RESEARCH SCIENTIST
Req #: | 178363 |
Department: | EVANS SCHOOL OF PUBLIC POLICY & GOVERNANCE |
Job Location: | Seattle Campus |
Posting Date: | 04/01/2020 |
Closing Info: | Open Until Filled |
Salary: | Salary is commensurate with experience and education. |
Shift: | First Shift |
Notes: | As a UW employee, you will enjoy generous benefits and work/life programs. For detailed information on Benefits for this position, click here. |
UW faculty and staff also enjoy outstanding benefits, professional growth opportunities and unique resources in an environment noted for diversity, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits and natural beauty. All of which has allowed the UW to be nationally recognized as a “Great College to Work For” for six consecutive years.
The Daniel J. Evans School of Public Policy & Governance, a top ranked public policy school, serves over 500 students in three graduate degree programs: Master of Public Administration, Executive Master of Public Administration, and Ph.D. in Public Policy & Management. The school is defined by a tradition of rigorous study, innovative research, and a commitment to public service. Our graduates and faculty provide the ideas, expertise, and leadership that guide government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and private companies around the country and throughout the world.
The Evans School of Public Policy & Governance has an outstanding full time opportunity for a Research Scientist.
The Evans School Policy Analysis and Research Group (EPAR) at the University of Washington’s Evans School of Public Policy & Governance conducts rigorous interdisciplinary research on a range of topics related to agricultural development in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, including digital financial services, small-scale producers, gender, health and nutrition, climate, markets, and development policy and finance. Our research streams focus on data and measurement, and we use economic, statistical, spatial, and other analytics and promote open-access tools and programming. For more information about EPAR, please see: https://evans.uw.edu/policy-impact/epar
The Research Scientist will contribute to measurement, learning and evaluation (MLE) efforts around country-led inclusive agricultural transformation and investments by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The primary purpose is to develop an independent robust, consistent approach for conducting evaluations that will generate better, and more easily shared, evidence of impact. EPAR and the Research Scientist will not be conducting evaluations, but rather will be providing the contracting and systems infrastructure, and technical review and support as needed, for evaluators. The secondary purpose is to ensure complementarity across another MLE work stream that involves constructing agricultural indicators
EPAR invites applications from qualified candidates for a position as a Research Scientist with an expertise in evaluation. The position is based at the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington. The Research Scientist will provide at least half-time support on one contract that provides contracting, technical and communication support to evaluations of investments associated with agricultural transformation, hence experience with experimental, quasi-experimental, mixed-methods and process evaluations is essential.
The position will also support constructing agricultural indicators, hence proficiency with Stata, spatial mapping, statistics and familiarity with the LSMS-ISA and other agricultural data is highly desired.
This position will include preparing systems and templates for a UW evaluation system, preparing RFPs, reviewing proposals, offering technical feedback, and preparing internal confidential reports and presentations for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Ideally the qualified candidate will also support a work stream on monitoring agricultural outcomes outside of, but complementary to, the evaluation work. There may be an opportunity to prepare or contribute to public research briefs and literature reviews, public coding syntax files, and peer-reviewed journal articles.
The Research Scientist will be expected to provide support and mentoring across a team of graduate students on EPAR projects.
Specific daily activities might include:
REQUIREMENTS:
Equivalent education/experience will substitute for all minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license/certification/registration.
DESIRED:
Training in economics is desirable, particularly if paired with evaluation, statistics and data science training. Other quantitative and evaluation oriented social scientists are also invited to apply. Candidates whose backgrounds or experience have provided them with current contextual knowledge of agriculture in Nigeria, Tanzania, Ethiopia and/or India are particularly encouraged to apply.
CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:
Application Process:
The application process for UW positions may include completion of a variety of online assessments to obtain additional information that will be used in the evaluation process. These assessments may include Work Authorization, Cover Letter and/or others. Any assessments that you need to complete will appear on your screen as soon as you select “Apply to this position”. Once you begin an assessment, it must be completed at that time; if you do not complete the assessment you will be prompted to do so the next time you access your “My Jobs” page. If you select to take it later, it will appear on your "My Jobs" page to take when you are ready. Please note that your application will not be reviewed, and you will not be considered for this position until all required assessments have been completed.
Committed to attracting and retaining a diverse staff, the University of Washington will honor your experiences, perspectives and unique identity. Together, our community strives to create and maintain working and learning environments that are inclusive, equitable and welcoming.
The University of Washington is a leader in environmental stewardship & sustainability, and committed to becoming climate neutral.
The University of Washington is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. To request disability accommodation in the application process, contact the Disability Services Office at 206-543-6450 / 206-543-6452 (tty) or dso@uw.edu.