Job Description

Position Overview

The Department of Psychology in the Faculty of Arts invites applications for a Research Scientist. This Full-time Fixed Term position is for approximately 26 months (based on length of grant funding), with the possibility of extension.

This Research Scientist will report to the Director of the Determinants of Child Development Lab at the Department of Psychology in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Calgary and Director of the Center for Health Informatics in the Cumming School of Medicine at the University of Calgary. The Research Associate will be responsible for data generation and knowledge mobilization conducted for the Adverse Childhood Experiences Hub (ACEs Hub) project (80% of time), and for supporting data analysis on longitudinal datasets in the Determinants of Child Development Lab at the University of Calgary (20%). The position will liaise with multiple community partners, international stakeholders, and funding agencies. The Research Scientist will also oversee all project graduate research assistants and project casual augmentation staff. Travel may be required to disseminate the work of ACEs Hub to international stakeholders; however, the bulk of engagement will occur on campus or via online media. You will be reporting to the principle investigator

Position Description

Summary of Key Responsibilities (job functions include but are not limited to):

• Conduct systematic literature reviews; interpret and summarize published research findings to form the basis of knowledge mobilization plans, products, tools and activities to inform practice, program development, and policy in the field of trauma and adversity
• Provide subject matter expertise to support the planning and development of ACEs Hub\xc3\xa2\xe2\x82\xac\xc5\xa1 knowledge mobilization activities and strategies
• Conduct and support data analysis on longitudinal data sets
• Advise ACEs Hub senior leadership team on the use of evaluation activities to measure the effectiveness of knowledge translation strategies, and recommends knowledge dissemination methods into targeted audiences
• In consultation with ACEs Hub senior leadership team, develop, execute and evaluate knowledge mobilization plan using a diverse range of methods to create and distribute knowledge mobilization products, such as toolkits, learning modules, lay and research publications, and policy briefs, using feedback from knowledge users
• Implement continuous improvement of ACEs Hub to incorporate new resources, remove outdated content, refreshing as needed, and maintaining best practices for knowledge dissemination
• Assess opportunities for research funding, taking direction from the PI to draft grant applications to support ACEs Hub sustainability; including preparing proposals, detailed review and editing of draft internal/external grant applications, assisting in writing as required and providing assistance to co-investigators and collaborators
• Participate in learning opportunities, identify and foster stakeholder engagement and positive working relationships with colleagues, partners and network to advance knowledge and competency of effective knowledge mobilization practices in the youth dating violence prevention field
• Monitor and evaluate emerging issues in the trauma and adversity research landscape to identify and assess opportunities and policy developments applicable to ACEsHub mandate; recommend strategies and initiatives which address knowledge exchange gaps between research and practice
• Undertakes additional duties as required, in support of ACEs Hub and the Determinants of Child Development Lab
• Critically review the quality of research evidence when generating new resources based on those research findings
• Determine content and presentation of reports, manuals, newsletters, ads, articles and other publications, correspondence, and communication materials often in consultation with others
• Select most appropriate target media for a given communication piece. Evaluate reports or documents and propose recommended actions
• Determine method to employ in the synthesis and clarification of information
• Identify and advise on when the knowledge mobilization plans and strategies requires amendments to enhance the reach of communication strategies
• Make recommendations regarding format and content of research proposals
• Determine when and what information should be distributed, to whom, and in what format
• Determine necessary communication skills in order to convey point and select target audience
• Assist in the decision-making process regarding the graphic design of resources created
• Make decisions on the presentation of content to ensure a respectful and fair representation of the community engaged
• Continually assess and adjust priorities for knowledge mobilization in the face of deadlines and limited resources and manage tasks in a fast-paced and demanding environment
• Problem-solve and resolve issues related to communications, determining when to refer issues to senior staff

Qualifications / Requirements:

• Master\'s or PhD degree in psychology or related field, training in quantitative methods, and/or program evaluation (MSc; PhD; student, candidate, or recent graduate)
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in psychology research required
• Minimum of 3 years of experience on projects (research, program evaluation) that included a quantitative component
• Content expertise in trauma and adversity
• Experience administrating quantitative data
• Training in and/or experience with qualitative software to support data administration and analysis
• Strong communication (oral and written) skills
• Record of publications in peer-reviewed academic journals
• Experience preparing and applying various information dissemination strategies for research/evaluation projects (briefing notes, policy reports, business cases, grey reports etc.)
• Demonstrated ability to interpret and identify key results from research and other sources, and to summarize research findings in plain language (presentations and writing).
• Strong organizational, analytical, interpretive and problem-solving skills in order to collect, process, and summarize data.
• Proficiency in using a variety of statistical software, on-line literature search engines, and bibliographic software. Ability to adapt to changing technology and implement new developments to increase effectiveness.
• Scientific writing experience and expertise.
• Highly developed critical reading, writing and editing skills for diverse communications (i.e., reports, manuals, newsletters, ads, articles and other publications, correspondence, and communication materials, different media (print and digital, including web, e-communication and social media).
• Self-motivated. Ability to work independently and in a team-based environment.
• Effective collaborator and team player
• Ability to provide support to other members of the team and related units or teams
• Completion of tri-council ethics training (e.g. TCPS 2.0)
• Completion of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) training/modules/course
• Knowledge of research ethics requirements and processes (for human studies)

Application Deadline: June 1, 2023

We would like to thank all applicants in advance for submitting their resumes. Please note, only those candidates chosen to continue on through the selection process will be contacted.

Additional Information

This position is classified in the Research Career Band, Level 4 of the Management and Professional Staff Career Framework. Management and Professional Staff (MaPS) Positions are currently under review as part of the Alberta Labour Relations Board exclusion review process. Visit the for more information.

To find out more about management and staff opportunities at the University of Calgary and all we have to offer, view our . For more information visit Careers in the

The University strongly recommends all faculty and staff are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

About the University of Calgary

The University of Calgary is Canada\'s leading next-generation university - a living, growing and youthful institution that embraces change and opportunity with a can-do attitude. Located in the nation\'s most enterprising city, the university is making tremendous progress on its Eyes High journey to be recognized as one of Canada\'s top five research universities, grounded in innovative learning and teaching and fully integrated with the community it both serves and leads. The University of Calgary inspires and supports discovery, creativity and innovation across all disciplines. For more information, visit .

The University of Calgary has launched an institution-wide in line with the foundational goals of , committing to creating a rich, vibrant, and culturally competent campus that welcomes and supports Indigenous Peoples, encourages Indigenous community partnerships, is inclusive of Indigenous perspectives in all that we do.

As an equitable and inclusive employer, the University of Calgary recognizes that a diverse staff/faculty benefits and enriches the work, learning and research experiences of the entire campus and greater community. We are committed to removing barriers that have been historically encountered by some people in our society. We strive to recruit individuals who will further enhance our diversity and will support their academic and professional success while they are here. In particular, we encourage members of the designated groups (women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, members of visible/racialized minorities, and diverse sexual orientation and gender identities) to apply. To ensure a fair and equitable assessment, we offer accommodation at any stage during the recruitment process to applicants with disabilities. Questions regarding [diversity] EDI at UCalgary can be sent to the ( ) and requests for accommodations can be sent to Human Resources ( ).

We encourage all qualified applicants to apply, however preference will be given to Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada.

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