Research Associate, Actualizing Indigenous Data Sovereignty Principles

Academic

Job Category

Faculty Non Bargaining

Job Title

Research Associate, Actualizing Indigenous Data Sovereignty Principles

Department

Research | Human Early Learning Partnership | School of Population and Public Health (Mariana Brussoni)

Posting End Date

April 7, 2024

Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the day prior to the Posting End Date above.

Job End Date

Dec 31, 2025

The expected salary range for this position is $85,000 to $95,000 per year.

At UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning for all faculty, staff and students. Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness, brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace, and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career. 

The Human Early Learning Partnership (HELP) is a collaborative research and knowledge mobilization centre that cares about improving child well-being. We are an interdisciplinary team of faculty, staff and affiliates dedicated to improving the health and well-being of children, youth and their families and promoting equity from the start. Having established itself as a well-respected and internationally renowned research centre for over 20 years, HELP maintains strong relationships with school districts and other key partners in community and in the health, social service and municipal sectors. These relationships have allowed the centre to make an impact at multiple levels, ranging from government policy and investment, to regional and community development and service planning, to local school district programs and initiatives. Working at HELP is an opportunity to be involved in data collection and research, as well as community partnerships and engagement. HELP offers hybrid working arrangements, a beautiful campus environment, not to mention a friendly and collegial atmosphere with opportunities to work collaboratively with a number of teams on projects. HELP is grateful to work from the traditional, ancestral, unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) People at the University of British Columbia (UBC).

JOB SUMMARY

The Human Early Learning Partnership (HELP) at the School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, seeks a full-time Research Associate.

Under the supervision of Dr. Mariana Brussoni, HELP Faculty Director in the School of Population and Public Health, and Professor in the Department of Pediatrics with the University of British Columbia (UBC) and with the support and mentorship provided by HELP faculty members as well as by research collaborators across UBC – the incumbent will lead the strategic development, direction and implementation of a data platform and data access framework to support Indigenous data sovereignty. This will bring equity to HELP’s data and knowledge sharing processes and support research and evidence-based decision making to improve the health and well-being of First Nations, Inuit and Métis children.  The Research Associate will work in consultation with statisticians on data analyses, using population level data such as the EDI (Early Development Instrument) and the MDI (Middle Development Instrument).  They will continue to explore the application of data sovereignty principles to research and data sharing at HELP. They will focus on data coding and analyses and have access to unique data sources working within an interdisciplinary research environment.  The position will include leading:

• Consultations with the Aboriginal Steering Committee regarding the processes and practices for this project;
• Engagements with Indigenous communities, elders and/or governing bodies around data sovereignty;

• Developing a data platform for Indigenous data that adheres to Indigenous data sovereignty principles
• Developing a data access framework that adheres to Indigenous data sovereignty principles
• Documenting process of engagement, guidance and best practices, and sharing these with the UBC Faculty of Medicine and HELP communities.   

The position will liaise with multi-disciplinary Indigenous academic researchers provincially, nationally and internationally who are conducting related research.  The Research Associate will lead and co-author on academic reports and journal articles; write reports and summaries of research findings for policy makers, First Nations leadership and communities.  They will ensure the research adheres to the ethical expectations of the Indigenous partners, as well as existing guidelines and principles stipulated by other organizations.  They will inform and advise other HELP researche