Overview
The Immigration Policy Lab (IPL) at Stanford University evaluates and designs policies surrounding the integration of immigrants and refugees worldwide. By producing new evidence and translating it into creative solutions, we seek to improve migrants’ lives and strengthen their host communities. Using large datasets, creative research designs, and cutting-edge analytical tools, we bring new evidence to bear on the urgent problems facing immigrant and refugee service providers. We engage with community-based organizations as well as local, state, national, and international governmental agencies to test the effectiveness of current policies and design new policies, programs, and tools that ultimately impact millions of migrants, as well as the economic and social prosperity of the countries in which they live. Our talented team of faculty, staff, postdocs, graduate and undergraduate students is creating an innovative research model that combines the quality and rigor of an academic lab with the efficiency and innovation of a civic-tech startup.
We are looking for a highly motivated Research Associate who is passionate about qualitative insights to advance our research on immigrant health in the United States. The Research Associate will have the opportunity to partner with leading faculty in Sociology, Medicine, and Political Science to take a central role coordinating immigrant health research and gaining training and experience toward a career in academic research in public health, sociology, or public policy.
This Research Associate will have the opportunity to implement cutting-edge mixed-methods research on topics of immigrant and refugee policy in the United States, including coordinating qualitative interviews, synthesizing complex information for policy and academic audiences, and contributing to academic publications. The Research Associate will manage the day-to-day operations of our qualitative immigrant and refugee policy research that builds complementary evidence for quantitative, causal inference research that can improve immigrant health and refugee integration success through policy in the United States. A core function of this role will be to organize and manage research protocols, coordinate qualitative focus group discussions and interviews with external partners, and work closely with a dynamic team of faculty, staff, and postdocs to ensure the execution of high-quality, policy-relevant research. We are looking for candidates who have the ability, experience, and energy to manage complex projects focused on immigrant health and refugee integration.
This is a one-year, non-exempt, fixed term position with the possibility of renewal. This position will be based on the Stanford campus and will be considered for an option of telecommuting (hybrid of working on-site and off-site), subject to operational need.
In this role, you will:
- Administer research activities on topics of immigrant and refugee integration, including developing and implementing research protocols and workplans, conducting literature reviews, drafting interview questionnaires, identifying and resolving challenges to project success.
- Participate in the development and administration of interview questionnaires, focus group discussion guidance, and research protocols. Analyze and summarize results for review with supervisor. Audit the accuracy and validity of data.
- Review and audit case report forms for completion and accuracy with source documents, and ensure compliance with research protocols.
- Summarize data and information gathered in research activities to present summaries of findings to supervisor and project team.
- Conduct literature reviews, and write literature summaries and manuscripts to help inform the research design to achieve the objectives of the research.
- Adapt new, nonstandard methods outlined by supervisor in designing and evaluating phases of research projects, (i.e., educational materials, questionnaires, strategies for recruitment, data quality control procedures and processes). May follow up with Institutional Review Board (IRB) to ensure renewals are approved and completed, seeking guidance where necessary.
- Assist with development, communication and design of research findings to internal and external audiences, which may include blog posts, social media posts, and/or white papers.
- Plan and schedule calendars with limited consultations, resolve calendaring conflicts and arrange travel in compliance with university and sponsor policies.
To be successful in this role, you will bring:
Education & Experience:
Bachelor of Arts degree in an applicable social science related field, or combination of education and relevant experience in an applicable social science.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
- General understanding of scientific theory and methods, typically gained through completion of an undergraduate degree in a related field.
- General computer skills and ability to quickly learn and master computer programs.
- Ability to work under deadlines with general guidance.
- Excellent organizational skills and demonstrated ability to complete detailed work accurately.
- Effective oral and written communication skills.
- Ability to work with human study participants.
In addition, preferred requirements include:
Preferred qualifications:
- Experience conducting and/or managing qualitative research such as focus groups, in-depth interviews, or key informant interviewing
- Experience in a qualitative discipline such as sociology, anthropology, political science, and/or an experience in a health discipline such as public health, epidemiology, or pre-medicine.
- Experience researching or working with immigrant communities and/or public health.
- Ability to communicate in Spanish at a professional level.