San Diego State University Research Foundation
MMG/HDAG Research Assistant

US-CA-San Diego

Job ID: 2026-20016
Type: Part-Time Contract
# of Openings: 1
Category: Research/Project
SDSU HealthLINK Center

Overview

This position is budgeted at $17.75 - $19.00 per hour depending upon qualifications and is non-negotiable.

SDSU RESEARCH FOUNDATION

Established in 1943, the mission of the SDSU Research Foundation (SDSURF) is to support the research objectives of San Diego State University by helping faculty and staff find, obtain, and administer funding for their research and sponsored programs. SDSU achieved its strategic plan goal of becoming an R1, premier public research university in early 2025, furthering discoveries, interventions, and solutions that improve communities and change the world. SDSURF provides the full life cycle of grants services to faculty and staff to further their important work.

Our vision is to foster a culture of creativity and collaboration with integrity and respect for individuals that results in the delivery of superior service to support the university’s strategic aspirations.

Our core values:

Service: We are a service organization that strives to provide superior support to the university community to achieve SDSU’s goals; we are committed to being professionally competent by setting high standards and working hard to achieve results; and we are continually seeking to improve our skills and capabilities by valuing education and professional development.

Collaboration: We seek to actively engage with our stakeholders and employees to identify issues and design solutions, build strong relationships grounded in trust, openness, and inclusion, and achieve the best results by taking pride in the accomplishments of our colleagues.

Innovation: We work towards inspired solutions to improve and adapt to emerging opportunities and challenges, creative ways to streamline and enhance our delivery of services through resourceful and proactive problem-solving, and strategic use of technology and reduction of obstacles.

Respect: We promote a culture where every individual is valued and treated with dignity, we honor open-mindedness toward different viewpoints and ideas, and have a genuine appreciation for varied backgrounds, experiences, and ways of thinking.

Integrity: We are committed to act with the highest ethical standards, with honesty, integrity, and transparency, provide consistent and accurate information and value and respect all individuals.

FUNCTION OF THE UNIT

At San Diego State University's (SDSU’s) HealthLINK Center for Transdisciplinary Health Research (SDSU HealthLINK Center), our vision is to inspire transformational and collaborative research that promotes health and well-being for all people and communities. Our collective efforts are driven by a team that includes wide-ranging expertise at all levels of our organization. We are based a short 1.2 miles from the SDSU campus. We offer comprehensive benefits that support the overall well-being and quality of life of our employees.

Funded by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) through a U54 Cooperative Agreement, the SDSU HealthLINK Center offers a wide range of research services, including expertise in multiple research methods, supporting varied research needs, and data analytics applications across the university to enhance health research. The SDSU HealthLINK Center supports research projects led by SDSU, SDSU Imperial Valley (SDSU IV), and SDSU Research Foundation (SDSURF) investigators, affiliated partner organizations, and industry partners, including those funded as Center Research Projects, as Pilot Projects, or who access our services through a cost recovery system.

PURPOSE OF THE POSITION

The Research Assistant II is important to the work of the Measurement Methods Group and the Health Data and Analytics Methods Group and contributes to the overall efforts of the SDSU HealthLINK Center’s Research Capacity Core (RCC). The RCC focuses on enhancing research infrastructure and delivering research resources and services to investigators engaging in health research.

Under the immediate supervision of the Center’s Data Analytics and Measurement Coordinator, the Research Assistant II will provide assistance related to measurement and data management, including but not limited to setting up survey instruments in electronic data capture (EDC) systems; performing data entry and verification; and conducting simple data cleaning and analyses in statistical software.

In addition, the Research Assistant II will help maintain the Measures Registry, which contains detailed information on measures related to different constructs typically used in health research. The Research Assistant II will need to be familiar and knowledgeable to review research articles and extract information such as psychometric properties, administration methods, populations tested, and availability of the measures, and ensure up-to-date information is posted on the registry online portal.

The ideal candidate will have a strong interest in data-driven processes, enjoy collaborating with researchers across diverse disciplines, and be highly motivated and able to work independently.

