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Chicago Master Gardener

A blog for Chicago Master Gardeners providing information on volunteer opportunities, training, workshops and resources.

February 9, 2010

2nd Job Opening:

Hourly Research Specialist (temporary)

The Institute for Health Research and Policy at the University of Illinois at Chicago is conducting a multi-year project to examine the impact of policies, programs and other factors in the built environment on youth eating and physical activity behaviors, and on youth obesity. We are seeking to hire academic hourly Research Specialists to collect observational data from locations across the continental U.S. in 2010. This temporary hourly position will last up to 4-5 months and will pay an hourly rate of $17 based on individual hours worked, without benefits. There is no guaranteed minimum number of hours per week. Research Specialists will work 25 to 40 hours per week and will spend a majority of time collecting data in a variety of environments. Individuals will travel by car and/or airplane to various locations throughout the U.S., and stay in hotels for several consecutive days. In each community visited, individuals will be required to travel by car/on foot in order to conduct observational research.


In this position you will:

- Collect data from food stores, restaurants, public parks, street segments, and recreational facilities that will help to identify the opportunities (or lack thereof) for healthy eating and active living in communities around U.S.;
- Work in teams of two and visit approximately 10-15 communities over the course of the project;
- Locate food and physical activity outlets in each community, and complete detailed survey forms about each location;
- Work closely under UIC supervision to collect and organize field data; and
- Participate in regular debriefing calls and web-based and/or in-person meetings with UIC research teams.

Qualifications:
- Availability to attend a paid training session in Chicago from April 12 – April 30 and to work through July 2010 for data collection;
- Bachelors degree;
- Possession of a valid driver's license, auto insurance, and a good driving record;
- Experience with traveling;
- Ability to travel around the country frequently (e.g., Monday through Friday on a weekly basis);
- Very strong organizational skills and high attention to detail;
- Strong interpersonal communication skills, and an ability to work with others in close environment;
- Basic computer literacy in Word as well as the Internet;
- Must be self-motivated and be able to work without daily supervision; and
- Must be an energetic and enthusiastic collaborative team player.

Desired qualifications:
- Previous experience with national fieldwork or observational data collection;
- Understanding of survey research and data collection; and
- Basic proficiency in Spanish.

To apply
For full consideration, please send a resume with a cover letter to btgcomp@uic.edu by February 12, 2010. References will be required as a condition of employment. Applications will be reviewed/accepted until the positions are filled.

Please, no phone calls. Due to the volume of applications, only applicants of interest will be contacted.

UIC is an AA/EOE.

Posted by Ron Wolford at 9:15 PM | Permalink |