Research Technician II

University of Rochester • Rochester, NY

4d • $20 - $29 • Onsite

About The Position

As a community, the University of Rochester is defined by a deep commitment to Meliora - Ever Better. Embedded in that ideal are the values we share: equity, leadership, integrity, openness, respect, and accountability. Together, we will set the highest standards for how we treat each other to ensure our community is welcoming to all and is a place where all can thrive. This role is a Full Time, Regular position in the Brain and Cognitive Sciences department. The Research Technician II regularly provides routine technical support for research activities and/or laboratory support. Applies full range of experience and previous job knowledge; frequently adapts procedures, techniques, tools, materials, and/or equipment to meet specialized needs. Assists with the design of new experiments, multimedia sampling, maintenance, operation and calibration of scientific monitoring equipment for research projects. Responsible for general data collection and assisting with analysis, recruiting participants, and may support and assist other technicians. The employee will be responsible for managing day-to-day research activities for the laboratories of Drs. Elise Piazza and Marius C┐t┐lin Iordan, including helping to run experiments with human participants and training new lab members in use of lab techniques and equipment. The employee will also have the opportunity to engage in directed research under the supervision of Dr. Piazza and/or Dr. Iordan.

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree (BS/BA) in Psychology, Neuroscience, Cognitive Science, Computer Science, or related field.
• Min 1-year research experience OR undergraduate honors thesis
• Proficiency in Matlab or Python; familiarity with the other

Nice To Haves

• 2+ yrs research experience with human subjects.
• Experience with shell/scripting languages (e.g., bash, JavaScript) and data management tools (e.g., Git)
• Experience with human psychophysics and/or fMRI
• Experience with web design

Responsibilities

• Regularly provides routine technical support for research activities and/or laboratory support.
• Applies full range of experience and previous job knowledge; frequently adapts procedures, techniques, tools, materials, and/or equipment to meet specialized needs.
• Assists with the design of new experiments, multimedia sampling, maintenance, operation and calibration of scientific monitoring equipment for research projects.
• Responsible for general data collection and assisting with analysis, recruiting participants, and may support and assist other technicians.
• Managing day-to-day research activities for the laboratories of Drs. Elise Piazza and Marius C┐t┐lin Iordan, including helping to run experiments with human participants and training new lab members in use of lab techniques and equipment.
• Engage in directed research under the supervision of Dr. Piazza and/or Dr. Iordan.
• Help write and update lab IRB protocols
• Keep track of equipment needs, help order essential supplies
• Maintain lab calendars, schedule lab meetings/events
• Design and/or maintain lab websites across URMC, BCS, external platforms
• Set up and manage psychophysics machines, remote links, and rooms
• Help set up and run human fMRI scanning experiments
• Help recruit, schedule, and run participants for behavioral experiments on human visual/semantic cognition and audition/communication
• Manage Amazon Mechanical Turk/Prolific online experiment overhead (up to 10,000 participants per study)
• Manage lab computer backups, ensure scanner data transfer, perform data curation
• Help train lab members in use of lab equipment, running experiments, coding and annotating data

Benefits

• The University of Rochester is committed to fostering, cultivating, and preserving an inclusive and welcoming culture to advance the University’s Mission to Learn, Discover, Heal, Create – and Make the World Ever Better.
• In support of our values and those of our society, the University is committed to not discriminating on the basis of age, color, disability, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, military/veteran status, national origin, race, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, citizenship status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law (Protected Characteristics).
• This commitment extends to non-discrimination in the administration of our policies, admissions, employment, access, and recruitment of candidates, for all persons consistent with our values and based on applicable law.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level