The Department of Environmental Health and Engineering seeks a part-time (or graduate) motivated and goal-oriented **_Research Assistant_** to support research in assessing potential health benefits and other effects related to the human-animal bond among racial and ethnic minority pet owners who are at increased risk in experiencing negative mental and physical health outcomes. The goal of this work is to identify human-animal bond characteristics that may be associated with improved mental and physical health outcomes among pet owners compared to non-owners, particularly for racial and ethnic minorities who are commonly neglected in human-animal bond health studies. Under direct supervision of Faculty PIs, Dr. Meghan Davis and Dr. Roland Thorpe, and Postdoctoral PI, Dr. Sharmaine Miller, the Research Assistant will support a HABRI-funded Project by reaching out to and recruiting pet-owners and non-owners from diverse backgrounds for an online Survey. Research assistants will recruit participants across the Mid-Atlantic Region via in-person (if feasible per COVID-19 trends) and email/telephone methods via self-created marketing materials, approved by project PIs. Research assistants must also demonstrate the ability to work pro-actively to meet recruitment goals across the 9-month survey deployment period. This is a two-year position, as so, preference will be given to those that can stay on for the full work period. **Specific Duties & Responsibilities** + Travel to organizations within 100 miles of Baltimore. Car pooling can also be arranged with other members of the research team engaging in study recruitment. + Cultural Competence. + Email management per community organizations interested and any potential participant questions. All should be discussed before response with the team leader. + Meet regularly (virtually or in-person) with Project and Postdoctoral PIs and provide regular recruitment updates to compare with recruitment milestones. + Maintain a good working knowledge of recruitment and participant consent protocols. + Create Survey marketing materials and manage their distribution in-person (if feasible) and via online methods. + Record work hours and recruitment progress throughout work period. + Conduct telephone surveys with self-selected participants and enter data collected into an online research database, RedCap. + Monitor data accrued to identify potential issues with survey completion. + Be able to navigate RedCap and correctly interpret and export data. + Aid in the creation of data summary reports that will be disseminated to appropriate stakeholders and survey participants. + Aid in the development of additional project instruments to further probe survey results. **Minimum Qualifications** + Bachelor's Degree in related discipline. + Additional related experience may substitute for required education, tothe extent permitted by the JHU equivalency formula. **Preferred Qualifications** + Familiarity with using online survey-based platforms, e.g. RedCap, Qualtrics. + Prior experience in engaging and recruiting participants for survey-based work. + Prior experience engaging participants from diverse backgrounds. **Special Knowledge, Skills & Abilities** + Demonstrably strong organizational skills with attention to detail. + Be able to adapt to challenging situations during any stage of project work, e.g., recruitment, participant engagement, survey monitoring, etc. + Be able to demonstrate cultural competency when interacting with racial and ethnic populations. + Be able to understand and conduct Community Based Participatory Research to develop a follow-up interview instrument with the research team. + Navigate Microsoft (e.g. Excel, Outlook, Teams) and OneDrive software, have basic computer and telecommunications (e.g. Zoom meetings) skills. + Ability to shift between in-person and remote work as needed. + COVID-19 and influenza vaccination as required by Johns Hopkins. + Consistent adherence to COVID-19 safety requirements. + Commitment to striving for the improved health and welfare of impoverished communities, especially communities of color that have traditionally faced inter-generational poverty and institutionalized systematic trauma. Classified Title: Research Assistant Role/Level/Range: ACRO40/E/03/CD Starting Salary Range: Min $17.00 - Max $30.00 HRLY ($38,000 targeted; Commensurate with experience) Employee group: Casual / On Call Schedule: Depends on candidate Exempt Status: Non-Exempt Location: School of Public Health Department name: Environmental Health and Engineering Personnel area: School of Public Health Equal Opportunity Employer: Johns Hopkins University is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability, marital status, veteran status, or any other occupationally irrelevant criteria. The university promotes affirmative action for minorities, women, disabled persons, and veterans.