Job Description

Social Science/Humanities Research Associate III ILSJ

Hiring Department: Population Research Center

Position Open To: All Applicants

Weekly Scheduled Hours: 40

FLSA Status: Exempt

Earliest Start Date: Immediately

Position Duration: Expected to Continue Until Oct 30, 2026

Location: UT MAIN CAMPUS

Job Details

The candidate will primarily focus on conducting research to reduce school-based violence, collaborating with community organizations to assess interventions targeting youth violence and involvement in the criminal legal system. The role involves various research tasks, skill development, and mentoring to prepare the candidate for competitive PhD programs in social science. This is a one-year position with the potential for renewal based on performance and funding availability. Start date is as soon as possible. Must be authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis for any employer without sponsorship.

Benefits

The university offers an impressive benefits package. For more details on benefits, please see: and

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Purpose

The purpose of this position is to support the Initiative for Law, Societies, and Justice team in conducting research, education, and capacity building related to policy and practice issues that promote access to safety and justice.

Responsibilities

• Assisting in the design of new evaluations
• Reviewing and summarizing the literature on school-based violence reduction initiatives
• Managing undergraduate research assistants in research tasks
• Analyzing data
• Attending and actively participating in weekly project meetings and research presentations
• Receive structured training in preparation for doctoral programs in social science

Required Qualifications

• Bachelors degree: preferably in Psychology, Sociology, or a related field, and four years of related experience
• Relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate

Preferred Qualifications

• Ideal opportunity for anyone interested in applying to PhD programs in psychology, sociology, or related fields
• Eager to learn skills relevant to behavioral science research (e.g., systematic review of academic articles, statistical analysis, qualitative data analysis, and academic journal writing)
• Desire to work collaboratively with interdisciplinary teams of researchers and practitioners
• Training in research-specific skills will be provided through the course of the research assistantship. Those with little or no prior research experience are encouraged to apply

Salary Range

$42,000+ depending on experience.

Working Conditions

• Typical Office Environment
• Flexible work schedule

Required Materials

• 3 work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor
• One letter of recommendation from a current or former professor
• 2 short essay responses (essay prompts below)
• Essay Questions:
  
  • Describe a social problem that you are passionate about, including evidence of the problem and why it is important to you and to others to solve. (500 words)
  • What would you do to better understand the problem and the people affected by it? What specific steps would you take that may alleviate one aspect of this social problem? (500 words)
  
  
  
  
  

Important for applicants who are NOT current university employees or contingent workers

You will be prompted to submit your resume the first time you apply, then you will be provided an option to upload a new resume for subsequent applications. Any additional required materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) will be uploaded in the application questions section; you will be able to multi-select additional files. Before submitting your online job application, ensure that ALL required materials have been uploaded. Once your application has been submitted, you cannot make changes.

Important for current university employees and contingent workers

As a current university employee, you must apply within Workday by searching for Find UT Jobs. Log in to Workday, navigate to your Worker Profile, click the Career link in the left-hand navigation menu, and update the sections in your Professional Profile before you apply. The application is one page and you will be prompted to upload your resume. In addition, you must respond to the application questions presented to upload any additional required materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) that were noted above.

Equal Opportunity Employer

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.

Background Checks

A criminal history background check will be required for finalists under consideration for this position.

Employment Eligibility Verification

If hired, you will be required to complete the federal Employment Eligibility Verification I-9 form. You will be required to present acceptable and original documents to prove your identity and authorization to work in the United States. Documents must be presented no later than the third day of employment. Failure to do so will result in loss of employment.

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