Assistant Professor of Research - School of Social Work

Virginia Commonwealth University; Richmond (VA); Hybrid; USD 85,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Virginia Commonwealth University's School of Social Work invites applications for an Assistant Professor of Research in the Evaluation Lab, where community-engaged research and meaningful social impact come together.

The Evaluation Lab provides research and evaluation services across field agencies, nonprofits, and government partners. Salary ranges from $85,000 to $95,000, with a 40-hour week and a hybrid work arrangement.

Qualifications

• Doctorate in social work, psychology, behavioral sciences, or a related field.
• Experience with policy-related research and training modules for local/state organizations.
• Experience collaborating with foundations and community stakeholders.
• Experience mentoring students and developing research training curricula.
• Proficiency with office software and data tools (REDCap, SPSS, R).
• Excellent oral and written communication, time management and project skills.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team; promote respectful environment.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with the Evaluation Lab on program planning, budgeting, research activities, and evaluation.
• Plan, coordinate, and facilitate Evaluation Lab meetings and project deliverables.
• Assist with graduate and undergraduate field placements and research training.
• Develop and implement research training curricula.
• Coordinate student recruitment, selection, placement, and training.
• Ensure timely completion of regulatory documentation and compliance.
• Mentor students in community-engaged research and science communication.
• Contribute to scholarly activities including publications and grant development.
• Support Evaluation Lab projects as assigned by the Dean.

Skills

Excellent oral and written comms

Time management

Independent & collaborative work

Mentoring students

Policy-related research

Training module development

Diversity & inclusion mindset

Publications & grant development

Education

Doctorate in social work, psychology, behavioral sciences, or related field

Tools

REDCap

R/SPSS

Office software (Google Workspace/MS Office)

Job description

Virginia Commonwealth University's School of Social Work welcomes applications for an Assistant Professor of Research position with the Evaluation Lab, where community-engaged research, collaborative partnerships, and meaningful social impact come together.

Position Overview

The Evaluation Lab at the School of Social Work (SSW) at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) provides research and evaluation services to SSW field agencies and community partners as well as nonprofit organizations, government agencies and a variety of other organizations. Our mission is to give back to our partners and work collaboratively to address their needs; we offer our research expertise while depending on knowledge, guidance and feedback from our partners throughout the research process. Our services include program evaluation, survey development and administration, grant writing, data analysis, research dissemination, and more. The Evaluation Lab is staffed with social work faculty and staff across a range of expertise and alongside graduate and undergraduate research assistants. For more information visit our website at https://socialwork.vcu.edu/uncommon-strengths/evaluation-lab/.

Founded in 1917, the VCU School of Social Work is a long-established leader in social work education and research. With BSW, MSW, and PhD programs, and both online and on-campus learning modalities, we are one of the largest accredited, comprehensive social work programs in the U.S. A preeminent urban public university and health sciences center, VCU is one of only 28 Carnegie-designated Research Intensive (R1) and Community Engaged public universities nationwide. VCU is located in the capital city of Richmond, recently ranked among the top 25 places to live in the U.S. Our proximity to the state capital facilitates collaboration with state and federal agencies and related organizations. Faculty maintain dynamic relationships with community agencies and research groups in the area and throughout the U.S. and the world. To learn more about the School of Social Work, please visit https://socialwork.vcu.edu/.

Key Responsibilities

Key responsibilities of the Assistant Professor of Research include, but are not limited to:

• Collaborate closely with the Evaluation Lab on program planning, budgeting, research activities, and evaluation initiatives.
• Plan, coordinate, and facilitate Evaluation Lab meetings, activities, and project deliverables.
• Assist with the day-to-day coordination of graduate and undergraduate field placements and research training programs.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of research training curricula.
• Coordinate and oversee student recruitment, selection, placement, and training activities.
• Ensure the timely completion of required regulatory documentation and compliance processes.
• Mentor undergraduate and graduate students in research and evaluation activities, with an emphasis on community-engaged research, knowledge translation, and science communication.
• Pursue and contribute to scholarly activities, including publications, grant development, and teaching opportunities.
• Support and contribute to Evaluation Lab projects and initiatives as assigned by the Dean.

Minimum Qualifications

• Doctorate in social work, psychology, behavioral sciences, or a related field.
• Experience with policy-related research, providing training and technical assistance to local and state organizations (e.g., development of training modules), and program evaluation, including conducting critical literature reviews, synthesizing community-level demographic and socioeconomic information, and developing policy recommendations.
• Experience working with foundations and engaging and collaborating with community stakeholders.
• Experience mentoring students at the undergraduate and graduate levels and developing research-focused training plans and curricula.
• Proficiency in computer applications, including statistical, data management, and word processing software (e.g., Google Workspace, Microsoft Office Suite, REDCap, SPSS, or R).
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Excellent time management, organizational, and project management skills.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively as part of a team.
• Demonstrated ability to work in and foster an environment of respect, professionalism and civility with a population of faculty, staff, and students from all backgrounds and experiences, or a commitment to do so as a faculty member at VCU.

Preferred Qualifications

• MSW with clinical and/or community practice experience.
• Knowledge of, and/or established relationships with, local and state community agencies.
• Experience working in a fast-paced research environment.
• Familiarity with behavioral health research and community-engaged research.
• Experience teaching and mentoring undergraduate and/or graduate students, including managing evaluation- or research-focused student field placements.
• Experience using administrative and research-related software applications, such as Collegiate Travel Planners, Chrome River, xTrain, and Articulate/Rise 360.
• Experience coordinating student travel and related logistics.

Benefits

All full-time university staff are eligible for VCU’s robust benefits package that includes comprehensive health benefits, paid annual and holiday leave, generous tuition benefits, retirement planning and savings options, tax-deferred annuity and cash match programs, employee discounts, well-being resources, abundant opportunities for career development and advancement, and more.

Position Details

Salary Range: $85,000 - $95,000

FLSA Exemption Status: Exempt

Hours per Week: 40

Restricted Position: No

ORP Eligible: Yes

Flexible Work Arrangement: Hybrid

Rank: Assistant Professor

Tenure: Ineligible

Months: 12

Contact Information

Contact Name: Dr. Amy Adkins

Contact Email: [e-mail]