Department: The Ballmer Institute for Children's Behavioral Health
Rank: Research Assistant
Annual Basis: 12 Month

Review of Applications Begins

November 18, 2024; position open until filled

Special Instructions to Applicants

To ensure consideration, complete applications must include the following along with the online application:
• A cover letter highlighting how your knowledge, skills, and experience quality you for the requirements, competencies, and if applicable, preferred qualifications outlined in the job announcement.
• A resume of your professional work experience, education, and applicable certifications.

The online application includes the names and contact information of at least three professional references. Candidates will be notified before references are contacted.

Department Summary

​​The Ballmer Institute for Children's Behavioral Health at the University of Oregon Portland establishes a new national model for behavioral healthcare for children and families by creating the nation’s first undergraduate program in child behavioral health.

The institute prioritizes the needs of youth who have been historically or persistently underserved and seeks to make real system change by:
- Creating a new mental health profession
- Delivering support in schools and the community
- Training existing youth-serving professionals
- Developing new approaches to support child behavioral health
- Transforming the Pacific Northwest into a national model of thought and action

This groundbreaking institute was made possible by an extraordinary gift from Connie and Steve Ballmer, co-founders of Ballmer Group Philanthropy.

Position Summary

​​The position will involve working both within the Laboratory for Leveraging Evidence and Advancing Practice for Youth Mental Health Services (LEAP Lab) and the Behavior, Emotions, Development and Sleep (BEDS) lab within the Ballmer Institute. The LEAP lab is directed by Sarah Kate Bearman, Ph.D., and focuses on the development, testing, and implementation of evidence-based mental health intervention in complex, limited-resource settings. The BEDS lab is directed by Ariel Williamson, Ph.D., and focuses on (1) understanding multi-level socio-ecological factors (i.e., child, family, school, healthcare, neighborhood) linked to child sleep health disparities and (2) the adaptation and implementation of behavioral sleep interventions in partnership with primary care, schools, and community organizations.

​Within the LEAP lab, the Research Assistant will be supporting the following projects: A NIMH-funded randomized treatment effectiveness trial of the FIRST treatment protocol in publicly-funded mental health clinics, a foundation-funded longitudinal study of pre-kindergarten and kindergarten children and their families called Thriving Together, and a mental health literacy intervention pilot trial in public middle schools, supported by the National Alliance for Mental Illness. Projects will involve working on a team with postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, and undergraduate volunteers.

​Within the BEDS lab, the Research Assistant will be supporting the following projects: A NHLBI-funded study examining socio-ecological factors linked to racial disparities in co-occurring sleep problems and neurobehavioral outcomes in preschoolers (the Sleep in Preschoolers Study, or SIPS); a pilot study with examining caregiver, middle-school student, and school behavioral health staff perspectives about technology and digital media use and sleep; a qualitative study with caregivers, adolescents, and pediatricians examining how existing technology and digital media use resources could be adapted to address youth sleep problems. Projects will involve working on a team with graduate students, undergraduate volunteers, staff members located at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, faculty collaborators at UO and other institutions, and members of the Pediatric Research in Office Settings (PROS) network of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

​All Ballmer employees are expected to contribute to the equity and inclusion goals of the Institute and to incorporate the best inclusive practices indicated in their field of expertise.

This position is a 12-month Pro Tem Faculty limited-duration appointment, potentially renewable for up to a total of three years.​

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor's or master's degree in psychology or a related field.
• 1 year research experience in psychology (can be volunteer, part-time, or full-time).
• 1 year experience working directly with children or adolescents (can be volunteer, part-time, or full-time).

Professional Competencies

• Excellent organizational skills related to research project management and high attention to detail.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Knowledge of basic research methods and human subjects research.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a team environment.
• Demonstrated ability to meet deadlines, anticipate needs, prioritize multiple tasks, and follow through on tasks to completion.
• Demonstrated ability to engage with those of other cultures or backgrounds as well as to develop knowledge of and respect for those from a broad array of cultures and backgrounds.
• Proficiency with multiple forms of information technology, including web-based, word processing, data entry, managing electronic information, and database administration.

Preferred Qualifications

​​• Demonstrated subject matter expertise in psychology.
• Previous human-subjects psychology research experience.
• Experience with Qualtrics (e.g., survey development, administration, troubleshooting), Excel, and statistical software (e.g., SPSS, R).
• Experience with qualitative interviewing and coding.
• Bilingual or conversational in English and Spanish.

All offers of employment are contingent upon successful completion of a background check.

The University of Oregon is proud to offer a robust benefits package to eligible employees, including health insurance, retirement plans, and paid time off. For more information about benefits, visit https://hr.uoregon.edu/about-benefits.

The University of Oregon is an equal opportunity, affirmative action institution committed to cultural diversity and compliance with the ADA. The University encourages all qualified individuals to apply and does not discriminate on the basis of any protected status, including veteran and disability status. The University is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. To request an accommodation in connection with the application process, please contact us at uocareers@uoregon.edu or 541-346-5112.

UO prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy (including pregnancy-related conditions), age, physical or mental disability, genetic information (including family medical history), ancestry, familial status, citizenship, service in the uniformed services (as defined in federal and state law), veteran status, expunged juvenile record, and/or the use of leave protected by state or federal law in all programs, activities and employment practices as required by Title IX, other applicable laws, and policies. Retaliation is prohibited by UO policy. Questions may be referred to the Office of Investigations and Civil Rights Compliance. Contact information, related policies, and complaint procedures are listed here.

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