Research Assistant or PhD Research Assistant

Position: Research Assistant or PhD Candidate Research Assistant (Continuous Recruitment)
About the Job

Research Assistant - Human Rights Program

Job Title:

Research Assistant or PhD Candidate Research Assistant (Continuous Recruitment)

Location:

Twin Cities - West Bank Campus

Job Family:
Graduate Assistants

Full/Part Time:
Part-Time

Job Code: 9521 - Research Assistant and 9529 - PhD Candidate Research Assistant

Employee Class:
Grad/Prof Student Position

The Human Rights Program is hiring one 25% time (10 hours a week) Research Assistant for Academic Year 26/27. The Research Assistant will provide administrative, research, and project support for an archival research and oral history project as well as lead a small collaborative research team through the Rights Col Laboratory, an interdisciplinary, experiential learning laboratory that equips students with the research and advocacy skills needed to tackle 21st century human rights challenges.

The position will require the student to check in regularly with the HRP director and undergraduate student researchers. The Graduate Research Assistant is required to be physically present in the Human Rights Program offices on the West Bank several hours a week.

The supervisor for this position is Carrie Walling, director of the Human Rights Program. All research assistants must be physically present in Minnesota to work unless prior approval to work outside of MN has been obtained.

For more information about this position, contact cbwalling.

This position is covered by the collective bargaining agreement with the Graduate Labor

Union-United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America (GLU-UE).

The project will research and then collect, preserve, and publish oral histories of Minnesota human rights advocates. The graduate research assistant will prepare background research and draft questions for oral history interviews. The graduate student researcher will coordinate the research activities of four undergraduate research assistants.

Rights Collaboratory:

The Rights Collaboratory is an interdisciplinary, collaborative, experiential learning laboratory housed within the University of Minnesota Human Rights Program in the Institute for Global Studies, College of Liberal Arts. Research activities may include developing advocacy and training tools, conducting primary and secondary research, documenting human rights violations, coding and analyzing data, writing reports, and generating multimedia content.

Research Assistant Responsibilities:

* Prepare background research and draft questions for oral history interviews.

* Conduct/participate in oral history interviews.

* Produce, preserve, and disseminate oral history interviews in collaboration with University of Minnesota Archives and Special Collections and the Minnesota Human Rights Archive.

* Manage four undergraduate research assistants.

* Write abstracts that include details about the narrators and contents of oral history interviews.

* Review the work of undergraduate research assistants who will format and edit AI-generated oral interview transcripts and edit video and audio files.

* Manage and maintain the organizational structure of project-related files.

* Assist HRP Director with identifying research priorities.

* Develop human rights education and advocacy training tools.

* Conduct primary and secondary qualitative research.

* Document human rights violations, code and analyzing data, and write reports.

* Creation of multimedia and web content.

* Assist Director and Assistant Director with additional projects, as needed.

* Other duties as assigned.

The Employer retains the right to change and/or assign other duties to this position as needed.

Anticipated work schedule. This position requires 25% (10 hours per week) in-person and virtual attendance for Academic year  (8/31/26-5/30-27). Specific hours and schedules will be set in consultation with the Human Rights Program director and program coordinator. Research Assistants must be physically present in Minnesota to work unless prior approval to work outside of MN has been obtained. The ability to be in person for 2 hours on Friday afternoons is required.

Work is typically performed on Twin Cities West Bank Campus, with some allowance made for hybrid/remote work.

Appointment Dates:

* Academic year  (8/31/26-5/30-27)

Qualifications

Required Qualifications (9521 Research Assistant):

* Must have academic background and a demonstrated understanding of the subject matter of the research projects they will support as a graduate research assistant.

* Limited to students registered in a graduate or post-baccalaureate professional degree program at the University of Minnesota.

* Each student is limited to a total of 75% time University employment except during vacation periods. If on an F-1 visa, the student is limited to 50% time employment except during vacation periods.

* Meet the language proficiency requirement for non-native English-speaking TAs. For more information visit this website: (Use the "Apply for this Job" box below)./language

* Commitment to vision of human rights and the mission of the…