A cover letter is required for consideration for this position and should be attached as the first page of your resume. The cover letter should address your specific interest in this position and outline your skills and experience that directly relate to the responsibilities of the role.

About the Department of Health Behavior & Health Equity

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, empower people to manage chronic illness and disabilities, and facilitate collective action for social change. 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.

The Prevention Research Collaborative (PRC), based in the Department of Health Behavior and Health Equity (HBHE) at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, seeks a Research Area Specialist Associate to support housing and health-related research and evaluation activities. The Prevention Research Collaborative brings together interdisciplinary research teams from the CDC-funded Prevention Research Center of Michigan, the Michigan Youth Violence Prevention Center, the Healthy Minds Network, Housing Solutions for Health Equity, and other affiliated federally funded initiatives. The PRC advances community-based prevention strategies through rigorous research, evaluation, and strong partnerships with communities.

This is a 12-month term-limited position supporting two applied research projects focused on assessing housing needs among priority populations in Michigan, in partnership with the Autism Alliance of Michigan and the American Diabetes Association. The position will provide project coordination, field data collection, and evaluation support, working closely with faculty investigators, research staff, and community partners.

Responsibilities are currently supported by funded projects but may evolve to support additional PRC initiatives as programmatic needs change.

• Support day-to-day implementation of two housing-focused research and evaluation projects, ensuring alignment with project goals, timelines, and funder requirements
• Coordinate data collection activities, including surveys, interviews, focus groups, and/or field-based data collection
• Assist in developing and refining data collection tools, protocols, and tracking systems
• Manage and maintain project data, including data entry, cleaning, and organization in collaboration with the project team
• Support recruitment and engagement of study participants and community stakeholders, including coordination with partner organizations
• Participate in and help coordinate meetings with community partners, including preparing materials, taking notes, and tracking action items
• Contribute to the development of reports, presentations, and dissemination materials for both academic and community audiences
• Assist with IRB processes, documentation, and compliance with human subjects research protocols
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary team members across projects, including faculty, staff, and external partners
• Provide general project coordination support, including scheduling, tracking deliverables, and maintaining organized project documentation
• Participate in team meetings and contribute to cross-project coordination and learning

• Bachelor's degree in public health, social sciences, urban planning, psychology, or a related field (Masters Preferred)
• 1-3 years of experience in research, evaluation, or project coordination 
• Experience supporting data collection activities (e.g., surveys, interviews, focus groups, or administrative data)
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively in team-based environments
• Ability to engage respectfully and effectively with community partners and participants from diverse backgrounds
• Experience working with community-based or nonprofit organizations
• Familiarity with housing, food security, health equity, disability, chronic disease, or other social determinants of health
• Experience working with or familiarity with individuals with disabilities (including autism and other developmental or cognitive disabilities), their families, or related service systems.
• Experience contributing to reports, presentations, or other dissemination products
• Experience with qualitative and/or quantitative data management or analysis tools (e.g., GIS, MaxQDA, SPSS, R)

Positions that are eligible for hybrid or mobile/remote work mode are at the discretion of the hiring department. Work agreements are reviewed annually at a minimum and are subject to change at any time, and for any reason, throughout the course of employment. Learn more about the work modes.

This position is based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The role is classified as hybrid. In-person time may be required for team meetings and community engagement activities. Occasional travel within Michigan may be required.

This is a term-limited position for 12 months, with the possibility of extension contingent upon funding availability and performance.

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.

Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days. The review and selection process may begin as early as the eighth day after posting. This opening may be removed from posting boards and filled any time after the minimum posting period has ended.

The University of Michigan is an equal employment opportunity employer.