Postdoctoral Research Associate

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Job Description

Texas A&M AgriLife’s Institute for Advancing Health Through Agriculture (IHA) Healthy Living program, based at the AgriLife Center at Dallas, seeks a Postdoctoral Research Associate to work in close collaboration and coordination with the Healthy Living team, led by IHA Associate Director, Dr. Rebecca Seguin-Fowler, whose work focuses on community-engaged research to promote health and reduce chronic disease. The ideal candidate is highly organized, proactive, detail-oriented, and capable of managing multiple priorities in a fast-paced academic and research environment while exercising professionalism, discretion, and independent judgment.

Texas A&M AgriLife is an organization that supports healthy living for all Texans, through the research of tailored agricultural practices that yield nutritious food sources, outreach programs that train community members on growing their own food, and preservation of natural resources via eco-friendly means, all while following practices that lead to a stronger Texas economy. Overseen by the Office of the Vice Chancellor and Dean for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Texas A&M AgriLife includes the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, the College of Agriculture & Life Sciences at Texas A&M University, Texas A&M Forest Service, and Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory.

The Texas A&M AgriLife Institute for Advancing Health Through Agriculture (IHA) is the world’s first academic institute to bring together precision nutrition, responsive agriculture, and social and behavioral healthy living research to reduce diet-related chronic disease in a way that considers environmental and economic factors. The IHA unites experts from various fields such as agriculture, nutrition, behavioral sciences, exercise physiology, health communications, public health, social sciences, life sciences, engineering, data and computation science, and economics.

Healthy Living implements, evaluates, and disseminates scientific solutions, applicable to all Texans, for improved public health. The Healthy Living team works on a broad portfolio of extramurally funded, community-engaged research and active collaborations with community partners, cooperative extension, and many academic and nonprofit organizations throughout Texas and beyond. We aim to understand the means of building communities around healthy living and about facilitating the delivery of current, accurate, evidence-based programs, guidelines, and information that supports healthier living for Texans. Areas of particular interest to Healthy Living include health promotion, food access, food systems, food and nutrition insecurity, dietary patterns and behaviors, diet/food interventions, program development and evaluation, physical activity behaviors and intervention development, policy system and environmental change, citizen science and community-engaged research, and mHealth technologies and interventions.

The IHA’s Healthy Living program is housed at the Texas A&M AgriLife Center at Dallas, which focuses on scientific research, public outreach, and education programs. The Center is a regional hub for Texas A&M AgriLife activity. It is one of 13 AgriLife Centers across the state - each focusing on issues specific to their region. Broad focus areas at the Dallas Center include healthy living, urban agriculture and forestry, and water and land

Position Information

This Postdoctoral Research Associate position will play an active role in research, including working on data, presentations, publications, project/program conceptualization and development, grant proposal development, and other related activities. This position will focus on community-based intervention studies and/or longitudinal cohort studies, with particular attention to health equity and health disparities.

Responsibilities:

Primary responsibilities will include playing an active role in research, including working on data, presentations, publications, project/program conceptualization and development, grant proposal development, and other related activities. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to work on various projects, including active National Institutes of Health studies. Expectations also include but are not limited to leading and collaborating on manuscript preparation from relevant studies (e.g., data analysis, writing, and submission), contributing to conference presentations and reports, and developing and writing grant proposals to funding agencies. Performs other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications:

• Ph.D. in related field (e.g., nutrition, public health, epidemiology). Candidates with ABD or all requirements met but diploma pending may be considered.

• Appropriate research background, as demonstrated by direct experience with data analysis (qualitative and/or quantitative; both preferred), publications in peer-reviewed journals, proposal development experience, , stature appropriate for a postdoctoral scholar, and training in human subjects research

• Experience conducting human subjects research and working on research projects.

• Ability to work very independently

• Excellent oral and written communication skills

• Desire and ability to work collaboratively and help maintain a supportive environment for all team members

• Highly organized and detail oriented

• Professional demeanor

• Ability to multi-task and establish effective working relationships

• Knowledge and understanding of the mission and role of the Land Grant University System

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience developing and designing interventions and related research studies in the following areas: underserved populations; minority and urban health; food systems; community-based health behavior interventions; and/or the integration of technology into community outreach and research.

• Experience working with various individuals and communities.

• Experience with qualitative and/or quantitative (at least one; both preferred) data analysis, including sufficient knowledge in statistical tools and software.

• Experience writing scientific manuscripts, giving presentations, and writing/collaborating on extramural funding applications.

Other Requirements:

Customized professional development and training opportunities geared toward preparation for a faculty career will be provided. There may be an opportunity for this position to extend to or transition pending expertise alignment and performance.

What You Need to Know

Salary: Compensation for this position is commensurate based on the selected candidate’s qualifications.

Why Work at Texas A&M AgriLife?

When you choose to work for Texas A&M AgriLife, you become part of an organization that is an established leader in agriculture and life sciences with a wide range of capabilities to meet the needs of our statewide, national, and international constituents.

In addition, Texas A&M AgriLife offers a comprehensive benefit package including the following:

• Health, dental, vision, life and long-term disability insurance with Texas A&M AgriLife contributing to employee health and basic life premiums 

• 12-15 days of annual paid holidays  

• Up to eight hours of paid sick leave and at least eight hours of paid vacation each month

• Automatic enrollment in the Teacher Retirement System of Texas  

• Employee Wellness Initiative for Texas A&M AgriLife

Applicant Instructions

Please attach a cover letter, CV and 3 letters of recommendation.

All positions are security-sensitive. Applicants are subject to a criminal history investigation, and employment is contingent upon the institution’s verification of credentials and/or other information required by the institution’s procedures, including the completion of the criminal history check.

Equal Opportunity/Veterans/Disability Employer.