Research Assistant

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Environmental Health –Environmental Justice – Community-Engaged Research Research Assistant

We seek a versatile research assistant to contribute to innovative environmental health studies in a community-engaged context. We study chemicals linked to breast cancer, which often disproportionately affect marginalized communities.

Great opportunity to learn about public interest science! We are proud to train a new generation for careers in environmental health.

Silent Spring Institute is a scientific research organization and one of the nation’s leading authorities on cancer-causing chemicals in our everyday environments. We are a collaborative, high-energy staff of 25, including expertise in epidemiology, toxicology, chemistry, social science, and communications. We lead National Institutes of Health-funded research, collaborating with investigators at Harvard, UC Berkeley, US EPA, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Silent Spring partners with environmental justice groups, documenting racial disparities in exposures to pollutants, and supporting impacted communities. We seek candidates whose research, service to the community, and life experiences have prepared them to contribute meaningfully to our commitment to equity and justice. In addition to conducting scientific research, we work to educate policymakers and the public, and to translate our science into policies that support prevention.

Responsibilities:

Our research assistant positions require great versatility in support of the Institute’s transdisciplinary research and our communications, community engagement, and policy programs. Specific responsibilities are tailored to the particular qualifications of each individual. Examples of activities:

Support ongoing community-engaged studies: develop and follow study protocols, operate environmental sampling equipment, develop sample tracking systems, interact with co-investigators, community partners, and study participants, schedule meetings, and prepare meeting summaries.

Provide research support, including scheduling and conducting interviews with study participants, coding qualitative interview data, analyzing pre-and post- tests, conducting literature reviews, and assistance in preparation of presentations and manuscripts.

Contribute to a community-based research study of consumer product use among women of color.

Contribute to a community-based research study that shares personal chemical exposure results with participants in Massachusetts and Puerto Rico.

Help to prepare presentations, manuscripts, and proposals for federal and foundation grants.

If you have data analysis skills: Use R for data management and quantitative analysis for environmental exposure data and environmental health literacy studies

If you have software engineering skills: Use Python to support AI projects to discover chemicals that match the biological activity of endocrine disruptors, or use Ruby on Rails or React to develop tools for exposure science.

For applicants with chemistry and biology skills: Compile and analyze toxicity information from a variety of sources.

If you are an excellent science writer: Develop individual exposure reports for study participants using the Digital Exposure Report-Back Interface (DERBI).

Opportunities to author peer-reviewed articles.

Speak about environmental health issues with community audiences.

Basic Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree or higher with excellent academic record in a relevant field.

Excellent oral and written communication skills

High energy, creativity, curiosity, attention to accuracy, ability to work independently within a multidisciplinary team.

Commitment to careful and impartial research in a context of partnership between scientists and the public.

Additional Qualifications:

Lived experience and knowledge of environmental injustice.

Relevant work experience.

Coursework in statistics, biology, chemistry, and epidemiology.

Familiarity with data management applications such as REDCap.

Statistical programming such as R, SAS, Stata.

Computer science and programming experience (Python, Ruby, React).

Fluency in Spanish.

Benefits:

Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience. We are currently working in hybrid mode. Silent Spring offers generous benefits including health and dental insurance, four weeks of vacation, 12 sick days, two personal days and 12 holidays per year, and professional development support. Free on-site parking or reimbursement for MBTA pass. Join an engaging, multi-disciplinary, and highly-experienced team of professionals that values and respects your contributions to our success!

Silent Spring Institute is an equal opportunity employer, and we encourage applicants from groups who are traditionally underrepresented in STEM. We value diversity and an inclusive work culture, and we do not discriminate on the basis of actual or perceived race, religion, color, national origin, gender identification, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.

To apply

, send cover letter describing your interests and experience related to this job, resume, writing sample, and copy of academic transcript (photocopy is fine) by email to careers@silentspring.org with “research assistant” in subject line.

Company info

Silent Spring Institute
Phone : 617.332.4288
Fax : 617.332.4284