Research Specialist, Civic Education Research Lab (CERL) - Georgetown University

Georgetown University•Lexington, MA

8d•$47,586 - $87,558•Hybrid

About The Position

The Research Specialist for Georgetown University’s Civic Education Research Lab (CERL) conducts research and evaluation work associated with the Literacy for We the People (LWTP) and Documents of Democracy (DOD) projects, funded by the U.S. Department of Education. The position collaborates with Dr. Diana Owen and CERL staff on complex research projects, including research design, data collection, quantitative and qualitative analysis, dissemination of findings, and related events and symposia. It is a three-year renewable term position and requires advanced statistical analysis using SPSS, including manipulation, computation, and critical analysis of quantitative data, as well as evaluation of qualitative data related to students’ reading and writing literacy. The LWTP project studies the effectiveness of professional development for civics, social studies, and American government teachers, and the influence of the We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution curriculum on students’ civic and literacy competencies. The DOD project studies students’ acquisition of advanced history and civics knowledge in conjunction with America’s 250th Anniversary and beyond. The Specialist helps develop instruments to measure civic literacy, political knowledge, and civic competencies; produces research charts, graphs, tables, slide decks, and reports; and conducts and transcribes recorded student and teacher interviews. The position supports the administrative, research, and evaluation functions of the two grants and reports directly to Dr. Diana Owen, Professor in Georgetown’s Communication, Culture, and Technology program, CERL Director, and principal investigator. It supervises undergraduate and graduate research assistants. Additional work includes contributing to CERL’s public-facing research communication, sharing findings at professional meetings, and helping prepare articles for publication. The position is designated hybrid.

Requirements

Master’s degree in a relevant field.
Five to seven years of related experience.
Strong research, analytical, and writing competencies.
Strong statistical methodology skills, especially experience analyzing large survey research and experimental data.
Proficiency in SPSS and Excel.
Ability to operate with minimal supervision and perform independently.
Ability to communicate scientific results effectively and participate in a highly collaborative environment.
Strong work ethic and self-motivation to learn and become familiar with primary scientific literature.
Knowledge of research principles, concepts, practices, and methods.
Excellent communication, time management, and organizational skills, with attention to detail.

Nice To Haves

Doctoral degree (strongly preferred).
At least two years of hands-on experience conducting research on K-12 civic education.
Strong knowledge of American history, politics, and government.
Familiarity with the American educational system.

Responsibilities

Conduct research design, data collection, data cleaning, and basic and advanced statistical analysis of survey data using SPSS.
Develop research instruments to measure students’ civic literacy, political knowledge, and civic competencies.
Manipulate, compute, and critically analyze quantitative data and evaluate qualitative data related to students’ reading and writing literacy.
Conduct and transcribe recorded student and teacher interviews.
Produce charts, graphs, tables, slide decks, and reports presenting research protocols and results.
Disseminate research reports to educators, academics, policymakers, and other stakeholders.
Supervise and mentor undergraduate and graduate CERL research assistants.
Contribute to CERL’s public-facing communications, including its Substack.
Share research findings and content knowledge at professional meetings.
Help prepare articles for publication.
Collaborate with Dr. Owen and CERL staff on research, studies, dissemination, events, and symposia.