Research Specialist - Psychology

About this role

Current Employees: If you are currently employed at any of the Universities of Wisconsin, log in to Workday to apply through the internal application process.

Job Category: Academic Staff

Employment Type: Regular

Job Profile: Research Specialist

Job Summary: The laboratory of Dr. Brooke Ammerman, the ASSIST Lab, in the Department of Psychology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison is seeking a full-time Research Specialist. The lab conducts research focused on nonsuicidal and suicidal thoughts and behaviors, with an emphasis on understanding how risk develops and changes over time.

The Research Specialist will primarily coordinate a longitudinal study examining the transition from nonsuicidal self-injury to suicidal behavior among adolescents ages 13 to 17. The study seeks to identify factors that may explain why some adolescents who engage in nonsuicidal self-injury later experience suicidal behavior, with a particular focus on intrapersonal distress, social connection, emotion regulation, and self-perception. The project uses clinical assessments, self-report measures, and novel research methods to evaluate nonsuicidal self-injury severity and related psychological processes across multiple time points.

The project is based at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and is conducted in collaboration with investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital.

The Research Specialist will oversee the day-to-day coordination and implementation of the study. Responsibilities will include recruiting, screening, and scheduling adolescent participants and their caregivers; coordinating study visits and follow-up assessments; administering or supporting research protocols; maintaining communication with participating families; monitoring participant retention, protocol adherence, and data quality; and maintaining study documentation and materials. The Research Specialist will also support Institutional Review Board and regulatory processes, coordinate project activities across investigators and collaborating institutions, and provide guidance to undergraduate research assistants involved in the study.

The Research Specialist may also contribute to other research and operational activities within the lab. These responsibilities may include supporting additional studies, assisting with general lab coordination, supervising undergraduate research assistants, conducting literature reviews, preparing research materials, and contributing to presentations, manuscripts, and grant-related activities.

This position is well suited for individuals planning to pursue graduate training in clinical psychology or a related field and seeking hands-on clinical research experience. The Research Specialist will gain experience in adolescent participant-facing research, longitudinal study coordination, suicide and self-injury assessment, multi-institutional collaboration, research ethics and regulatory processes, and the collection and management of complex clinical data.

Key Job Responsibilities: • Conducts research experiments according to established research protocols with moderate impact to the project(s). Collects data and monitors test results

• Performs literature reviews and writes reports 

• Reviews, analyzes, and interprets data and/or documents results for presentations and/or reporting to internal and external audiences

• Participates in the development, interpretation, and implementation of research methodology and materials

• Provides operational guidance on day-to-day activities of unit or program staff and/or student workers

• Operates, cleans, and maintains organization of research equipment and research area. Tracks inventory levels and places replenishment orders

Department: College of Letters & Science, Department of Psychology

Compensation: The expected salary range for this position is $45,879 - $65,608 for highly experienced candidates. Actual pay within this range will depend on experience, qualifications, and FTE. 

Employees in this position can expect to receive benefits such as generous vacation, holidays, and sick leave; competitive insurances and savings accounts; retirement benefits. Please review the summary of benefits for more information.

Required Qualifications: • Minimum 1 year experience in a research lab setting • Excellent organizational and interpersonal skills

Preferred Qualifications: • Prior research conducted within the field of self-injury/suicide research • Experience working with adolescents / families • Experience with overseeing a research study and associated recruitment, familiarity with IRB application development and submission, and participant-facing interactions in the research setting

Education: Bachelor’s degree in psychology or a related field.

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Important: The application has only one attachment field. Upload the following documents in that field, either as a single combined file or as multiple files in the same upload area. All listed application materials must be submitted for your application to be considered. Please submit only the materials specified; additional materials will not be reviewed.

To be considered for this recruitment, you must upload: -Resume  -Cover Letter

The materials should address your experience relating to the qualifications referenced above. Specifically, applicants should describe why they are interested in this position and how their previous experience makes them qualified.

Please note that successful applicants are responsible for ensuring their eligibility to work in the United States (i.e. a citizen or national of the United States, a lawful permanent resident, a foreign national authorized to work in the

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