Student Research Assistant

Center for Public Partnerships & Research; Topeka (KS); On-site; USD 17,000 - 24,000; Part time

Job summary

The Speech Science and Disorders Lab at Center for Public Partnerships & Research seeks a motivated student to assist with a nine-month project on communication disorders in adults with neurodegenerative diseases. The role includes recruitment, scheduling, interviews, data collection, coding, entry, and general lab upkeep.

Responsibilities are divided 50% research support, 30% participant support, and 20% lab maintenance, with flexible scheduling and training in data collection and database

Qualifications

• Flexibility to accommodate participants’ schedules, as evidenced by application materials.
• Willingness to obtain training for data collection and database management, as evidenced by application materials.
• Experience in human subject research and caregiving preferred, as evidenced by application materials.

Responsibilities

• Recruit and retain participants; schedule visits; conduct follow-up communications.
• Prepare for participants’ lab visits; conduct behavioral assessments; code and enter data.
• Clean and sanitize lab instruments; maintain lab environments.

Skills

Communication skills

Human subject research experience

Caregiving experience

Job description

Role

The Speech Science and Disorders Lab is looking for a highly motivated student to assist with a research project on communication disorders in adults with neurodegenerative diseases over the next nine months. The student in this position will provide a multitude of supportive roles to the project, including:

• Participant recruitment and/or retention, scheduling, interview, and follow-up
• Experimental preparation and cleanup
• Data collection, coding, and entry
• Managing electronic databases and participant records
• General lab maintenance

Job Description

50% - Research Support

• Prepare for participants’ lab visits.
• Conduct behavioral assessments.
• Research data coding and entry.
• Manage electronic databases on secured network servers.

30% - Participant Support

• Assist with participant recruitment (e.g., distributing flyers, contacting local community centers to share study information, attending local patient support group meetings).
• Arrange introductory meetings with participants.
• Schedule participants’ lab visits.
• Send reminder and follow-up emails to confirm appointments and support participant retention.
• Process participant payments.

20% - Lab Maintenance

• Clean and sanitize lab instruments after each participant session.
• General lab maintenance.

Required Qualifications

• Flexibility and availability to accommodate participants’ schedules when arranging lab visits, as evidenced by application materials.
• Willingness to obtain necessary training for data collection and database management, as evidenced by application materials.

Preferred Qualifications

• Good communication skills, as evidenced by application materials.
• Prior experience in human subject research, as evidenced by application materials.
• Prior experience providing care to individuals with special needs, as evidenced by application materials.

Position Requirements

During the semester term of the appointment, the student hourly must be enrolled in no fewer than 6 credit hours. For summer periods the student hourly must: (1) have been enrolled in no less than 6 hours in the past spring semester or (2) be pre-enrolled in the upcoming fall semester in no less than 6 hours or (3) be enrolled in summer session or (4) be admitted to study in the upcoming fall semester. Student Hourlies may be undergraduate or graduate students. (Exceptions granted for GRA/GTA/GA appointments DO NOT apply to Student Hourly appointments). This position requires flexibility and availability to accommodate participants’ schedules when arranging lab visits, as well as willingness to obtain necessary training for data collection and database management.

Employment Conditions

• Student employees are not eligible for remote work arrangements unless an exception is approved by the unit leadership and HR.
• This is an hourly/non-exempt position. A student employee cannot hold an hourly/non-exempt position and a salaried/exempt graduate or undergraduate position (GRA/GTA/GA/RUA/RGA) concurrently.

Additional Candidate Instructions

• Resume/CV
• Cover letter addressing required/preferred qualifications

Contact Information to Applicants

Panying Rong, Ph.D.

Director, Speech Science and Disorders Lab

[e-mail]

Advertised Salary Range

$15.00 per hour

Anticipated Start Date

Monday November 2, 2026