Graduate Research Assistant (GRA)

Job Description

Graduate Research Assistant (GRA) | SPARK Initiative

The Tone:
This is a part-time role at SPARK Initiative, located in Orem, UT. SPARK is a vital initiative dedicated to developing and rigorously evaluating family-friendly behavioral intervention resources for individuals with autism. This position offers a unique opportunity to contribute to significant research activities related to caregiver training interventions, including the creation of critical training materials, engaging video modeling modules, and the evaluation of meaningful behavioral outcomes. The work directly supports the advancement of practical knowledge and resources for families impacted by autism.

The TL;DR
• Role: Part Time
• Type: Part-time
• Location: In-person, Orem, UT
• Team: Reports directly to Dr. Patrick Mallory, Assistant Professor of ABA and Program Director for the M.Ed in ABA program.
• Mission: This role solves the problem of providing essential research support for the SPARK initiative, which develops and evaluates family-friendly behavioral intervention resources for individuals with autism.

What You’ll Actually Do
• Material Developer: Design and develop various training materials, including comprehensive family guides, practical checklists, and informative infographics, to support the SPARK initiative.
• Content Creator: Support the creation of engaging video modeling modules and other instructional content, enhancing the family-friendly behavioral intervention resources.
• Research Analyst: Conduct thorough literature reviews related to autism intervention and applied behavior analysis to inform research design and material development.
• Data Manager: Assist with accurate data collection, efficient data entry, systematic data organization, and support behavioral coding processes for the research project.
• Project Contributor: Support participant recruitment efforts, assist with overall research coordination, and contribute to the preparation of professional conference presentations and research manuscripts.

The Must-Haves
• Background: An early career graduate student currently enrolled in Applied Behavior Analysis, Education, or a closely related field.
• Experience: Prior coursework or practical experience in Applied Behavior Analysis. Experience with research methods or behavioral data collection processes.
• Skills: Demonstrated interest in autism intervention and applied behavior analysis. Possess strong organizational and communication skills. Ability to work independently and consistently meet project deadlines.
• Bonus: Interest or experience in developing educational materials or multimedia content. Familiarity with data analysis software or other research tools.