Research Associate; Rural Health

Search #: 499856
Work type: Full-time
Location: Other - please see posting for additional information
Categories: Research

The Innovations Institute at the University of Connecticut School of Social Work seeks a Research Associate 1 to support the evaluation of the Connecticut Rural Health Transformation Program (CT RHTP), a five-year, statewide initiative funded by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and administered by the Connecticut Department of Social Services. The evaluation team is responsible for developing and implementing an overarching framework to measure implementation, outcomes, and sustainability across 30 projects spanning four initiative areas:
Population Health, Workforce, Data and Technology, and Care Transformation and Stability. Positions with the Innovations Institute are fully remote, with expected travel to UConn's Hartford Campus twice annually.

The Research Associate 1 will work with the project Principal Investigator and Co-Directors to contribute methodological and analytic expertise across the CT RHTP evaluation and will report to the Principal Investigator. This includes assisting with facilitating, and when appropriate, leading the design of research and evaluation plans, conducting quantitative and mixed-methods analyses, translating findings into products for diverse audiences, and providing technical assistance to project teams, state agencies, and community partners.

The Research Associate 1 will also contribute to cross-project learning and continuous quality improvement, co-author academic and public-facing products, and help ensure that data security, privacy, and compliance requirements are met across all participating entities. This position also requires project management, including communicating with project staff and external partners, facilitating meetings, and coordinating and aligning efforts across projects and initiatives.

This position is well suited to a doctoral-level researcher with training and experience in health services research, program evaluation, and implementation science, and a strong interest in improving healthcare access and outcomes in rural communities.

• Assist with, facilitate, and co-lead the design and development of research and evaluation plans, including study design, sampling, measurement, data collection procedures, and analytic strategy across assigned projects.
• Work directly with stakeholders and project teams to identify research and evaluation needs and translate them into rigorous, feasible study designs that support continuous quality improvement (CQI) and evaluation goals.
• Assist with, facilitate, and co-lead quantitative and mixed-methods analytic plans, applying appropriate statistical methods and interpreting findings to generate actionable insights.
• Manage complex data sets and primary data using statistical software (e.g., Excel, SPSS, SAS, R, STATA), and establish processes to ensure data quality, accuracy, and analysis readiness.
• Conduct literature reviews and synthesize evidence to inform study design, contextualize findings, and support evidence-based recommendations.
• Provide technical assistance to service providers and public agencies in developing data collection procedures, building instruments, reviewing data, and resolving data quality issues.
• Develop data visualizations tailored to internal and external stakeholders that clearly communicate complex findings.
• Facilitate the preparation and management of Data Use Agreements (DUAs), IRB submissions, and related compliance documentation.
• Independently write and co-author products, including academic manuscripts, public-facing one-pagers, and technical reports for decision-makers.
• Supervise, mentor, and provide guidance to graduate students and other research staff on data collection, analysis, storage, and reporting, and review their work for quality and accuracy.
• Serve as a subject-matter expert in program evaluation, implementation science, and quantitative data analysis for internal and external partners.
• Assist with the Rural Health Evaluation Advisory Board and the evaluators' Community of Practice (CoP).
• Coordinate and facilitate internal and external communications and meetings.
• Co-author manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals and present findings at academic and professional conferences.
• Contribute to the development and writing of federal, state, and private grant proposals.
• Contribute to and manage work plans, ensuring milestones…