Applicants should include a brief cover letter as the first page of their resume that outlines relevant experience and interest in environmental health and justice.
We are seeking a research assistant to support community engaged research and translational activities focused on environmental health, social justice and health equity in Southeast Michigan. Candidates should be knowledgeable and passionate about environmental justice, have a strong commitment to equitable working relationships, and skills in translation of research findings to multiple audiences. Applicants should have familiarity with the use of graphics and illustrations in developing translational materials. Experience supporting collaborative capacity to inform environmental decision making with environmental health science, and with participatory approaches to research and teaching are a plus, as is familiarity with the Detroit metropolitan area, and experience working with multiple groups (e.g., researchers, community members, environmental advocates).
This research position will provide support across two projects, both working on environmental health issues in southeast Michigan: Community Action to Promote Healthy Environments (CAPHE) and the Community Engagement Core for the M-LEEaD Core Center.
The Community Action to Promote Healthy Environments (CAPHE) partnership is a community- based participatory research partnership that has been working to address environmental health concerns, especially air quality, in Detroit since 2014. This research-to-action partnership has identified pollutant sources and strategies to reduce pollutant exposures, and to mitigate their adverse effects, and is currently working to implement those strategies. CAPHE’s ultimate goal is to improve health outcomes and reduce inequitable health outcomes in Detroit. CAPHE uses a community-based participatory research approach in which community, academic, health service and environmental partners are involved in all phases of our research and action. The project is led by faculty in two departments in the School of Public Health, Health Behavior and Health Education, and Environmental Health Sciences. See website https://caphedetroit.sph.umich.edu/ for additional information.
The Community Engagement Core (CEC) is part of a larger P30 National Institute for Environmental Health Science (NIEHS)-funded center known as the Michigan Lifestage Environmental Exposures and Disease (M-LEEaD) Center. The overall goal of the M-LEEaD Center is to enhance understanding of the role of environmental exposures in disease. To accomplish this goal, the CEC seeks to foster multi-directional interaction between the Center and community members and policy makers by assuring that Center researchers are aware of community priorities and translating and disseminating environmental health research (from both the Center researchers and from other researchers). This is a term-limited position - one year from hire date.
About the Department: The position will be based in the Department of Health Behavior and Health Education. Driven by a shared passion for affecting lasting change, the faculty, students and staff of HBHE work in the pursuit of an equitable, healthy future for all. Turning theory and research into actionable practice, we develop interventions and innovations that promote health, prevent disease, and empower people to manage chronic illness and disabilities. Together, our academic community transforms the theoretical into actionable, the science into the social, applying our knowledge to eliminate health disparities and impact lives for the better.
- Master’s degree in Public Health
- Familiarity with participatory approaches to research and action
We are seeking an experienced and dynamic staff member with a commitment to contributing to a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment for all members of our community.
The University of Michigan conducts background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer and may use a third party administrator to conduct background checks. Background checks are performed in compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
The University of Michigan is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.