Temporary Research Assistant

American University is a student-centered research institution located in Washington, DC, with highly-ranked schools and colleges, internationally-renowned faculty, and a reputation for creating meaningful change in the world. Learn more about American University

Department:

College of Arts & Sciences

Time Type:

Part time

Job Type:

Temporary (Fixed Term)

FLSA Status:

Non-Exempt

Work Modality:

Union:

Excluded

Job Description:

Summary:

The Research Assistant will work with Profs. Tracy Weitz and Sarah Iverson.

The American University (AU) Center on Health, Risk, and Society (CHRS) supports a thriving multi-disciplinary community of scholars that conducts research on health and health-related issues using the tools and lens of social science. Its Director, Professor Tracy A Weitz, PhD, MPA, is a national expert on abortion care, policy, culture, and politics. In this capacity, she has launched several research projects in which undergraduate students can participate to gain research experience and contribute to knowledge production related to abortion in the United States.

Research with Prof. Iverson investigates how college applicants are navigating the application process after the ban on race-conscious admissions by the Supreme Court in 2023. Job duties include coordinating interviews, working with organizations to recruit interviewees, conducting interviews with recently graduated high school students, analyzing interviews, conducting literature reviews, and writing academic research papers.

Essential Functions:

1.) Conduct Literature Reviews

• Working with supervisors and institutional library services, conduct literature reviews on narrow specifically defined topics. Read relevant academic literature and summarize in a shared document. Synthesize into an organized narrative.

2.) Data Collection

• Conduct interviews via telephone, internet, or other methods. With Prof. Weitz, interviews relate to experiences with abortion-providing facilities. With Prof. Iverson, interviews are conducted with those who have gone through the college application process or at college essay writing workshops.

3.) Data Analysis

• Using Atlas.ti qualitative data software to analyze transcripts and field notes. Writing descriptive memos based on coding process.

4.) Writing Up Findings

• Duties may include generating data tables, authoring manuscript sections, proofreading, or building a reference list. Contributions to paper drafts are based on data collection and analysis. Peer review process will be engaged where relevant.

5.) Code Qualitative Data

• When approved by the AU Institutional Review Board (IRB) read and code qualitative interview transcripts.

6.) Coordinating Interviews and with Other Team Members

• Email prospective interviewees to set up times to speak. Work to recruit additional interviewees through snowball sampling. Attend biweekly updates with other team members to share progress and work with others to evenly distribute interviewing and coding duties.

           

Competencies:

• Acquiring and Analyzing Information.

• Prioritizing and Organizing.

• Thinking Broadly.

• Displaying Creativity.

• Evaluating and Implementing Ideas.

• Making Accurate Judgments and Decisions.

• Building and Supporting Teams.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work:

• Part-Time.

• 10 - 20 hours per week (5 - 10 hours with each faculty member).

• Continuation of the program/position is contingent upon external funding (funding ends 7/31/2026).

Salary Range:

• $20.00 per hour.

Requ