Associate in Research

Duke MEMS Graduate Student Committee; Durham (NC); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Duke MEMS Graduate Student Committee seeks an Associate in Research to assist faculty in research programs, organize projects, and prepare manuscript materials and proposals.

The role emphasizes editing and writing support, working with students, postdocs, and researchers, and requires strong communication and organizational abilities for on-site work in Durham, NC.

Qualifications

• Education requires organizational, analytical and communications skills normally acquired through the completion of a bachelor's degree program.
• Three years editorial or marketing experience in a publishing or related setting to acquire skills necessary to perform activities associated with the solicitation and acquisition of manuscripts, editorial review, assessment of manuscript marketability, and preparation of books for publication.

Responsibilities

• Transform raw technical data, complex drafts into publication-ready academic text, ensuring that they tell a clear, compelling stories.
• Use advanced language skills to make specialized computational science accessible to diverse peer reviewers.
• Serve as the group’s in-house writing expert, helping junior researchers develop strong publishing habits. Work one-on-one with members of the center, including students, postdocs, and researchers to give constructive feedback and boost their writing confidence.
• Regularly lead writing workshops to teach best practices in academic publishing.
• Refine the language in funding proposals to ensure our group’s ideas are communicated perfectly to grant committees.
• Act as the editing anchor for Multi-University Research Teams, helping the PI’s external collaborators polish joint manuscripts, white papers and proposals.
• Act like a liaison in the organization of multi-PI collaborations: such as MURIs, NSF-centers.
• Proactively help in co-organizing workshops, seminars, and other outreach activities required by the center.

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

Duke University, Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science

Position ID

Duke-MEMS-ARCURTAROLO [#32492]

Position Title

Associate in Research

Position Location

Durham, North Carolina 27701, United States of America

Subject Areas

Engineering / Materials Science and Engineering, Mechanical, Mechanical Engineering

Appl Deadline

2026/08/29 03:59 AM UTC* (posted 2026/08/21 04:00 AM UTC, listed until 2026/08/29 03:59 AM UTC)

Position Description

Position Description

Duke University was created in 1924 through an indenture of trust by James Buchanan Duke. Today, Duke is regarded as one of America’s leading research universities. Located in Durham, North Carolina, Duke is positioned in the heart of the Research Triangle, which is ranked annually as one of the best places in the country to work and live. Duke has more than 15,000 students who study and conduct research in its 10 undergraduate, graduate and professional schools. With about 40,000 employees, Duke is the third largest private employer in North Carolina, and it now has international programs in more than 150 countries.

The Pratt School of Engineering at Duke University is one of the fastest rising, highly ranked engineering schools in the nation. The school consists of four departments with 130 tenure-track faculty members, 1250 undergraduate students, 1400 master’s students, and 600 PhD students. Housed within a university renowned for its programs in the liberal arts, medicine, business and law, Pratt prepares future engineering leaders to address complex challenges with solutions that take into account the complexities and nuances of implementing them. Pratt takes a whole-student approach to education, ensuring students are well supported throughout their journeys and graduate with the grit and determination required to persevere in their careers and their lives. Pratt is dedicated to the values of diversity, equitability, inclusivity and community in its pursuit of knowledge and service to society.

Occupational Summary

An individual with academic credentials but without a doctorate and not a degree candidate. Assists faculty members in research programs by participating in the research directly or in organizing a program under which the research is carried out. This classification is administered on Campus through the Office of the Provost and in the Medical Center throughout the office of the Chancellor for Health Affairs. Is it not subject to the Wage and Salary system.

Work Performed

• Transform raw technical data, complex drafts into publication-ready academic text, ensuring that they tell a clear, compelling stories.
• Use advanced language skills to make specialized computational science accessible to diverse peer reviewers.
• Serve as the group’s in-house writing expert, helping junior researchers develop strong publishing habits. Work one-on-one with members of the center, including students, postdocs, and researchers to give constructive feedback and boost their writing confidence.
• Regularly lead writing workshops to teach best practices in academic publishing.
• Refine the language in funding proposals to ensure our group’s ideas are communicated perfectly to grant committees.
• Act as the editing anchor for Multi-University Research Teams, helping the PI’s external collaborators polish joint manuscripts, white papers and proposals.
• Act like a liaison in the organization of multi-PI collaborations: such as MURIs, NSF-centers.
• Proactively help in co-organizing workshops, seminars, and other outreach activities required by the center.

Minimum Qualifications

Education

Work requires organizational, analytical and communications skills normally acquired through the completion of a bachelor's degree program.

Experience

Work requires three years editorial or marketing experience in a publishing or related setting to acquire skills necessary to perform activities associated with the solicitation and acquisition of manuscripts, editorial review, assessment of manuscript marketability, and preparation of books for publication. OR AN EQUIVALENT COMBINATION OF RELEVANT EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE

Skills

N/A

The intent of this job description is to provide a representative and level of the types of duties and responsibilities that will be required of the positions given this title and shall not be construed as a declaration of the total of the specific duties and responsibilities of any particular position. Employees may be directed to perform job-related tasks other than those specifically presented in this description.

Duke is an Affiant Action/Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status.

Duke aspires to create a community built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. Our collective success depends on the robust exchange of ideas—an exchange that is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes. To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all members of the community feel secure and welcome, that the contributions of all individuals are respected, and that all voices are heard. All members of our community have a responsibility to uphold these values.

Essential Physical Job Functions

Certain jobs at Duke University and Duke University Health System may include essential job functions that require specific physical and/or mental abilities. Additional information and provision for requests for reasonable accommodation will be provided by each hiring department.

Duke University is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, ethnicity, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy and pregnancy related conditions), sexual orientation, or military status.

Duke University aspires to create a community built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. Our collective success depends on the robust exchange of ideas—an exchange that is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes. To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all members of the community feel secure and welcome, that the contributions of all individuals are respected, and that all voices are heard. All members of our community have a responsibility to uphold these values.

www.mems.duke.edu

919-660-5310

Duke University

Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science

Box 90300

Durham, NC 27708