (20%)

* Co-supervising and mentoring undergraduate research assistants, if desired (10%)

* Assisting in the management of institutional review board, federal, and other regulatory compliance correspondence (10%)

Please note, this position is not eligible for H-1B or Green Card sponsorship. This position does not offer a STEM OPT training program.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

* BA/BS in Psychology or a related area or a combination of education and relevant work experience to equal at least four years;

* Proficiency in common computer applications, including word processing and spreadsheets;

* Research experience working with underserved populations;

* A demonstrated capacity for quantitative analyses, including statistical software or statistical databases.

Preferred Qualifications:

* Coursework in counseling psychology, health psychology, public health, or gender and women's studies;

* Experience in the conduct of psychological research, including data collection, analysis, and scientific writing;

* Capacity for performing structured research-related work assignments following established procedures and guidelines under supervision, such as statistical analyses using SPSS statistical software or equivalent;

* Strong organizational capacities with great attention to detail and emphasis on timeliness;

* Experience with web-based applications, including website management.

Pay and Benefits

Pay Range: $23.81 - $25.00 per hr; depending on education/qualifications/experience

Time Appointment: 75% Appointment

Position Type:
Civil-Service & Non-Faculty Labor…