Research Associate Broader Impacts Group BIG

Profile

The

Broader Impacts Group (BIG)

at University of Montana invites applicants for an

Education and Evaluation Research Associate

. The Research Associate will work with Dr. Beth Covitt and collaborators on multiple grant-funded science education research and program evaluation projects at both the K-12 and higher education levels. The Research Associate will support the effective implementation of projects through data collection, management, analysis, and reporting/dissemination. The Research Associate will also join the larger collaborative work of projects involving design and implementation of education and evaluation research, science learning experiences, and professional development. The position reports to Dr. Covitt, Head of Science Education Research & Evaluation at BIG. This position will involve coordinating people, schedules, and logistics to carry out project activities (e.g., managing meeting scheduling and agendas, communications, secured sharing of project data, collaborative data analysis activities, and similar). Responsibilities focus on effective and professional project management/coordination among partners and participants rather than a supervisory role in relation to other personnel.

Projects that the Research Associate will collaborate on include:

Investigating how multi-perspective, place- and problem-based science learning experiences can support middle school students from predominantly Indigenous communities in more safely traversing between home cultures and Western science in the NSF-funded project, Precipitating Change with Alaskan and Hawaiian Schools

Evaluation of the Montana Space Grant Consortium

programs as well as the associated, NASA-funded Nationwide Eclipse Ballooning Project

, which will engage student teams from across the country in NASA-mission-like scientific ballooning activities during the 2023 and 2024 eclipses.

Upon completion of training, the incumbent will have working knowledge and ability in:

UM policies and procedures

Facility with data collection, analysis (e.g., coding and applying basic descriptive and inferential statistics), and graphical display platforms and tools for representing data

Regulations for ethical conduct of research

Experience working with educators and students (e.g., to collect data in ways that reflect sensitivity to participants and adherence to guidelines for ethical conduct of research)

The University of Montana is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer and has a strong institutional commitment to the principle of diversity in all areas. In that spirit, we are particularly interested in receiving applications from a broad spectrum of qualified people who would assist the University in demonstrating its five priorities for action

: Place student success at the center of all we do; drive excellence and innovation in teaching, learning, and research; embody the principle of “mission first, people always; partner with place; and proudly tell the UM story.

Position Details

Position is full-time, 1.0 FTE, Letter of Appointment with potential to renew, depending on performance and continued external funding. Position includes a comprehensive and competitive benefits package

including Insurance package, mandatory retirement plan, partial tuition waiver, and wellness program.

Salary for this position is $40,000 to $53,000 per year commensurate with experience

Required Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in a related field (education, science)

Relevant work experience in at least one of the following areas: education, education or other social science research, science, evaluation

Foundational knowledge of science (e.g., necessary for analyzing/coding science performances of K-12 students)

Strong organizational skills, positive attitude, interpersonal skills, and the ability to work both independently and collaboratively

Strong writing and editing skills

Ability to meet deadlines

Ability to maintain confidentiality and display professionalism

Ability to conduct careful and detailed work (e.g., managing and analyzing data, producing reports from data, editing documents)

Ability and interest in working with people representing a diversity of perspectives, experiences, geographical locations, and cultures

Preferred Qualifications

Master’s degree in a related field (education, evaluation, science)

Experience with collaborations that integrate diverse perspectives into education experiences (e.g., culturally congruent education with Indigenous, urban, and/or rural populations)

Experience applying approaches supportive of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in education contexts

Facility with qualitative and quantitative data analysis, preferably in an education and/or social science (e.g., social psychology) context—ideally this would include facility with basic descriptive and inferential statistics using tools such as R or SPSS. Facility with or interest in learning more advanced statistical approaches (e.g., item response theory) would be useful but not required.

About UM

and the Broader Impacts Group (BIG)

UM’s Broader Impacts Group fosters a community of practice around research and creative scholarship activities that broaden participation in higher education and the workforce, create educational and economic opportunity, and benefit society locally and globally. BIG serves as an administrative home for an array of programs that put UM research to work for the benefit of the public.

The University of Montana is flagship, research institution with more than 9,000 undergraduate and graduate students. It is located in Missoula, a culturally vibrant community of about 75,000, surrounded by mountains and where three rivers converge. Abundant recreational opportunities in surrounding state and national forests and nearby Glacier National Park and Yellowstone National Park complement a thriving intellectual atmosphere.

To learn more about the University of Montana, please visit the links below.

University of Montana

Video: Mission First, People Always

UM on YouTube

Criminal Background Investigation is required prior to Offer of Employment.

In accordance with University policy, finalists for this position will be subject to criminal background investigations.

ADA/EOE/AA/Veteran's Preference.

Reasonable accommodations are provided in the hiring process for persons with disabilities. For example, this material is available in alternative format upon request. As an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer, we encourage applications from minorities, veterans, and women. Qualified candidates may request veterans’ or disabilities preference in accordance with state law.

References

*References not listed on the application materials may be contacted; notice may be provided to the applicant.

Testing

Individual hiring departments at UM may elect to administer pre-employment tests, which are relevant to essential job functions.

E mployment Eligibility.

All New Employees must be eligible and show employment eligibility verification by the first date of employment at UM, as legally required (e.g., Form I-9).

Company info

The University of Montana
Website : https://www.umt.edu