Research Technician

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Position Summary:

The Research Technician is part of the research staff in the Department of Psychology in the College of Arts and Sciences, Division of Natural Sciences at Vanderbilt University and is a direct support of the laboratory of Dr. Sohee Park and is responsible for the lab’s research activities. This position includes actively supporting a NIH funded project on personal space regulation in psychosis-spectrum conditions. The responsibilities include general psychological lab management including IRB applications, subject recruitment, data management, clinical interviews, psychological testing and assisting with neuroimaging. Tasks may also include serving as the contact person for collaborating laboratories and supervising undergraduate students. Reporting directly to the Principal Investigator, the Research Assistant will be a contact person for the laboratory. This is an excellent position for those who would like to gain research experiences prior to applying to graduate or medical schools.

About the Work Unit:

The internationally renowned Department of Psychology houses several award-winning professors who are distinguished scholars in their respective fields and who are dedicated to providing world-class education and training to our undergraduate and graduate students. While our course curriculum encompasses all of the sub-disciplines of Psychology, the research of our faculty centers around three major areas: Clinical Science, Cognition and Cognitive Neurosciences, and Neuroscience.

Key Functions and Expected Performance:

Position Description

Job responsibilities listed herein are intended to be a thorough representation of the duties, responsibilities, expectations, and qualifications for this specific role at the time of hire but should not be considered all-encompassing as actual responsibilities may evolve to include additional duties as assigned based on organizational and operational needs.

• Active recruitment of participants
• Schedule participants
• Manage participant payments
• Conduct clinical interviews and psychological tests after training.
• Manage IRB
• Organizing the lab’s computers and software
• Demonstrate an understanding of methods and techniques.
• Provide appropriate written documentation of laboratory procedures.
• Serve as the contact person for collaborating labs at Vanderbilt.
• Willingness to work some weekends, some holidays, and overtime if needed (with overtime pay) as some participants may not be available during the week.

Supervisory Relationships:

This position will require some supervision of undergraduate students in the lab (e.g. overseeing their work schedule, assigning tasks)

Education and Certifications:

Bachelor's degree in Psychology, Neuroscience or related fields

Experience and Skills:

Knowledge of experimental psychology, knowledge of some coding (e.g. Matlab, Unity, Python or other), some experience with clinical science would be helpful.

Key Characteristics of a Successful Team Member in this Work Unit:

Analytical & Detail Oriented; flexibility; social skills & empathy; Honest and Transparent; motivated and hardworking; excellent writing and communication skills

Commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

At Vanderbilt University, we are intentional about and assume accountability for fostering advancement and respect for equity, diversity, and inclusion for all students, faculty, and staff. Our commitment to diversity makes us who we are. We have created a community that celebrates differences and lets individuality thrive. As part of this commitment, we actively value diversity in our workplace and learning environments as we seek to take advantage of the rich backgrounds and abilities of everyone. The diverse voices of Vanderbilt represent an invaluable resource for the University in its efforts to fulfill its mission and strive to be an example of excellence in higher education.

Vanderbilt University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. Women, minorities, people with disabilities and protected veterans are encouraged to apply.

Please note, all candidates selected for an offer of employment are subject to pre-employment background checks, which may include but are not limited to, based on the role for which they have been selected: criminal history, education verification, social media review, motor vehicle records, credit history, and professional license verification.