Part-Time Research Assistant Hamer Center for Community Design

The Pennsylvania State University; Ferguson Township (PA); On-site; USD 28,000 - 40,000; Part time

Job summary

The Healthy Environments Action Lab (HEAL) at Penn State University is seeking a Part-Time Research Assistant to support climate, public health, and emergency preparedness research. The role emphasizes mixed-methods work, grant support, and manuscript preparation.

The successful candidate will have a BA or higher in psychology or global health, experience with qualitative interviews and large-scale data, and proficiency in R, SPSS, and literature reviews; strong communication and independent

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in psychology, global health, or a related field.
• Current enrollment in or recent completion of a Master’s degree in Epidemiology, Public Health, or a closely related discipline.
• Experience in manuscript preparation, literature reviews, conducting qualitative interviews, and large-scale cohort analysis.
• Proficiency in statistical programming (R, RStudio, SPSS) and epidemiologic methods (e.g., regression modeling, survival analysis, causal inference) and survey design.
• Strong understanding of climate change, community health impacts, and social determinants of health; crisis counseling or community resource navigation is desirable.
• Excellent written and verbal communication; ability to work independently and maintain data confidentiality.

Responsibilities

• Grant Preparation: Assist in the research, drafting, and assembly of grant proposals and funding applications.
• Manuscript Preparation & Editing: Draft, review, edit, and format manuscripts for submission to peer-reviewed academic journals.
• Qualitative Analysis: Conduct qualitative data analysis, including coding, thematic analysis, and synthesizing qualitative data.
• Literature Reviews: Perform comprehensive, systematic literature searches and synthesize findings to support grant proposals, manuscripts, and project development.
• Project Assistance: Provide general administrative and logistical support for ongoing research projects to ensure milestones are met; other research and administrative tasks as assigned.

Skills

Qualitative analysis

Literature reviews

Data cleaning

Communication

Independent work

Education

Bachelor’s degree in psychology or global health

Master’s degree in Epidemiology or Public Health

Tools

R

RStudio

SPSS

Canva

Adobe Photoshop

Unity/C#

Job description

Department: Healthy Environments Action Lab (HEAL), Hamer Center for Community Design, Stuckeman School, College of Arts and Architecture The Healthy Environments Action Lab (HEAL) within the Hamer Center for Community Design at Penn State University is dedicated to addressing the intersection of the built environment, community resilience, and human health.

We are currently seeking a highly motivated and detail-oriented Part-Time Research Assistant to join our team and support ongoing research initiatives.

Position Summary The Part-Time Research Assistant will support various phases of the research lifecycle, from securing funding to publishing results. The ideal candidate will bring a strong foundation in mixed-methods research and possess specific subject matter expertise in climate change, public health, and emergency preparedness.

Key Responsibilities

• Grant Preparation: Assist in the research, drafting, and assembly of grant proposals and funding applications.
• Manuscript Preparation & Editing: Draft, review, edit, and format manuscripts for submission to peer-reviewed academic journals.
• Qualitative Analysis: Conduct qualitative data analysis, including coding, thematic analysis, and synthesizing qualitative data.
• Literature Reviews: Perform comprehensive, systematic literature searches and synthesize findings to support grant proposals, manuscripts, and project development.
• Project Assistance: Provide general administrative and logistical support for ongoing research projects to ensure milestones are met; other research and administrative tasks as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in psychology, Global Health, or a related field.
• Current enrollment in or recent completion of a Master’s degree program in Epidemiology, Public Health, or a closely related discipline.
• Research Experience: Proven experience in manuscript preparation, literature reviews, conducting qualitative interviews, and large-scale cohort analysis.
• Technical & Methodological Expertise: High proficiency in statistical programming (R, RStudio, SPSS). Experience with epidemiologic methods (e.g., regression modeling, survival analysis, causal inference) and survey design.
• Subject Matter Knowledge: Strong understanding of concepts related to climate change, community health impacts, and the social determinants of health. Experience in crisis counseling or community resource navigation is highly desirable.
• Work Ethic: Highly self-motivated, disciplined, and capable of working independently with minimal supervision.
• Communication: Excellent written and oral communication skills, with a proven ability to translate complex health data into reproducible research outputs.
• Attention to Detail: Exceptional organizational skills and a meticulous approach to data cleaning, editing, and maintaining confidentiality protocols.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with international research fellowships or global health fieldwork.
• Demonstrated experience in interdisciplinary teamwork and student/stakeholder consulting.
• Familiarity with additional tools such as Canva, Adobe Photoshop, or Unity/C#.

Application Process

Interested candidates should submit a resume and cover letter to Dr. Erica Husser: [e-mail] by August 15th, 2026.

Background Checks/Clearances

Employment with the University will require successful completion of background check(s) in accordance with University policies.

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