Research Assistants, Faculty of Social Work

University of Calgary; Calgary; On-site; CAD 21,000 - 30,000; Part time

Job summary

The University of Calgary invites applications for two Research Assistants in the Faculty of Social Work. These recurring part-time roles run for about five months with potential extension and require 10–15 hours weekly on site in Calgary.

Work includes literature reviews, data collection, and participant recruitment under the PI's guidance. Ideal candidates hold a Bachelor of Social Work or are pursuing an MSW/MA, with a strong interest in research on Black communities and social justice.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Social Work or related field, or current MSW/MA progress.
• Experience with literature searches and reviews is preferred.
• Foundational to intermediate knowledge of qualitative methods (recruitment, interviews, coding, analysis).
• Proficiency with NVivo, SPSS, Qualtrics, or similar research software is an asset.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with PI and team on assigned research activities and provide progress updates.
• Conduct literature searches and prepare summaries, annotated bibliographies, and draft materials.

Skills

Literature review

Qualitative research

Data entry

Communication

Education

Bachelor's in Social Work or related

Tools

NVivo

SPSS

Qualtrics

Microsoft Office

Job description

Description

The Faculty of Social Work invites applications for 2 Research Assistants. These Recurring Part-timepositions are for approximately 5 months (based on length of grant funding), with the possibility of extension.

Reporting to the Principal Investigator (PI), position will work approximately 10-15 hours per week, primarily on site in Calgary.

The Research Assistant will focus primarily on an assigned research project and may support other projects under the PI. Work is generally performed Monday to Friday, with flexible hours as required for approved research activities and peak periods. Most duties are performed at a computer, by telephone, or through online meeting platforms. Job stressors are low to moderate and primarily involve meeting deadlines, managing assigned tasks, and handling sensitive research information.

The position requires attention to detail, sound judgment in following approved research protocols, strong organizational skills, and the ability to work independently on assigned tasks while contributing to a research team. The PI retains responsibility for supervision, work assignments, performance management, and research decisions.
Summary of Key Responsibilities (job functions include but are not limited to):

• Work collaboratively with the PI and research team on assigned research activities and maintain regular progress updates.
• Conduct literature searches, organize scholarly sources, and prepare literature summaries, annotated bibliographies, and draft review materials.
• Assist with preparing research ethics applications, amendments, and supporting documentation under PI guidance.
• Prepare and distribute approved recruitment materials and assist with participant recruitment, scheduling, and communication.
• Assist with interviews, focus groups, and other data-collection activities, including conducting interviews or focus groups using approved protocols and required training.
• Assist with survey administration, data entry, data cleaning, qualitative coding, and analysis under appropriate guidance.
• Organize and maintain research files, data, and project documentation in accordance with approved protocols and University requirements for confidentiality and secure storage.
• Assist with preparing abstracts, manuscripts, reports, presentations, and knowledge-mobilization materials.
• Support communication with community partners and research collaborators as directed by the PI.
• Attend research team meetings and relevant training and provide verbal and written updates on assigned work.
• Track assigned tasks and deadlines, identify emerging issues, and bring matters requiring decisions to the PI.
• Perform other related research duties as assigned by the PI, consistent with the position classification.

Qualifications / Requirements

• Completed Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) or other relevant undergraduate degree in the social sciences or a related discipline; or currently completing an MSW, MA, or other relevant graduate degree.
• Demonstrated interest and/or experience in research involving Black communities, racialized populations, anti-Black racism, trauma, social justice, or related areas is a strong asset.
• Foundational to intermediate knowledge of research methods, particularly qualitative recruitment, data collection, interviewing, focus groups, coding, and analysis.
• Experience conducting literature searches and reviews; familiarity with library databases and scholarly sources.
• Experience with NVivo, SPSS, Qualtrics, or other research software is an asset.
• Strong writing, editing, critical thinking, organizational, problem-solving, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to follow established research protocols, manage assigned deadlines, and work accurately with attention to detail.
• Ability to work independently on assigned tasks and collaboratively within a research team.
• Knowledge of research ethics, confidentiality, and APA 7 formatting.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, and familiarity with Zoom or Microsoft Teams.
  

Application Deadline: October 13, 2026

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.

This position is part of the AUPE bargaining unit, and falls under the Specialist/Advisor Job Family, Phase 1.

For a listing of all management and staff opportunities at the University of Calgary, view our Management and Staff Careers website.

About the University of Calgary

UCalgary is Canada's entrepreneurial university, located in Canada's most enterprising city. It is a top research university and one of the highest-ranked universities of its age. Founded in 1966, its 36,000 students experience an innovative learning environment, made rich by research, hands-on experiences and entrepreneurial thinking. It is Canada's leader in the creation of start-ups. Start something today at the University of Calgary. For more information, visit ucalgary.ca.

The University of Calgary has launched an institution-wide Indigenous Strategy ii' taa'poh'to'p 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.

The university's commitment to the Indigenous Strategy is evident through the oversight of 18 Elders serving on the Circle of Advisors and the many unit-based circles working towards implementation of the strategy including the Faculty Advisory Circle and teams such as the Office of Indigenous Engagement, the Writing Symbols Lodge, and the Indigenous Research Support Team. Many Indigenous-based events and processes are impacting curriculum, programming and polices at the University of Calgary.

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 Office of Institutional Commitments ([e-mail]) and requests for accommodations can be sent to People & Culture ([e-mail]).

Do you have most but not all the qualifications? Research show that women, racialized and visible minorities, and persons with disabilities are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At UCalgary we are committed to achieving equitable, diverse, inclusive and accessible employment practices and workplaces and encourage you to apply if you believe you are right for this role.

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