Project Coordinator

University of Dayton•Dayton, OH

17h•Hybrid

About The Position

The Development and Learning Lab at the University of Dayton (Dayton, OH, USA), directed by Dr. Mary Wagner, invites applications from qualified candidates for a full-time research assistant position to start on or after June 15, 2026. This position is funded by a National Science Foundation grant (#2301009) to Dr. Wagner (formerly Fuhs) to study the early development of executive functioning and math skills in preschool-aged children. Duties include grant administration and IRB approvals, stimulus design and database management, recruiting and scheduling participants at schools, collaborating with local preschool teachers and administrators to conduct grant-related activities, and training and supervising undergraduate researchers. This is a collaborative grant across two universities, the University of Dayton and Indiana University. Therefore, the research assistant will participate in regular project meetings with the PI at Indiana University, Dr. Elizabeth Gunderson, and her team, and will work alongside the research team in Dr. Gunderson’s lab to design and carry out the experiments. The research assistant will also be responsible for organizing and participating in outreach activities in the community and will be expected to attend regular on and off campus meetings and/or virtual meetings. There will be opportunities to be involved in the dissemination of research through conference presentations, publications, and technical reports. The minimum expected commitment to the project is one year, with the possibility of extension for up to two years depending on performance.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree
Awareness of and commitment to effectively establishing relationships and positive communications across multiple dimensions of inclusivity including, but not limited to race, gender, physical limitations, class, socioeconomic status, or religious perspectives.
Understanding of the lived experiences of children from underrepresented racial/ethnic communities and children living in low-socioeconomic status households.
Direct experience working with young children ages 2 – 6 in a research or teaching capacity.
Proficiency with MS Office (including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint).
Experience with statistical software, including SPSS, and relevant course work/experience in performing quantitative and qualitative data analyses.
Ability to work effectively with undergraduate students in a research capacity.
Strong organization, time management, and interpersonal skills.
Commitment to community-engaged and applied research.
Ability to travel to community locations if/when needed.
Valid drivers license with low risk driving record.
Currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis.

Nice To Haves

Experience with computer programming (e.g., content management systems, R, JavaScript, MatLab, RedCap, Filemaker).
Experience working with undergraduate students in a collaborative manner or in interdisciplinary research teams.
Prior experience writing manuscripts for publication or conference presentation (including but not limited to, honors thesis or independent research projects, co-authoring a conference poster or paper or journal article submission).
Experience with community-engaged and applied research in school settings.

Responsibilities

Grant administration and IRB approvals
Stimulus design and database management
Recruiting and scheduling participants at schools
Collaborating with local preschool teachers and administrators to conduct grant-related activities
Training and supervising undergraduate researchers
Participating in regular project meetings with the PI at Indiana University and her team
Working alongside the research team in Dr. Gunderson’s lab to design and carry out the experiments
Organizing and participating in outreach activities in the community
Attending regular on and off campus meetings and/or virtual meetings
Dissemination of research through conference presentations, publications, and technical reports