Research Project Specialist

Position OverviewThe Institute for Policy & Social Research (IPSR) is a designated research center for the social sciences, supporting social science researchers at the University of Kansas. IPSR supports faculty-led research centers, their directors, and a network of more than 100 affiliates, and staff.
The Trade War Lab (TWL) is a social science lab, partially funded by a grant from the Minerva Research Initiative and supported by IPSR, dedicated to dual-mission:

1. Understand the US-China Trade War and its impact on heartland communities through a bottom up, data-driven, firm-centric approach.
2. Empower policy-relevant academic research by teams of undergraduate and graduate students through collaboration and mentoring.

The position is housed within the Trade War Lab in the Institute for Policy & Social Research. The position reports to the Director of the Trade War Lab. The Lab Manager will provide research support to the director and manage a large team of undergraduate research assistants and interns. The primary responsibilities are to manage budget and hiring, manage daily staff workload, assist team(s) with implementation of projects and research on economic sanctions. Activities also include organizing meetings, speaker series events, and other activities in collaboration with campus partners, as well as grant writing support, administrative procedures, and grant reporting.
This position is contingent on funding with current funding available for 9 months with possible extension should additional funding become available.
Job Description
50% - Provides administrative assistance to lab project.

• Helps oversee project expenditures for the TWL and initiates transactions (purchases, travel, reimbursement) on behalf of project team.
• Helps oversee hiring, orientation, and manage human resources for the TWL
• Schedules meetings and manages events.
• Assists with project management and may manage other aspects of the project as defined by the PI.

25% - Provide project support for the TWL

• Helps maintain and update the TWL GitHub page and public datasets
• Assists in identifying and growing relationships with external partners and campus partners
• Assists with drafting materials for presentations and publications.
• Assists with grant writing and grant reporting
• Assists with organizing of periodic speaker series and event logistics.
• Monitors external grant opportunities and deadlines

25% - Provide research support for the TWL

• Researching industry associations and Congressional actions
• Tracking headlines about the US-China trade war and economic sanctions
• Assisting in spot and background research for the director
• Writing public-facing research reports and op-eds

Required Qualifications

1. Bachelor's degree and two years of related experience.
2. One year experience or demonstrated course work in data science, statistics, data analysis, or related work.
3. One year experience coordinating activities for teams as evidenced by application materials
4. One year experience in project management or related field.
5. Excellent written communication skills as evidenced by application materials.

Preferred Qualifications

1. One year experience with project implementation including budgets, timelines, and deadlines.
2. Two years working with social scientist researchers.
3. Specialized training in project management as evidenced by application materials.
4. Experience editing and proofreading documents and publications.
5. Experience with undergraduate research.
6. Experience with University financial systems.

Additional Candidate InstructionsA complete online application includes:

• Cover letter
• Resume/CV
• Names and contact information for 3 professional references

Application review will begin Monday, May 27th, 2024. For consideration, please apply no later than Sunday, May 26th, 2024.
Contact Information to ApplicantsJena Gunter - kujena@ku.eduAdvertised Salary Range$40,000 - $45,000Work Schedule40 hours/weekApplication Review BeginsMonday May 27, 2024Anticipated Start DateMonday June 10, 2024Apply to Job