Research Assistant Volunteer (Part-Time / Unpaid): Melissa Fuster
Hispanic Caribbean Restaurants in Action (HCRiA) Study
This is a part-time, unpaid opportunity, with potential for future paid employment, pending funding.
Project Description
The goal of the Hispanic Caribbean Restaurants in Action (HCRiA) study is to promote the creation of environments that support healthy food choices to address cardiovascular risk factors primarily among Puerto Rican and Dominican communities in New York City through collaborations with restaurants. The HCRiA study will incorporate innovative approaches in public health and nutrition research (implementation sciences, systems science, and human-centered design) to engage Hispanic Caribbean (HC) restaurant stakeholders (owners, staff, and customers) in New York City to (1) characterize customer and restaurant-level factors that facilitate and hinder healthy nutrition environments in HC restaurants, (2) design an intervention to address identified barriers, and (3) test and refine the resulting intervention.
General Description of Duties and Responsibilities
This is a part-time, unpaid opportunity, with potential for future paid employment, pending funding. Research Assistants (RAs) will work with the study PI (Assistant Professor Melissa Fuster) and the research coordinator to assist in community outreach and data collection activities, including:
- Conduct community-based outreach activities in Hispanic Caribbean communities to recruit participants for group discussions;
- Assist with study logistics, including taking field notes, preparing outreach mailings, data entry and record keeping, among other tasks; and
- Perform other duties, as assigned, including potentially serving as co-author from resulting scientific publications.
The position is ideal for current undergraduate and graduate students seeking to gain and expand community-based research experiences. The position may help fulfill academic fieldwork requirements (such as those for the M.P.H. degree), pending of student's program requirements and approval.
Qualifications
- Fully bilingual (English and Spanish) required
- Complete some education in nutrition, public health, food studies, or related field (bachelor's degree desired / preferred)
- Proficiency in using Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel) and online file platforms (Google Drive)
- Excellent organization and communication skills, attention to detail, and ability to prioritize competing tasks
- Additional, desired qualifications and experience:
- Prior community outreach experience
- Existing community-based contacts within New York's Puerto Rican and / or Dominican communities
- Knowledge of Latino / Hispanic Caribbean food culture
- Prior experience in food service / restaurants
- Knowledge of / experienced in qualitative and quantitative research methods
Hours and Appointment Period
A minimum commitment of five hours per week, for a minimum of six months. The position is expected to start during the fall 2019 semester.
Application Process
Qualified candidates should send their résumé, a cover letter detailing their relevant experience and qualifications (including relevant coursework, if applicable), and the name and contact of a faculty reference to Assistant Professor Melissa Fuster, with the subject line: Application—HCRiA Study Research Assistant.
Review of applications will be ongoing (beginning September 9, 2019), and will continue until positions are filled. Note: Only fully bilingual (Spanish/English) applicants will be considered. Spanish-language skills will be assessed as part of the interview process.
