Faculty Specialist – Research Coordinator for IN-PLACE Initiative

About the role

The Center for Substance Use, Addiction & Health Research (CESAR) at the University of Maryland seeks a full‑time Faculty Specialist to serve as Research Coordinator for the IN‑PLACE initiative. The role supports interdisciplinary, community‑engaged research on the links between place, environment, and health across Maryland.

Key responsibilities

• Support data collection and quality assurance across all IN‑PLACE cores.
• Administer the IN‑PLACE seed grant program, including calls for proposals, review coordination, and award management.
• Provide evaluation support to Community and Campus cores, generating pilot data for future proposals.
• Collaborate with the Operations Director to gather impact metrics and promote dissemination of findings.
• Assist the Research Core in preparing grant proposals to sustain the initiative.
• Manage qualitative and quantitative data, develop protocols, and support IRB submissions.
• Mentor students, contribute to manuscript and conference preparation, and support program events.

Required profile

• BA/BS in Social Sciences (e.g., Psychology, Public Health, Anthropology, Environmental Science) or related field.
• Strong organizational, written, and communication skills with attention to detail.
• Ability to work independently and demonstrate cross‑cultural sensitivity with underserved populations.
• Experience in data collection, cleaning, and program evaluation.
• Project coordination and qualitative or quantitative research experience.

Required skills

• Electronic data capture tools (REDCap).
• Statistical software (R, SPSS).
• Qualitative analysis software (NVivo).