Senior Research Associate

Brown University is a leading research university distinct for its student-centered learning and deep sense of purpose. Our students, faculty, and staff are driven by the idea that their work will have an impact in the world.

About the Annenberg Institute

The Annenberg Institute is Brown University’s education research institute. Our vibrant community includes Brown University faculty, postdoctoral research associates, staff, students, and multiple partners in Rhode Island and across the US. We partner with education leaders and global scholars to connect people, evidence, and practices to build toward a more effective and equitable education system that enables all students to thrive academically and in other ways. Our knowledge initiatives catalyze conversations across the research landscape, synthesizing what we know and mobilizing practitioners, policymakers, and researchers toward collaborative impact.

About the Role

The Senior Research Associate will support a large-scale evaluation of the Massachusetts Literacy Launch Initiative, a statewide effort to improve literacy instruction from pre-K to grade 3. The incumbent will join a large team supporting this evaluation to help explore the implementation and impact of several state early literacy policies on teacher and student outcomes. The incumbent will help develop and lead key research analysis projects as part of the evaluation.

The incumbent will be part of the Annenberg Institute’s Research Partnership for Professional Learning (RPPL) research team, led by Annenberg faculty John Papay and Nathaniel Schwartz. RPPL is a partnership that brings together professional learning (PL) organizations, district and state education systems, and researchers from the Annenberg Institute to strengthen how the field learns about and improves teacher professional learning. RPPL’s central goal is to rethink how we learn about teacher PL, shifting from studies that explore whether a specific program works to a broader learning agenda designed to identify how PL design features and the enabling conditions of PL improve teachers’ instructional practice and, as a result, students’ classroom experiences, well-being, and academic growth. RPPL focuses on supporting the learning of teachers who work with students from historically marginalized groups.

Responsibilities

• Report directly to the Principal Investigators and drive all aspects of project planning for multiple research projects in a dynamic, layered team setting.
• Take a lead role in designing studies, leading data collection and analysis efforts, and developing project models.
• Engage practitioners and PL organizations as partners in research work.
• Write academic papers, reports, presentations, and grant reports.
• Apply a strong understanding of early literacy policy and practice, along with extensive expertise in quantitative and/or qualitative research methods.
• Use research to inform policy and practice.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in a related field (PhD or EdD preferred) with 5-7 years of research experience or the equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Ability to work independently or as a member of a team.
• Experience working on large-scale research studies.
• Strong quantitative background and background in education research.

Skills

• Strong analytical and writing skills.
• Training and expertise in utilizing quantitative research methods, including experience working with complex data sets.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Ability to explain methods to research staff and provide guidance on models and interpretation of output.
• Experience reviewing code and ensuring data best practices are being followed by the research team.
• Experience distilling and translating substantive takeaways from analyses to policy/practitioner audiences.

Additional Information

This position is 100% grant funded and is for one year with the possibility of renewal, based on satisfactory work performance and dependent upon funding.

Benefits

• Flexible work/life balance, including summer hours and winter break.
• Comprehensive benefits package including time off and annual paid holidays.
• Health, dental, and vision insurance.
• Tuition assistance.
• Retirement benefits.
• Wellness programs and employee discounts.

Schedule

• Full time.
• 37.5 scheduled weekly hours.

Location

This position is designated as remote. Employees must reside and perform their work in a state where Brown University is registered to do business: Rhode Island, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, or Washington, D.C.