Research Associate

Research Associate at The University of Texas at Austin

Position will be responsible for developing and implementing formative and summative evaluations of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education related projects, research grants, and contracted evaluation services. Assist collaborative partners with grant writing and research/evaluation design. Conduct quantitative and qualitative research and evaluation (e.g., survey and protocol design, data collection, content analysis, descriptive statistics, inferential statistics). Contribute to the research/evaluation team, collaborating with EPIC staff and graduate research assistants. Present and report data. Develop and submit research articles and presentations to disseminate research and evaluation results.

General Notes

The Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC) at The University of Texas at Austin is one of the leading supercomputing centers in the world, supporting advances in computational research by thousands of researchers and students. The Expanding Pathways in Computing (EPIC) group’s mission is to broaden participation in K20 computing education through research, outreach, professional development, and policy advocacy. EPIC also provides STEM Evaluation Services to external entities to help advance their STEM education research and outreach.

TACC supports individuals from all communities by respecting and encouraging mindfulness of diverse viewpoints and experiences. We strive to promote diversity in our recruiting and retention practices as we believe inclusivity contributes to the development of excellence in all of our endeavors. TACC fosters a culture of innovation, passion, and fun by encouraging staff members to actively collaborate to investigate the latest technologies, team up for charities, and celebrate successes together. TACC promotes a healthy workplace by helping employees achieve balance between their personal and professional lives in order to increase employee engagement, job satisfaction, and overall well-being.

Responsibilities

Grant Writing Assistance and Research/Evaluation Design

• Meet with potential clients to provide consultation on STEM education related research and evaluation design. Assist potential clients with the identification of key performance indicators and metrics, appropriate quantitative or qualitative data collection methods and instrumentation, and analysis techniques to address research and evaluation questions. Assist potential clients with the development of logic models for grant proposals. Develop evaluation component of grant proposals in coordination with potential clients.

Conduct Research and Evaluations

• Design and manage process and outcome evaluations of STEM education related programs. Collaborate with external organizations (e.g., colleges, research centers, data depositories) and internal partners (e.g., EPIC staff) to obtain data for analysis. Assist EPIC staff and external clients with Institutional Review Board process and documentation. Develop data sharing agreements, formalize Institutional Review Board documents, and Memoranda of Understanding on research and evaluation projects. Develop and/or identify appropriate content-specific instrumentation for evaluating project metrics as needed. Conduct interviews, focus groups, site visits, and/or classroom observations as needed. Collaborate with Center staff to manage the secure storage and handling of all evaluation data. Conduct quantitative research and evaluation (e.g., survey design, descriptive statistics, inferential statistics). Contribute to the research/evaluation team, collaborating with EPIC faculty, staff and graduate research assistants as needed. Write project evaluation component of required reports to funding agencies. Create data visualizations and briefs to communicate evaluation findings to multiple audiences.

Dissemination of Findings/Services

• Write and submit research articles and presentation proposals. Disseminate research and evaluation results at national and regional conferences in coordination with research/project team. Represent EPIC and TACC at local, regional and national events, promoting EPIC’s research and evaluation services.

Required Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Mathematics or Science Education, Educational Psychology, or other STEM Education-related fields with a strong background in STEM education research. Experience in program evaluation and in collaborating with a research team to collect and analyze quantitative and qualitative data. Proficient in statistical analysis software such as STATA, SPSS, R or SAS. Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.

Preferred Qualifications

• Three or more years of program evaluation experience. Content knowledge and skills in conducting research in Mathematics, Science, Engineering, or Computer Science education. Recent peer-reviewed publications in STEM Education fields.

The University of Texas at Austin, as an equal opportunity / affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.