Project Scientist - Environmental Justice Research Lab - UCI

The department of Environmental and Occupational Health at the University of California, Irvine announces a new Project Scientist position available in Summer 2024. The successful candidate will serve as the assistant director of the Environmental Justice Research Lab to support a board program of community-based participatory research, community engagement and community science. This person will conduct investigations around community-driven epidemiology for environmental justice in both urban and rural contexts. We are seeking applicants with demonstrated experience in and/or commitment to working effectively with diverse communities. Research opportunities on multiple community-driven environmental justice projects focused on industrial pollution, health disparities, women and children, and community engagement abound in Southern California. A substantial portion of our research is grounded in working with economically stressed communities of color and conducted in partnership with community-based environmental justice organizations across Los Angeles and throughout Southern California.

A Project Scientist plans, designs, and conducts highly specialized, technical, and complex research projects independently. They analyze and evaluate research data and provide interpretations requiring significant knowledge of a specialized area of research and may contribute to the development of advanced new concepts, techniques and standards. Research Scientists develop solutions to complex research problems, which require a high degree of ingenuity, creativity, and innovativeness. The position requires excellent analytical skills, demonstrated ability to develop and execute creative approaches to analytical problems, strong written and oral communication skills, experience in both technology, community, public health and health policy analysis, experience working on externally funded grants, a willingness to attract external funding, the ability to lead projects and proposals, work as a member of a multi-disciplinary team, and a commitment to affecting change through empirical research.

Our current and potential lines of research address health concerns of communities-especially those that consist primarily of Latinx, Asian/Pacific Islander and Blacks living under economic hardship and facing disproportionate adverse health outcomes from social and environmental disparities. Topics of interest include a) energy transitions and impacts to urban and rural communities; (b) health impacts of energy and climate crisis on communities and specifically women; and (c) air pollution arising from land-use decisions such as locating industries (e.g. lithium extraction or oil drilling) adjacent to homes and schools. Innovative approaches for exposure assessment and research translation to reduce health disparities, address environmental racism and promote health equity would be especially welcomed.

Successful candidates would have demonstrated leadership in developing new ideas and ability to publish in appropriate academic and practitioner outlets, excellence in managing the execution of multiple research projects, worked successfully with research and community partners and thought leaders, demonstrated ability to successfully develop and organize a strategic research agenda, execute and manage projects on a tight timeline, and provide measurable outcomes to document the success of the research agenda. They will have demonstrated independent thinking and leadership in proposal and scholarly writing according to such criteria as: first authored publications, conceptual leadership in the development of publications generated alone or with others, writing of first drafts of publications and/or single authored publications. Additionally, will have demonstrated experience with grant and technical report writing.

Qualifications:

* PhD in environmental health, epidemiology, exposure science, environmental engineering, community-engaged research or related discipline

* Experience in or has demonstrated commitment to community-based research, racial disparities and environmental justice

* Strong quantitative skills or mixed-method approaches

* Excellent written and oral communication skills

* Demonstrate research skills, preferably in the form of peer reviewed publications

* Demonstrate success initiating and leading research projects and grant proposal

* Demonstrate experience working with multi ethnic communities

* Complete research tasks related to sponsored project as needed.

* Communicate with Principal Investigator, participants, and other staff members on progress and future plans

• 3 required (contact information only)

The University of California, Irvine is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer advancing inclusive excellence. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected categories covered by the UC anti-discrimination policy.

As a condition of employment, the finalist will be required to disclose if they are subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct, are currently being investigated for misconduct, left a position during an investigation for alleged misconduct, or have filed an appeal with a previous employer.

• "Misconduct" means any violation of the policies or laws governing conduct at the applicant's previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies or laws prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment, discrimination, dishonesty, or unethical conduct, as defined by the employer.
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As a University employee, you will be required to comply with all applicable University policies and/or collective bargaining agreements, as may be amended from time to time. Federal, state, or local government directives may impose additional requirements.