Research Assistant, Higher Education

U.S. Institute of Peace; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 23,000 - 26,000; Part time

Job summary

U.S. Institute of Peace is seeking a part-time Research Assistant (20 hours/week) based at our Washington, DC headquarters.

The role supports the Higher Education Engagement team within the Civic Engagement and Scholarship Unit, focusing on programs for professors and university students and expanding outreach across the U.S. The ideal candidate is a current undergraduate or master’s student in related fields such as higher education, public policy, or international relations, with strong

Qualifications

• Excellent written communication; ability to draft for non-expert audiences.
• Strong research skills; identify information quickly and summarize findings.
• Strong interpersonal skills with good humor and sound judgment.
• Experience creating content on social media (LinkedIn) is preferred.
• Experience with databases that track contacts and relationships is desirable; Salesforce is useful.

Responsibilities

• Conduct research to support outreach to diverse domestic audiences.
• Support programs for professors and university students and onsite engagements at USIP HQ.
• Update databases and map connections to track contacts across the country.
• Assist in exploring how public institutions work with higher education in promoting global peace.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Skills

Research skills

Written communication

Interpersonal skills

Social media content creation

Data tracking

Education

Undergraduate or Master’s student in related field

Tools

Salesforce

Job description

Who We Are

Peace is our commitment. The United States Institute of Peace represents the American people’s shared values and commitment to peace worldwide. We know that Peace is Security – it advances both U.S. and international security by preventing, managing, and mitigating violent conflict.

We are an independent, non-partisan institution and are active

ly engaged with peacebuilding efforts worldwide. Together we tackle the most challenging problems and hold fast to the possibility of a more peaceful world. To learn more about USIP programs and job openings, go to https://www.usip.org/about/careers.

BRIEF

The Higher Education Engagement (HEE) team is hiring a research assistant (RA) to support its work within USIP’s Civic Engagement and Scholarship (CES) Unit. HEE programmatic work is grounded in USIP’s role as a public institution and its congressional mandate to serve as a resource for the American public. HEE compliments the longstanding work of Public Engagement and Scholastic Competitions by focusing on the higher education community of colleges, universities, and higher education associations. HEE seeks to enhance awareness within the higher education community about the Institute’s resources for research, programming, and training.

Pay: $17.50 - $18.50

Work schedule: 20 Hours/Week

Expected Start Date: November 2024

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Conduct research in support of the team’s outreach to diverse domestic audiences, including identifying avenues for reaching new audiences and expanding USIP’s contacts and relationships across the U.S.
• Support existing HEE initiatives, including programs for professors and university students, onsite engagements at USIP’s headquarters, and overall expansion of HEE’s work.
• Provide support for the team’s work to track contacts and relationships across the country, including updating databases and mapping connections.
• Assist in HEE’s research initiative exploring how public institutions work alongside higher education institutions in the promotion and development of global peace.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Excellent written communication skills – the ability to prepare drafts quickly, and to write in an accessible way for non-expert audiences.
• Strong research skills – the ability to find information quickly, to analyze based on guidance and priorities, and to summarize and synthesize findings in useful formats.
• Strong interpersonal skills, including good humor and sound judgement.
• Prior experience creating content on social media (LinkedIn) is preferred.
• Experience with databases that track contacts and relationships is highly desirable; experience with Salesforce is especially useful.
• Previous work experience in a fast-paced office environment is required.
• Candidates must be a current, full-time Undergraduate or Masters student studying higher education, international and comparative education, public policy, communications, peace and justice, conflict resolution, international relations, or another related subject.

Although USIP's Research Assistant program is administered through the Consortium of Universities in the Washington Metropolitan area, any full-time university student based in the U.S. is eligible for these positions.

All USIP contract and employee positions are contingent upon the favorable completion of a suitability background investigation.

Compensation is commensurate with qualifications and experience.

USIP is an equal opportunity employer. It is the policy and practice of USIP to offer equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants and employees without regard to race, color, age, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, genetic information, HIV/AIDS status, political affiliations or belief, pregnancy, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Learn More About USIP (click here)