Junior Analyst/Research Assistant - Research Affiliate Program

Important messages

To be considered for Research Affiliate Program (RAP) work opportunities, you must meet the following criteria and other RAP criteria from government of Canada website (https://www.canada.ca/en/public-service-commission/jobs/services/recruitment/students/research-affiliate-program/eligibility.html):

1. Persons residing in Canada and Canadian citizens residing abroad
2. Be recognized as having full-time student status by the post-secondary academic institution at which you are currently enrolled (a proof will be required).
3. Be the minimum age to work in the province where the job is located.
4. Be enrolled in an academic program that requires research as part of your curriculum.
5. Student must be willing to start work on October 10, 2017 to March 30, 2017. The student will be expected to work approximately 15 hours per week.

Duties

As a Junior Analyst/Research Assistant, the successful candidate will work as part of a team to explore the impact of specific vulnerabilities on behaviours and outcomes of interest and how policies, programs, or built environments impact or modify behaviours and other outcomes over time.

(1) Conduct literature reviews to better understand what is currently known about the risk factors of particular importance to vulnerable youth, including off-reserve First Nations, Inuit and Metis (FNIM), food insecure youth (FI), and victims of bullying (VoB) and what types of policies and programs have been developed to mitigate these risks.

(2) Become familiar with the longitudinal dataset that will be the foundation of this work. In collaboration with project Team members, identify a series of questions to be answered by this research project. Possible questions include:
a. What is the effectiveness of school based substance use prevention policies among youth who are FNIM or VoB?
b. Are school nutrition programs effective among FI youth?
c. What are the trajectories of substance use including alcohol and cannabis for youth who are FNIM or VoB, and what factors can help to delay their onsets?

(3) Develop an analysis plan that includes variables to be used to answer specific questions. This will be reviewed and revised, in collaboration with project team members.

(4) Implement analysis plan by analyzing the longitudinal dataset. Adjust the analysis plan, as necessary. Prepare manuscript(s) for peer reviewed journal publication.

Work environment

Work Environment

The Applied Research Division, Public Health Agency of Canada is responsible for answering research questions of priority for guiding policy and program development within the Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention Branch. Health equity is an issue of importance that is integrated into all the research pursued by this division. The student(s) will work closely with the ARD Team to explore the impact of specific vulnerabilities on behaviours and outcomes of interest, such as substance use and academic achievement. They will also be expected to explore the school and other environments of vulnerable youth to further understand impacts on key behaviours, particularly substance use.
Since the space available within our work environment is limited, students will be required to telework. Therefore, all collaborative activities will take place by teleconference. This can be a challenging approach to collaborative research.
The issues to be addressed are high profile and can be politically sensitive. The student(s) may face pressure to address a specific emerging issue or question that must be answered in a short time frame. Therefore, the research conducted may need to be flexible and analysis pursued may need to be revised to incorporate new directions or findings in the field as they emerge.

Positions to be filled: 2

Information you must provide

Your résumé.

A covering letter in 1,500 words (maximum) "demonstrating how you meet the education, which can include research you have completed and/or the courses you have taken and/or you will be taking during this academic year. Name of two persons for reference checks, including contact information (e.g. teachers, previous employers, etc.)""

Contact information for 2 references.

You must meet all essential qualifications in order to be appointed to the position. Other qualifications may be a deciding factor in choosing the person to be appointed. Some essential and other qualifications will be assessed through your application. It is your responsibility to provide appropriate examples that illustrate how you meet each qualification. Failing to do so could result in your application being rejected.

In order to be considered, your application must clearly explain how you meet the following (essential qualifications)

Education

The student must be currently enrolled in: at least 2nd Year Master’s degree program in Public Health or Epidemiology/Biostatistics or equivalent in a recognized post-secondary academic institution with full-time status.

Degree equivalency

The following will be applied / assessed at a later date (essential for the job)

English essential

Information on language requirements

Knowledge

Knowledge of public health, particularly the social determinants of health.
Knowledge of epidemiology/biostatistics.
Knowledge of qualitative research.
Knowledge of public health policies.

Abilities

Ability to conduct quantitative research including quasi-experimental studies.
Ability to analyze longitudinal data.

Personal Suitability:

Effective interpersonal relations
Display initiative and sound judgement
Respectful of diversity

The following may be applied / assessed at a later date (may be needed for the job)

Asset Qualifications

Knowledge of COMPASS dataset
Strong ability to analyze data using SAS

Degree equivalency

Conditions of employment

Conditions of Employment

Reliability Status Security Clearance is not required since students must telework

Other information

For further information on the Research Affiliate Program please visit: https://www.canada.ca/en/publicservicecommission/jobs/services/recruitment/students/research-affiliate-program.html.

While non-Canadians may apply, preference is given to Canadian citizens. A Canadian citizen is a person who was born in Canada or who has obtained Canadian citizenship.

Communication for this process will be sent via email. It is the responsibility of the candidate to ensure accurate contact information is provided and updated as required. Candidates who apply to this selection process should provide an email address that accepts email from unknown users (some email systems block these types of email).
Applications will be accepted on-line only. Please click on the button “Apply NOW” below.

The Public Service of Canada is committed to building a skilled, diverse workforce reflective of Canadian society. As a result, it promotes employment equity and encourages candidates to indicate voluntarily on their application if they are a woman, an Aboriginal person, a person with a disability or a member of a visible minority group.
The Public Service of Canada is also committed to developing inclusive, barrier-free selection processes and work environments. If contacted in relation to a job opportunity or testing, you should advise the Public Service Commission or the departmental official in a timely fashion of the accommodation measures which must be taken to enable you to be assessed in a fair and equitable manner. Information received relating to accommodation measures will be addressed confidentially.

We thank all those who apply. Only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.

The Public Service of Canada is committed to building a skilled, diverse workforce reflective of Canadian society. As a result, it promotes employment equity and encourages candidates to indicate voluntarily on their application if they are a woman, an Aboriginal person, a person with a disability or a member of a visible minority group.

The Public Service of Canada is also committed to developing inclusive, barrier-free selection processes and work environments. If contacted in relation to a job opportunity or testing, you should advise the Public Service Commission or the departmental official in a timely fashion of the accommodation measures which must be taken to enable you to be assessed in a fair and equitable manner. Information received relating to accommodation measures will be addressed confidentially.

Preference

Preference will be given to Canadian citizens.

We thank all those who apply. Only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.