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Research Assistant

Job IDE0-8A-37-A1-7B-5C
CompanyIndspire
LocationToronto
ProvinceOntario
Date Posted2021-01-11
Posted Until2021-07-10
Job TypeFixed-term
Job CategoryInformation Technology
Description
Are you an Indigenous person considering graduate school or a career in data science, research or analytics? Are you an Indigenous student or recent Indigenous graduate looking for work experience that allows you to contribute to Indigenous education?

Apply to be a Research Assistant with Indspire’s Research Knowledge Nest!

Indspire is currently seeking up to four (4) Indigenous students or recent Indigenous graduates to join our Research Knowledge Nest as Research Assistants.

This 12-month paid contract (May 2021-April 2022) will allow you to develop your research and analytical skills in a supportive, employee-centred environment.

In these roles, Indigenous students and recent Indigenous graduates have an opportunity to take on projects in an environment curated to develop data and research skills, build a professional network with other Indigenous researchers and research institutions and gain diverse experience applying research in the workforce. The successful candidates will be mentored by Indigenous and non-Indigenous researchers, produce original research and reports, support knowledge mobilization and learn from various experts. At the end of the contract, it is expected that the individuals will be in a position to successfully apply for graduate school and/or careers in data analytics or research fields.

The position responsibilities of the Research Assistant include:

- Performing research activities, including data cleaning, analysis, reporting and knowledge translation;
- Cleaning and analyzing Indspire’s internal data holdings on Indigenous students in Canada;
- Producing research results under the supervision and with support of the Lead Researcher;
- Developing an individual research agenda, project and results;
- Developing materials for communicating results, including reports, blog entries, videos, presentations and other resources;
- Supporting the design and implementation of additional data collection efforts to support research and Indspire’s mandate;
- Using other secondary data sources to answer key research questions;
- Providing feedback on the Research Nest program objectives for reporting and participating in program evaluation; and
- Supporting peers in the Research Nest cohort and helping to foster a sense of community.

The duties within this job description can be amended from time to time.

Candidates should possess:
- Desire to attend graduate school or work in a research-related career.
- A drive to learn, especially in a fast-paced and hands-on environment.
- A strong familiarity with spreadsheet tools like Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets.
- Strong numeracy skills: a capacity to read and understand data from various sources, synthesize understanding across multiple data sources and a generally positive attitude towards mathematical and statistical concepts.
- The ability to communicate research results effectively.
The ability and willingness to learn new software and research methods.
- An ability to convey research results through writing or data visualizations, and an interest in mobilizing research findings.
- Sound interpersonal skills, cross-cultural awareness and understanding, and good judgement.
- Ability to work both in a team environment and independently, including ability to stay on task and effectively communicate as a remote staff person.
- At least an introductory exposure to statistics, data analysis, or economics material.
- A genuine interest to advance research, statistics and analytics skills in an applied context.
- An interest in applying data science and research techniques to an Indigenous context to support and promote Indigenous interests.

Indspire’s Research Knowledge Nest is looking to hire an interdisciplinary team. Prospective Research Assistants with one or more of the following skills or experiences are encouraged to apply:
- A degree or field of study in Indigenous Studies, Social Science, Psychology, Statistics, Economics, Computer Science, Data Science, and other research related programs.
- An ability to understand, write, and communicate coherently about data and technical work to a range of audiences.
- Experience in developing research, programs, or policies supporting Indigenous peoples in post-secondary education and their transition to the workforce.
- Experience in developing creative solutions to complex operational policy and evaluation problems.
- An interest in data visualization, and a proven ability to clearly and aesthetically communicate research results.
- Experience working with data to support a hypothesis or decision making.

The Research Nest is a unique work and learning opportunity. Research Assistants will be part of a Cohort and program components include:
- Participating in online training that will develop your research, communication, primary data collection, and data analytics skills;
- Participating in mentorship opportunities;
- Participating in a speakers series where RAs meet researchers and experts in their fields of interest.
Start DateMay 1, 2021
LanguagesEnglish
How To ApplyThere are up to four full-time, 1-year contract positions, which can be based at one of Indspire’s two offices (Toronto or Six Nations) or remotely.

We are an Indigenous organization whose mandate is to promote opportunities for Indigenous people. As such, we encourage applications from qualified First Nations, Inuit and Métis post-secondary students and recent graduates. Candidates are encouraged to self-identify as Indigenous in their cover letters and have an opportunity to do so in the applicant screening survey.

Please complete the screening survey and submit your cover letter and resume through our application system.

Apply here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/researchnest-application

To apply, you must be in your final year of study of an undergraduate degree, or at a higher level of study, or have completed a degree in the past two years. Only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.

Deadline for Applications: Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Indspire will begin reviewing applications starting January 5, 2021. The position will remain open until the positions are filled. If this posting is visible on Indspire’s Job Board, we are still accepting applications.

About Indspire

Indspire is a national Indigenous registered charity that invests in the education of Indigenous people for the long-term benefit of these individuals, their families and communities, and Canada. Indspire desires to leverage its personal data holdings to conduct research that supports initiatives to improve Indigenous educational attainment, labour market, socio-economic outcomes, and community prosperity. As a research assistant, you would have the opportunity to assist in pursuing these initiatives. To learn more about Indspire and view some of our research, visit indspire.ca/programs/impact-research or indspire.ca/programs/impact-research/research-knowledge-nest.