Interdisciplinary Research Assistant — Barcelona Study

Denver, CO; Denver (CO); Hybrid; USD 21,000 - 28,000; Part time

Job summary

The EURēCA! Student Assistant for Interdisciplinary Research on Barcelona is a CU Denver undergraduate position in the Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities.

The role supports a faculty-led project examining Barcelona’s Raval neighborhood through urban studies, geography, sociology, and public policy. As part of the research team, you will locate and organize scholarly materials, collect and analyze historical and contemporary data, summarize findings, and develop resources

Qualifications

• Strong written communication and analytical skills.
• Interest in urban change, immigration, housing, or public policy.
• Ability to locate, evaluate, and synthesize scholarly literature.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a faculty-led environment.
• Willingness to learn research methods and citation tools.

Responsibilities

• Conduct literature searches using academic databases and library resources.
• Prepare annotated bibliographies and concise summaries of scholarly works.
• Collect demographic, housing, tourism, immigration, and socioeconomic data from public sources.
• Conduct archival research using digital archives and planning documents.
• Assist with organizing references using Zotero.
• Compile historical timelines of redevelopment and demographic shifts in Raval.
• Organize photographs, maps, and other materials with documentation.
• Verify citations and statistics for manuscript preparation.
• Prepare weekly research memos summarizing progress and opportunities.
• Participate in regular meetings with the faculty mentor.

Skills

Strong writing

Analytical skills

Urban studies interest

Literature synthesis

Organization skills

Independent work

Team collaboration

Willingness to learn methods

Education

Undergraduate student (CU Denver)

Tools

Zotero

Excel

GIS

Job description

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EURēCA! Student Assistant for Interdisciplinary Research on Barcelona

The EURēCA! Student Assistants Program provides introductory opportunities forCU Denver undergraduates to engage in research and creative activities.

StudentsMUSTcomplete the self-paced EURēCA! Presentation and Quizzes in Canvas (30min) or meet with a EURēCA! advisor before applying for all EURēCA! positions. Register Here.

Employer/Dept: University of Colorado Denver Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities

Supervisor: Jeremy Németh, Ph.D. | College of Architecture and Planning

Job Title: EURēCA! StudentAssistant for Interdisciplinary Research on Barcelona

Job Location: CU DenverDepartment of Urban and Regional Planning/ College of Architecture and Planning (CAP). This position can be flexible with some remote and some on-campus components.

Purpose: Barcelona’s Raval neighborhood has undergone profound social, economic, and physical transformations over the past several decades. Once characterized as a working-class and immigrant neighborhood, Raval has experienced extensive urban redevelopment, demographic change, cultural investment, and rapid tourism growth. These changes have generated ongoing debates about immigration, neighborhood stigma, housing affordability, gentrification, and community identity.

This faculty research project supports the writing of a scholarly book examining the historical and contemporary transformation of Barcelona’s Raval through interdisciplinary perspectives in urban studies, geography, sociology, history, and public policy. The project draws upon archival research, demographic analysis, urban policy, historical newspapers, municipal planning documents, and scholarly literature to better understand how immigration, stigma, and redevelopment have shaped one of Europe’s most studied urban neighborhoods. Learn More

Position Description: As a member of the research team, the undergraduate research assistant will work closely with the faculty investigator to locate and organize scholarly materials, collect and analyze historical and contemporary data, summarize research findings, and develop research resources that directly support the book manuscript. Students will participate in an active research project while developing practical skills in social science and humanities research methods.

Duties and Responsibilities:

The undergraduate research assistant will support multiple aspects of the research process, including:

• Conduct literature searches using academic databases and library resources.
• Prepare annotated bibliographies and concise summaries of scholarly books, journal articles, and reports.
• Collect demographic, housing, tourism, immigration, and socioeconomic data from public databases and government sources.
• Conduct archival research using digital newspaper collections, municipal planning documents, historical reports, and other primary sources.
• Assist with organizing references using citation management software (e.g., Zotero).
• Compile historical timelines documenting major redevelopment projects, demographic shifts, policy changes, and community responses in Raval.
• Organize photographs, maps, and other visual materials with appropriate documentation and metadata.
• Verify citations, statistics, quotations, and historical information for manuscript preparation.
• Prepare weekly research memos summarizing completed work and identifying additional research opportunities.
• Participate in regular meetings with the faculty mentor to discuss progress and future research activities.

Skills and Knowledge Gained:

By the conclusion of the research experience, students will be able to:

• Conduct systematic literature reviews using academic research databases.
• Evaluate, synthesize, and summarize scholarly literature from multiple disciplines.
• Develop skills in archival and documentary research.
• Collect, organize, and interpret qualitative and quantitative data.
• Apply best practices for citation management and scholarly organization.
• Understand interdisciplinary approaches to urban research and historical analysis.
• Communicate research findings through concise written summaries and presentations.
• Develop professional research skills including project management, collaboration, and scholarly communication.
• Gain familiarity with the process of developing a book-length scholarly manuscript.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Strong written communication and analytical skills.
• Interest in urban change, immigration, housing, neighborhood development, public policy, or social and cultural geography.
• Ability to locate, evaluate, and synthesize scholarly literature.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a faculty-led research environment.
• Willingness to learn research methods, archival research techniques, and citation management tools.

Preferred Qualifications:

This opportunity is open to undergraduate students at CU Denver who have a strong interest in urban studies, social science research, history, and public policy.

Students from the following CU Denver undergraduate majors are especially encouraged to apply:

• Anthropology (BA)
• Geography and Environmental Sciences (BA or BS)
• History (BA)
• International Studies (BA)
• Political Science (BA)
• Public Service (BA)
• Sociology (BA)

Preferred Qualifications:

• Spanish language proficiency is very strongly preferred. Much of the project’s primary source material, including municipal planning documents, archival records, government reports, newspapers, and scholarly publications, is available in Spanish. Students who can read and synthesize Spanish-language materials will be able to contribute more substantially to the research.
• Reading knowledge of Catalan is beneficial but not required.
• Interest in/experience with Census/sociodemographic data collection/analysis preferred.
• Experience with Zotero, Excel, GIS, or other research software is desirable but not required.

Position Commitment: 10 hours/week (dependent on work-study award amount)

Length of Employment:

This position is available for Fall 2026 and Spring 2027, employment may continue at Dr. Németh’s discretion. Please reach out to [e-mail] with any questions about the position. If both mentor and mentee agree, students can apply to continue with EURēCA! for a second year.

Offers for this position are contingent on a current work-study award.

• First complete 2026-2027 FAFSA or CASFA and confirm work-study eligibility with the CU Denver Financial Aid office.
• Once confirmed, attach email from Financial Aid stating potential work-study eligibility.
• Following interview and position offers, the EURēCA! Office will provide Work-study Authorization forms to confirm final work-study award amounts before formal offer letters.