Post Doctoral Fellow

About the Department/Program

The mission of the MU School of Social Work (MU-SSW) is to promote leadership for social and economic justice by preparing students for professional excellence and leadership in practice, research, and policy. MU-SSW has 23 full-time faculty (52% tenure/tenure-track and 48% non-tenure-track) and two full-time staff. The School offers degrees at the BSW, MSW, and PhD levels, an MSW/MPH dual degree program, and an MSW/PhD joint program of study. Presently, the school has about 450 students (pre-majors, BSWs, MSWs, and PhDs). As a school, we are committed to a diverse educational environment and promote social work practice that enhances resources, enables access to services, promotes advocacy, and engenders change. The School was recently ranked in the top ten nationally of comparable research-intensive schools of social work in Academic Analytics, a tool comparing scholarly work, citations, federal grant funding, and national awards. Visit http://ssw.missouri.edu/ for more information and to learn about our faculty’s research and teaching.

MU is a member of the Association of American Universities, a state land-grant institution, and a Carnegie Foundation designated Doctoral/Research University. Our 33,000 on-campus students arrive from every state and 120 countries.

Position Overview

The Postdoctoral Fellow in Quantitative and Qualitative Research will play a key role in supporting the implementation science and mixed-methods evaluation components of this multi-site HRSA HIV/AIDS Bureau Special Projects of National Significance (SPNS) initiative. Working under the supervision of the Multiple Principal Investigators (MPIs), the fellow will contribute to the design, implementation, analysis, and dissemination of quantitative, qualitative, mixed-methods, and implementation science research activities across participating Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program implementation sites.

Responsibilities

• Assist in the development and refinement of semi-structured interview guides, focus group protocols, and qualitative data collection instruments for clients, providers, organizational leaders, and community partners.
• Participate in site visits to conduct interviews, focus groups, implementation observations, and organizational assessments.
• Systematically document implementation barriers and facilitators, intervention adaptations, implementation strategies, fidelity, and de-implementation activities using established implementation science frameworks.
• Conduct qualitative data management, coding, thematic analysis, memoing, and synthesis using qualitative data analysis software (e.g., NVivo or similar platforms).
• Integrate qualitative findings with quantitative results to support mixed-methods analyses and interpretation of implementation, client, and service outcomes.
• Contribute to rapid-cycle evaluation reports, continuous quality improvement activities, implementation toolkits, and recommendations for practice improvement.
• Contribute to the design and implementation of quantitative evaluation activities across participating implementation sites.
• Conduct quantitative data management, cleaning, and statistical analyses of implementation, client, and service outcomes.
• Apply appropriate statistical methods, including multivariable regression, longitudinal analysis, and multilevel modeling, as relevant to the evaluation design and available data.
• Examine variation in implementation outcomes, service engagement, and retention in HIV care across participating sites and populations.
• Integrate quantitative and qualitative findings to identify factors associated with successful implementation, sustainability, and scalability of evidence-informed interventions.
• Assist in the preparation of learning collaborative materials, implementation briefs, technical reports, and cross-site summaries for HRSA HAB, ITAP, and participating implementation sites.
• Support dissemination of project findings through peer-reviewed manuscripts, conference presentations, technical reports, and other scholarly products.
• Provide qualitative and implementation science technical assistance to participating implementation sites, as appropriate.

Qualifications

Minimum qualifications: Earned doctoral degree (PhD, DrPH, ScD, or equivalent) in social work, public health, health services research, implementation science, behavioral or social sciences, nursing, epidemiology, or a closely related field by the anticipated start date. ABD may be considered.

Candidates will be evaluated on:

• Experience conducting health-related research with multidisciplinary teams.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate research findings through scholarly manuscripts, presentations, reports, or other dissemination products.
• Ability to work collaboratively with investigators, project staff, community partners, healthcare organizations, and other stakeholders.
• Experience with quantitative and/or qualitative research methods, including statistical analysis, qualitative data collection and analysis, or mixed-methods research. Familiarity with statistical software (e.g., R, SAS, Stata, or SPSS) and/or qualitative analysis software (e.g., NVivo) is desirable.
• Ability and willingness to travel to participating implementation sites for interviews, focus groups, observations, organizational assessments, and other project activities.
• Ability to work effectively as part of a collaborative, multidisciplinary research team and to contribute positively to team-based projects.
• Evidence of scholarly productivity, including peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations, technical reports, or other research products.
• Strong written and oral communication skills, including the ability to present research findings to both scientific and non-scientific audiences.
• Demonstrated potential for continued scholarly growth and development as an independent researcher.
• Ability to manage multiple responsibilities, meet deadlines, and contribute reliably to complex, multi-site research projects.
• Experience working with community partners, healthcare organizations, patients, or other stakeholders in research or evaluation activities.
• Interest in developing expertise in implementation science, mixed-methods research, HIV services research, and community-engaged research.
• Experience contributing to manuscript development, abstracts, conference presentations, grant-related products, or other forms of scholarly dissemination.
• Demonstrated initiative, intellectual curiosity, adaptability, and willingness to learn new methods and substantive areas.
• Potential to develop a coherent program of research that builds on the training and mentorship opportunities available through the fellowship.

Pay

Salary will be commensurate with the qualifications and experience of the applicant.

Application Process

Submit your application online through the University of Missouri website at https://hr.missouri.edu/job-openings (search for Job Opening 61438). Your application should include:

• Curriculum vitae
• Cover letter/letter of interest describing the applicant's interest in the position and relevant experience in HIV research or practice, implementation science, mixed-methods research, and community-based participatory or community-engaged research

Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. For questions about the position, contact the Chair of the Search Committee, Dr. Mansoo Yu, PhD, at yuma@health.missouri.edu.

Employment visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Benefits

This position is eligible for University benefits. As part of your total compensation, the University offers a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, and vision plans, retirement, and educational fee discounts for all four UM System campuses. For additional information, visit the Faculty & Staff Benefits website at https://www.umsystem.edu/departments-staff/human-resources/benefits-retirement.

About the College of Health Sciences

At the Mizzou College of Health Sciences (https://healthsciences.missouri.edu/about/), we work every day to improve the health and well-being of individuals and communities. As the home of the most popular major on campus, we teach Mizzou students who care about health and are dedicated to serving others. In addition to learning in the classroom, our students spend more than 80,150 hours helping patients every year. Our faculty are driven to solve real-world problems. They lead the way by conducting research that has power and purpose. From expanding the use of technology in health care to improving mental health and learning in schools, we are discovering ways to make life better for everyone. Through clinics and community outreach programs, we provide vital services to members of our community and training for our students. We are proud to serve Missourians today while preparing the workforce of tomorrow.

Community Information

Columbia offers small-town friendliness with big-city features and a high quality of life for people of all ages and interests. Founded on education and known as an ideal college town, its location also makes it an attractive spot for businesses and travelers. Located on