Description
The START Center at the University of Maryland, College Park, is seeking one or more part-time, hourly employees to work with the ICONS Project, START’s in-house social-complexity research and simulations team, to assist with field research in Alaska during the first half of 2025. The project to which this position contributes is ultimately intended to help Alaska Native communities, Native corporations, government officials, nongovernmental leaders, and others navigate the complexity of the challenges affecting community security and resilience in the Alaskan Arctic (north of the Yukon River or in the Aleutian Islands). The individuals hired for this position will help identify the range of challenges Alaska Native communities face both in their daily lives and in their dealings with government programs and agencies. This work is being conducted as a project of the ADAC-ARCTIC Center of Excellence at the University of Alaska Anchorage.
Duties will include conducting research interviews with Alaska Natives in one or more Arctic communities, recording and transcribing (or translating) the interviews, helping to organize one or more workshops in Anchorage or communities outside of Anchorage, and advising the principals on topics in your areas of expertise and lived experience. A brief training and certification in human-subjects research protections and project interview protocols will be required before work can begin.
This is a part-time, hourly position for field research in Alaska, starting immediately. The ideal candidate will be based in Alaska and available for (subsidized) travel within Alaska as feasible, have good contacts in one or more Native communities north of the Yukon River or in the Aleutian Islands, be fluent in spoken and written English and at least one Alaska Native language, and have reliable access to the Internet, a computer, and a phone. Experience with journalism or academic research involving interviews would be looked upon very favorably. The position is expected to last about five or six months, with the possibility of extension depending on availability of funding.
Qualifications:
- Good communication skills
- Ability to arrange and conduct in-person and telephone interviews, take notes as needed, and operate audio equipment (or be willing to learn how)
- Ability to accurately transcribe or translate audio of interviews into written English and share audio files and transcripts via the Internet using the project’s privacy and security protocols
- Familiarity with Arctic challenges, policies, peoples, communities, or cultures, as evidenced by lived experience or relevant research, advising, teaching, training, reporting, or consulting
- Access to the Internet, a computer, and a phone, and regular availability for communication with the project team
Preferred but not required:
- Fluency in spoken and written English and at least one Alaska Native language
- Experience conducting interviews for academic or professional research, consulting, community engagement, journalism, etc.
- Experience organizing workshops, conferences, or meetings
- Bachelor’s degree in social science, journalism, communications, policy, or related field or current enrollment in a related undergraduate degree program
- Publication credits in popular or academic media
Physical Demands: Work is performed remotely requiring the ability to operate standard office equipment and keyboards.
Diversity Statement: The University of Maryland, College Park, an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws and regulations regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action; all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, physical or mental disability, protected veteran status, age, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, creed, marital status, political affiliation, personal appearance, or on the basis of rights secured by the First Amendment, in all aspects of employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.
Contact: Robert D. Lamb, Director of ICONS, rdlamb@umd.edu
Required documents: Resume, cover letter
Salary: $20 to $30 per hour depending on experience