Postdoctoral Fellow In Policy, Location And Access In Community Environments

This position is a part of the Association of the Academic Staff of the University of Alberta (AASUA).

This position offers a benefits package found at Postdoctoral Fellows Benefits .

This full-time position is available for a period three years . The start date of the position is flexible. Salary will be commensurate with experience and skills.

Working for the University of Alberta

The University of Alberta acknowledges that we are located on Treaty 6 territory, and respects the histories, languages and cultures of First Nations, Métis, Inuit and all First Peoples of Canada, whose presence continues to enrich our vibrant community.

The University of Alberta is teeming with change makers, community builders, and world shapers who lead with purpose each and every day. We are home to more than 40,000 students in 200+ undergraduate and 500+ graduate programs, over 13,000 faculty and staff, 260,000 alumni worldwide and have been recognized as one of Canada’s Greenest Employers for over a decade.

Your work will have a meaningful influence on a fascinating cross section of people—from our students and stakeholders, to our renowned researchers and innovators who are quite literally curing diseases, making discoveries and generating solutions that make the world healthier, safer, stronger, and more just.

Position

One Postdoctoral Fellowship position is available in the Policy, Location and Access in Community Environments (PLACE) Research Lab ( www.placeresearchlab.com ) in the School of Public Health at the University of Alberta, Canada. The applicant will work with Dr. Candace Nykiforuk ( Principal I nvestigator of the PLACE Research Lab).

PLACE Research Activities Span Three Areas Of Investigation

The research conducted within the PLACE Research Lab seeks to contribute to better understanding the people-policy-place relationships in chronic disease prevention and interventions. Engaged scholarship is a core principle of the Lab. Work in the PLACE L ab involves qualitative , quantitative , and mixed methodologies, community-based participatory research, literature reviews, policy analysis, and GIS mapping.

• Program and policy initiatives, including: ( i ) how they evolve; (ii) how they shape particular settings (e.g., neighbourhood s , schools, workplaces, communities); and (iii) their impact on health and well-being;

• Knowledge exchange, or interactions between research and practice to support knowledge sharing and use.
• Community-based studies of opportunities for and barriers to healthy choices in the built and social environment; and,

The Postdoctoral Fellow (PDF) is being sought to specifically advance qualitative data analysis for the HeAlth , Prevention, and Policy Environments (HAPPEN) project . HAPPEN is a researcher-knowledge user collaborative that gather s and mobilize s evidence on policies related to chronic disease prevention and mental health promotion . The PDF will be an active member of the PLACE research team and will be involved in the implementation, analytic/interpretation, and knowledge translation phases of the research, including the development of peer-reviewed manuscripts . For details regarding projects in the PLACE Research Lab and a list of recent publications, please visit www.placeresearchlab.com . For specific information on the HAPPEN project, please visit https://placeresearchlab.com/place-projects/chronic-disease-prevention-survey/ .

Specific duties will include (but are not limited to): project coordination, provide guidance on appropriate analysis approaches, data analysis, data interpretation and synthesis, literature review s , manuscript development, write technical reports and lay summaries of data, supervise research assistants, present research findings, liaise with the research team, collaborate with other members of the PLACE Lab, and support the development of grant proposals.

The PDF will work under the supervision of Dr. Candace Nykiforuk and be offered a supportive environment that emphasizes gaining and enhancing skills, thinking critically and innovatively, taking risks, and both autonomy and teamwork. The PDF will be exposed to other projects (as appropriate and as interests align) , community engagement, and various areas of the research cycle (e.g., grant development , publication , knowledge translation ) . While being an important contributor to the PLACE Lab, the PDF will also be supported to develop their independent research interests.

Applicants should possess a PhD in a related area (e.g., public health, social sciences, biostatistics, demography, epidemiology, or related disciplines) and have no more than 2 years of relevant postdoctoral experience. Candidates should have an excellent academic record, the beginning of a publication record, and a planned research program. In addition, strong writing and quantitative analysis skills are required, with demonstrated abilities in data linkage, manipulation, and statistical analysis. Applicant should have a primary interest in the relationships between people, policy , and place.

Interested candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for Postdoctoral Funding opportunities as they become available.

How To Apply

Submit an electronic application consisting of a cover letter including a brief statement of research interests specific to the PLACE Research Lab and the HAPPEN project , curriculum vitae, up to three samples of scholarly work and contact information for three references.