Responsibilities

Measurement and Data Management Related Tasks 90%

Assist with the setup, programming, and testing of survey instruments (including testing skip logic, validations, etc.) in electronic data capture (EDC) systems, such as Qualtrics, REDCap, and other platforms as needed.Create, update, and maintain study documentation, including protocol documents, data dictionaries, and step-by-step how-to guides for using functions within various EDC systems.Conduct data quality assurance and control checks, including reviewing completeness, consistency, and accuracy of collected data, and documenting identified issues. Perform basic data cleaning and descriptive data analyses, such as generating frequencies, cross-tabulations, and summary statistics, using statistical software (e.g., R, SAS, SPSS, Stata, or Mplus).Perform data entry and data verification tasks, including double-checking entries against source documents and resolving discrepancies.Assist with maintaining the Measures Registry by updating components of existing measures as needed and adding new measures. Prepare and compile presentations for team meetings and training sessions.Edit videos of recorded presentations/training sessions.

Other Duties as Assigned 10%

Attends Center training and meetings as needed.Maintain routine communication to ensure coordination and implementation of assigned activities are on target and within established deadlines.Other Center duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Knowledge & Abilities

Basic knowledge of statistical software applications such as SPSS, Stata, SAS, R, and/or MplusKnowledge of standard office software applications (e.g., MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint)Knowledge of the development and validation of surveysAbility to search for research articles on measures/scales onlineAbility to extract measurement-related information from research articlesAbility to interact and communicate clearly and effectively in a professional manner, both orally and in writingAbility to display motivation and strong interpersonal skillsAbility to display organizational skills, meet deadlines, possess good judgment, and common senseAbility to demonstrate excellent attention to detailAbility to quickly learn and apply elementary research methods and proceduresAbility to follow oral and written directionsAbility to follow detailed procedures and instructions thoroughly and accuratelyAbility to follow established research study protocols and proceduresAbility to effectively use Word, Excel, and other computer programs to input/organize study dataAbility to maintain strict confidentiality of the research project's protected recordsAbility to work independently with minimal supervisionAbility to arrive at work on time, understand and follow posted work rules and proceduresAbility to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with coworkers and interact effectively with a variety of people in a multidisciplinary environment, including co-workers, clients, and study participantsAbility to demonstrate a high level of cross-cultural sensitivity.

Minimum Education & Experience

• Completion of sufficient lower division coursework
  
• OR - Equivalent of one year related experience in lieu of coursework
  
  

Preferred Qualifications & Special Skills

Successful completion of at least one statistics course and one research method course at the graduate levelPrevious experience generating datasets and some experience writing syntax/code in statistical softwarePrevious experience working in a public health research environmentPrevious experience using electronic data capture systems, such as Qualtrics, REDCap, or REDCap CloudEducational background in Public Health, Psychology, Nutrition, Statistics, Mathematics, or other related fieldsFluency in English and Spanish (speaking, reading, writing, comprehension)

Additional Applicant Information

Candidate must reside in California and live within a commutable distance from SDSU at time of hire.Job offer is contingent upon satisfactory clearance based on background check results (including a criminal record check).San Diego State University Research Foundation is an equal opportunity employer. Consistent with California law and federal civil rights laws, SDSU Research Foundation provides equal opportunity in employment without unlawful discrimination or preferential treatment based on race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin or any other categories protected by federal or state law. Employment decisions are based on an individual’s qualifications as they relate to the job under consideration. Our commitment to equal opportunity means ensuring that every employee has equal access to resources and support. SDSU Research Foundation complies with Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the California Equity in Higher Education Act, California’s Proposition 209 (Art. I, Section 31 of the California Constitution), and other applicable state and federal anti-discrimination laws including grant or contract terms and conditions related to funded program activities. Further the SDSU Research Foundation maintains a Nondiscrimination Policy that prohibits discriminatory preferential treatment, segregation based on race or any other protected status, and all forms of unlawful discrimination, harassment, and retaliation in all programs, policies, and practices. SDSU Research Foundation makes all employment decisions including, but not limited to, applicant screening, hiring, promotion, demotion, compensation, benefits, disciplinary actions, and terminations on the basis of merit.