Research Senior Associate

The Ohio State University•Columbus, OH

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Research Senior Associate will conduct research projects that assist the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency’s (DPAA) mission to provide the fullest possible accounting for the nation’s missing personnel from past conflicts. The Research Senior Associate will conduct work as part of the DPAA Hub and Spoke Partner Research Program (H&S). The research senior associate will undertake projects either (1) identified by DPAA and assigned for further development or (2) proposed by the researcher and approved by the DPAA. The DPAA will provide project oversight, policies, procedures, and templates for all research projects. The priorities of these projects will be determined by the DPAA. H&S Fellows will provide regular updates to the DPAA, and occasional updates to other relevant parties. The research senior associate will catalog and store all data and other material collected, or produced, by the partnership on an institution-owed computer, backed up with a secure cloud-based account, or hard drive. The Research Senior Associate will follow DPAA guidance on naming conventions, database fields, and best practices in order to ensure that research procedures and protocols conform with those used by DPAA, and the DOD generally. The research senior associate will report directly to DPAA under the supervision of the identified Principal Investigator (PI) who will serve as the project liaison to the DPAA. The research specialist will engage with external entities and outreach activities only as approved by the DPAA. While the research projects will range across the agency’s mandate (WWII, Korea, Vietnam), the Ohio State research senior associate will prioritize projects for the agency’s Indo-Pacific Directorate (IPD) and focus particularly on unaccounted for American servicemen from the Vietnam War. The work will include translating relevant Vietnamese-language works and archival documents approved by DPAA. Research in archives or online repositories may be assigned with the possibility of travel required. When researching in person, the research senior associate will be expected to develop relationships with researchers and archivists who may support active DPAA research. The research senior associate will also be responsible for continuing the WWII Radiograph logbook digitization program. In this capacity, the specialist will be responsible for training and managing undergraduate interns in the process of digitizing some 3.2 million entries from recently recovered records. Interns must be on-boarded by the research senior associate according to DPAA guidelines and trained in the careful handling of historical materials. The research specialist is responsible for hiring interns, setting work schedules, evaluating their performance, and monitoring the digitization office. The research senior associate is also responsible for supporting initiatives by DPAA’s Outreach and Communications directorate to broaden awareness and support for the accounting mission. This may take the form of community involvement, written or audiovisual pieces, and mentoring to undergraduate and graduate students interested in the work of DPAA.

Requirements

Master's Degree or equivalent experience required.
3 years of relevant experience required with Bachelor's Degree.
1 year of relevant experience required with Master's Degree.
Fluency in Vietnamese language.

Nice To Haves

PhD in History.
Experience in digitization of historical materials.
Extensive familiarity with American Indochinese military operations, 1960-1975.
Familiarity with research procedures in Vietnam.
Familiarity with Southeast Asia.

Responsibilities

Conduct research projects that assist the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency’s (DPAA) mission.
Undertake research projects identified by DPAA or proposed by the researcher and approved by DPAA.
Catalog and store all data and material collected or produced on an institution-owned computer or secure cloud-based account/hard drive, following DPAA guidance.
Report directly to DPAA under the supervision of the Principal Investigator (PI).
Engage with external entities and outreach activities only as approved by DPAA.
Prioritize projects for the agency’s Indo-Pacific Directorate (IPD), focusing on unaccounted for American servicemen from the Vietnam War.
Translate relevant Vietnamese-language works and archival documents approved by DPAA.
Conduct research in archives or online repositories, with potential travel required.
Develop relationships with researchers and archivists when researching in person.
Continue the WWII Radiograph logbook digitization program.
Train and manage undergraduate interns in digitizing historical materials.
Hire interns, set work schedules, evaluate performance, and monitor the digitization office.
Support initiatives by DPAA’s Outreach and Communications directorate to broaden awareness and support for the accounting mission.
Participate in community involvement, create written or audiovisual pieces, and mentor students interested in DPAA's work.