Spring Research Assistant

Position Overview

RESPIRAR seeks a Research Assistant (RA) to help support our ongoing research project. The incumbent will help prepare field activities, provide research, and support tasks related to this project, such as gathering background literature, creating a Zotero library database, assisting with preliminary data analyses, etc. This is a part-time hybrid opportunity.

This position works within the Payne-Sturges Environmental Health Systems and Policy Lab and is open to undergraduate and graduate students.

Position duration:

This project requires an RA to begin as soon as possible with the potential to extend through the summer semester, contingent upon satisfactory performance and continued funding. This is an hourly position for 10-20 hours per week.

Responsibilities:

  • Support project research as needed, including but not limited to conducting literature searches and drafting summaries, assembling background materials, and creating Zotero reference library and administrative tasks

  • Assist in the preparation and organization of field activities, ensuring all necessary materials for sample collection are ready for fieldwork

  • Work with the project PI, Dr. Payne-Sturges, to coordinate in-person team meetings and workshops, including logistical and travel planning.

  • Attend project team meetings

  • Attend meetings with the PI to discuss updates and new content needs as needed

Minimum Qualifications:

  • Strong quantitative research skills

  • Ability to work independently, manage time, and meet deadlines

  • Excellent oral and written communication skills

  • Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work cooperatively on a research team

  • Interest or expertise in occupational health, community-based participatory research, and social justice.

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Familiarity with REDCAP

  • Knowledge of exposure assessment and survey research

  • Epidemiological analysis using STATA, SAS, and/or R

  • Spanish language ability (oral and written)

Compensation:

This position pays $22/hr for 10-20 hours per week and is not eligible for health benefits or tuition remission.

To Apply:

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Please send all materials to Dr. Devon Payne-Sturges, School of Public Health, at respirarproject@umd.edu with Research Assistant in the subject line:

  1. Resume/CV

  2. Cover letter describing:  

    • Your interest in the position

    • Relevant skills and experience

About RESPIRAR

The RESPIRAR project aims to uncover insights to help inform policies and best practices protecting the health of vulnerable and essential farmworkers. We are unpacking how institutional policies, regulatory responses, and practices, historic and contemporary, shape respiratory health trends among migrant seasonal farmworkers.

Our research is comprised of three primary aims: 1) monitoring the living conditions and respiratory health of farmworkers; 2) evaluating farmworker protection laws and policies through a legal analysis; and 3) examining how policies and practices are affecting farmworkers through a community-based system dynamics approach.  

We hope our findings will inform the design of policies and best practices to improve the livelihood of essential farmworkers.  

RESPIRAR is made possible through a partnership with the National Institute of Health.

The University of Maryland, College Park, an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws and regulations regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action; all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, physical or mental disability, protected veteran status, age, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, creed, marital status, political affiliation, personal appearance, or on the basis of rights secured by the First Amendment, in all aspects of employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.