Research Associate - Early Child Development & Violence Prevention Home-Visting Implementation Science Project

Boston College School of Social Work Research Program on Children and Adversity

The Early Child Development & Violence Prevention Home-Visiting Implementaton Science project links with an evidence-based, home-visiting model (Sugira Muryango; SM) that supports playful parenting, father engagement, improved nutrition, care seeking and family functioning -- to promote Early Child Development, positive parent-child relationships, and healthy child development. This scaling out implementation science hybrid design will enable RPCA to 1) expand SM to younger children (0-6 months); 2) increase by almost tenfold the number of children impacted by the intervention; 3) increase the use of technology to accelerate feedback; and, 4) test an evidence-based implementation strategy, the Promoting Lasting Anthropometric Change and Young Children’s Development (PLAY) Collaborative, to engage local stakeholders and frontline providers and supervisors to ensure quality improvement and sustainability. We are currently recruting for two research associates. Details can be found below.

Research Associate (Implementation Science)

The Research Associate (Implementation Science) will be responsible for:

Government and Stakeholder Relations (50%)

  • Creating an in-country Implementation Science Consortium of NGOS, policymakers, and academics from the University of Rwanda to leverage in-country expertise, build capacity, and create a community of practice around implementation science that is relevant to the Rwandan context.
  • Collaborating with fellow Research Associate to engage in-country networks and work across the PLAY Collaborative.
  • Providing support to community leaders ensuring vital implementation science indicators are captured and fed back to government parties.

Quantitative and Qualitative Data Analysis Management (50%) 

  • Developing a data dictionary that standardizes data across sites
  • Implementing procedures for data quality checks ensuring that all processes for data entry and and query resolution meet Good Clinical Practice requirements for the entry and reporting of clinical data
  • Creating a data quality plan and data management plan in coordination with study investigators
  • Maintaining multiple databases for study clinical and implementation science data 
  • Preparing study data for analysis in STATA statistical software package.
  • Designing and executing implementation-science-informed statistical analysis leveraging research study databases in conjunction with study staff and other statisticians.
  • Applying statistical analysis using multilevel modeling, coding, and multiple imputations to address missing data using STATA. 
  • Producing tables and figures depicting results of analyses, along with written interpretation. 
  • Utilizing mixed methodologies to triangulate, analyze and interpret qualitative and quantitative data using STATA and MAXQDA.

The ideal candidate will have the following credentials and experience: 

Doctoral degree, preferably in Public Health, Implementation Science, Social Work, Developmental Psychology, Mental Health, Epidemiology, or other related field. Strong ability in the use of advanced statistical and computational programming . Proficiency in utilizing computer applications including Microsoft Office, STATA, R, MAXQDA, and other applicable quantitative and qualitative data analysis platforms. Knowledge of programming using a common language like R. Strong background in implementation science to include hybrid design, cluster randomized control trials, longitudinal studies, and quality improvement approaches to fidelity and supervision that relate to long-term sustainability and scalability. Some background related to conducting research in culturally diverse contexts, preferably in Low and Middle Income Countries (LMICs). Publication record that demonstrates the candidate's capacities is also desirable. Expert knowledge of qualitative and quantitative research methodologies including mixed-methods. Understanding of the application of technology both for data collection as well as routine symptom monitoring, fidelity monitoring and quality improvement efforts in global mental health and child development.

The Research Associate reports to Dr. Theresa S. Betancourt, RPCA Director, and Principal Investigator.

 

Research Associate (Gender) 

The Research Associate (Gender) will be responsible for: 

Curriculum and Training (25%)

  • Updating curriculum and training materials to thread stronger gender-sensitive messaging throughout all elements of the SM process
  • Training stakeholders in the PLAY Collaborative process

Government and Stakeholder Reations (25%)

  • Collaborating with FXB staff to launch a Community Advisory board in each district to focus on issues of gender (e.g., gender-specific programming, gender inclusiveness and gender-specific barriers and facilitators to program implementation) as they arise during implementation.
  • Assuming a supportive role to community leaders ensuring important data points are captured and relevant indicators incorporated.

Quantitative and Qualitative Data Anaylsis (50%)

  • Developing a data dictionary that standardizes data across sites and implementing procedures for data quality checks.
  • Ensure that all processes for data entry and query resolution meet Good Clinical Practice requirements for the entry and reporting of clinical data. 
  • Createing a data quality plan and data management plan in coordination with study investigators. 
  • Maintaining multiple databases for study clinical and implementation data.
  • Preparing study data for analysis in STATA statistical software package. 
  • Designing executing gender-informed statistical analysis leveraging research study databases in conjunction with study staff and other statisticians.
  • Applying statistical analysis using multilevel modeling, coding, and multiple imputations to address missing data using STATA. Produce tables and figures depicting results of analyses, along with written interpretation by gender. 
  • Utilizing mixed methodologies to triangulate, analyze and interpret qualitative and quantitative data using STATA and MAXQDA

The ideal candidate will have the following credentials and experience: 

Doctoral degree, preferably in Public Health, Implementation Science, Social Work, Developmental Psychology, Mental Health, Epidemiology, or other related fields with specialization in gender. Strong ability in the use of advanced statistical and computational programming. Proficiency in utilizing computer applications including Microsoft Office, STATA, R, MAXQDA, and other applicable quantitative and qualitative data analysis platforms. Knowledge of programming using a common language like R. Strong background in implementation science to include hybrid design, cluster-randomized control trials, longitudinal studies, and quality improvement approaches to fidelity and supervision that relate to long-term sustainability and scalability.Some background related to conducting research in culturally diverse contexts, preferably in Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs). Publication record that demonstrates the candidate’s capacities is also desirable. Expert knowledge of qualitative and quantitative research methodologies including mixed-methods. Understanding of the application of technology both for data collection as well as routine symptom monitoring, fidelity monitoring and quality improvement efforts in global mental health and child development.

The Research Associate reports to Dr. Theresa S. Betancourt, RPCA Director, and Principal Investigator.