Research Assistant

brown; Los Angeles (CA); Hybrid; USD 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

The Hassenfeld Child Health Innovation Institute at the School of Public Health is seeking a full-time grant-funded Research Assistant to support multiple projects focused on depression prevention in youth and families.

The role involves outreach to diverse local communities including Spanish-speaking populations, coordination with project staff, and administrative support for research activities such as literature reviews and manuscript preparation.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree and 1–2 years of experience or equivalent combination.
• Bachelor's degree in psychology, social work, or related field preferred.
• Experience with Qualtrics or REDCap.
• Experience with human subjects research and mental health research.
• Bilingual Spanish/English (written and verbal) preferred.

Responsibilities

• Outreach for recruitment to parents and families.
• Obtain consent for enrolling teens in school-based study.
• Coordinate study meetings and follow-up activities.
• Perform preliminary literature searches and help with manuscript proofreading.

Skills

Bilingual Spanish/English

Motivational interviewing

Data entry / management

Communication skills

Confidentiality

Education

Bachelor's Degree in psychology, social work, or related field

Tools

Qualtrics

REDCap

SPSS

Microsoft Office

Video conferencing tools (Zoom/Meet/Teams)

Job description

The Hassenfeld Child Health Innovation Institute at the School of Public Health is seeking a full-time grant-funded Research Assistant to support multiple projects focused on depression prevention in youth and families. This role is central to our outreach efforts within diverse local communities, including Spanish-speaking populations. The successful applicant will work closely with the Project Managers, Clinicians, and other staff, as well as the Principal Investigators, on efforts that will have a direct impact on adolescents and their families.

The position will involve working on: (1) a large-scale, school-based screening/intervention initiative aimed at addressing the problem of youth depression and suicidal behavior; and (2) research studies evaluating the long-term effects of prevention interventions on adolescent depression. Major functions include conducting outreach for recruitment to parents, conducting consent for enrolling teens in school-based study, conducting motivational interviews, monitoring participant tracking and follow-up while assisting with the coordination of study meetings and the distribution of study information, and providing administrative support for research activities, including performing preliminary literature searches, formatting bibliographies, and proofreading manuscripts or reports.

This is a hybrid eligible position.

This is a fixed term position with a current end date of 10/31/2027, which may be extended based upon available funding.

All offers of employment are contingent upon a criminal background check and education verification satisfactory to Brown University.

Job Qualifications and Competencies

Education and Experience

• Bachelor's Degree and 1 to 2 years of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Bachelor's degree in psychology, social work, or related field is preferred.
• Experience with survey and database software, such as Qualtrics or Redcap, strongly preferred.
• Experience working with vulnerable populations.
• Experience working in human subjects research, strongly preferred.
• Experience using SPSS or other statistical packages
• Experience and familiarity with clinical diagnoses.
• Research experience, particularly with mental health research.
• Bilingual fluency in Spanish and English (written and verbal) is strongly preferred to facilitate communication with Spanish-speaking study participants and families

Job Competencies

• Strong software proficiency (i.e. Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, RedCap, Qualtrics), (e.g. Redcap, Qualtrics).
• High level of comfort with technology that enables virtual interactions (e.g., Zoom, Webex, Google Meet, TEAMS).
• Ability to interact well with adolescents, parents, and school personnel.
• Ability to discuss mental health concerns, including depression, with families.
• Ability to discuss study goals and tasks to interested parents and teens.
• Ability to compile and enter data accurately and maintain confidentiality
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, strong interpersonal skills.
• Strong attention to detail, high level of professionalism and organization required.
• Efficient time management skills.
• Ability to handle multiple tasks and work independently with little structure.
• Ability to travel locally to conduct study activities
• Flexibility to support a varying work schedule, which will include evenings.

Position Details

• Job Posting Title: Research Assistant
• Department: Hassenfeld Child Health Innovation Institute
• Grade: Grade 8
• Worker Type: Employee
• Worker Sub-Type: Fixed Term (Fixed Term)
• Time Type: Full time
• Scheduled Weekly Hours: 37.5
• Position Work Location: Hybrid
• Recruiting Start Date: 2026-10-09
• This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship.

Submission Guidelines

Employees with a designated position work location as remote must reside and perform their work in a state where Brown University is registered to do business. Brown University is a registered employer in the following states: Rhode Island, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Washington, D.C.