Job Title: Research Assistant August 2021 to June 2022 (flexible) 20+ hours/week; $20/hour
The Illinois Youth Survey (IYS) is a self-report survey administered in schools every other year. Funded by the Illinois Department of Human Services, the IYS is open to all schools in Illinois with 8th, 10th, and 12th grade students. The Center for Prevention Research and Development (CPRD) at the University of Illinois provides support and materials free of cost. The IYS gathers information about a variety of health and social indicators including substance use and perceptions, bullying, school climate, nutrition, and physical activity. Individual school reports are provided to principals through a secure online portal. Aggregated reports (including Chicago community area and county reports) are posted on the IYS website. Each administration includes a stratified random sample of schools, with data reported for four community areas and the state of Illinois, providing rich comparison data that can be used by schools and health professionals. More information can be found on the IYS website: https://iys.cprd.illinois.edu
Position Summary and Responsibilities
The Chicago Public Schools Office of Student Health and Wellness and University of Illinois Center for Prevention Research & Development are seeking a Research Assistant to efficiently and successfully administer the Illinois Youth Survey (IYS) at selected CPS schools. This individual will regularly interact with principals, school staff, department personnel, and research partners. In addition, this individual must possess an understanding of public health research methods and the ability to maintain accurate tracking and labeling systems to ensure data quality.
Primary duties include: Recruiting and communicating with survey administrators at selected schools, liaising with school contacts to schedule survey administration dates/times, tracking and organizing information in spreadsheets, sending regular updates to research partners, and achieving required survey response rate.
Other administrative duties include: preparing forms, assembling packages, managing supplies, attending team meetings, providing consistent updates to team members and external partners.
Qualifications
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● Degree in public health, epidemiology, or related field preferred. Current graduate-level students are encouraged to apply.
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● Past experience and demonstrated success in survey administration/data collection, including understanding survey administration and reporting protocols. Experience with web-based survey administration is a plus.
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● Highly organized and detail-oriented. Able to juggle multiple tasks simultaneously without sacrificing quality or accuracy.
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● Ability to meet deadlines.
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● Strong oral and written communication skills.
To apply send a resume and cover letter, along with all inquiries concerning this position oshw@cps.edu with the subject line: IYS Research Assistant.
