Research Associate I or II (L,P,S)

Position Function:

The National Research and Training Center on Blindness and Low Vision (NRTC) at Mississippi State University invites applications for a Research Associate I or II. The mission of the NRTC is to enhance employment and independent living outcomes for individuals with blindness or low vision through research, training, education, and dissemination. The primary responsibility of this position is to support grant-related activities by assisting with research, training, and grant reporting requirements under the direction of experienced staff members. This person will receive mentoring to increase their knowledge and skills, with the goal of taking on greater responsibilities in the future.

Salary Grade :

Please see Staff Compensation Structure or Skilled Crafts and Service Maintenance Compensation Schedule for salary ranges. For salary grade UC, these positions are "Unclassified" and salary ranges are determined by the hiring department.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Research support: Assist senior researchers with literature searches and reviews, survey development, data collection, and data management and analysis
Participant coordination: Assist with recruiting and scheduling study participants and managing participant records
Grant compliance and reporting: Assist with grant reporting requirements, including collecting data from project staff, entering data into reporting systems, and compiling project updates into required reports
Project tracking and documentation: Maintain output and product tracking systems, manage project records and documents, and prepare reports from tracked data
Meeting and event coordination: Manage logistics for advisory panel meetings and other grant-related activities, including scheduling, communications, materials preparation, and meeting facilitation support
Accessibility and quality review: Assist with accessibility checks for documents and courses, and review manuscripts and products before submission or publication
Training support: Assist with preparation and logistics for training activities

Minimum Qualifications:

Bachelors Degree with preferred fields of Psychology, Sociology, Educational Psychology, Special Education, Rehabilitation Counseling, or Business
Expertise with Microsoft Office products
Excellent organizational and project coordination skills
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
Strong attention to detail

Beginning with a Bachelors degree:
A professional employee with a bachelors degree can begin work at Associate I; To begin at Associate II, one must meet the above requirement, have a minimum of 3 years of relevant experience and the equivalent to a masters degree

Beginning with a Masters degree:
A professional employee with a masters degree and a minimum of 1 year of relevant experience and demonstrated competency can begin work at Associate II

Preferred Qualifications:

Masters degree
Experience with project coordination or research administration
Technical writing and editing skills
Experience with Qualtrics
Familiarity with accessibility standards and practices
Experience with data collection or data management
Knowledge about or experience working with people with disabilities, including those who are blind or have low vision

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Proficiency with Microsoft Office products, including Word, Excel, and Outlook
Proficiency with Zoom or Microsoft Teams
Excellent organizational and time management skills
Excellent interpersonal, communication, and problem-solving skills
Excellent attention to detail
Ability to prioritize competing demands and meet deadlines
Ability to work independently and show initiative
Ability to balance quality and productivity

Working Conditions and Physical Effort

No unusual physical requirements. Requires limited lifting of files and records and nearly all work is performed in a comfortable indoor facility.
Routine deadlines; usually sufficient lead time; variance in work volume seasonal and predictable; priorities can be anticipated; some interruptions are present; involves occasional exposure to demands and pressures from persons other than immediate supervisor.

Instructions for Applying:

Link to apply:

Please apply for the position directly to the NRTC and through Mississippi State Universitys job website. First, email your letter of application, resume or curriculum vitae, and names and contact information for at least three references to .... Additionally, apply through the universitys job website at PARF Number 510432 (job title Research Associate I or II). Contact Michele McDonnall (...) for more position information. For more information about our center, view the NRTC website at

Restricted Clause:

Position is contingent upon continued availability of funding.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement:

Mississippi State University is an equal opportunity institution. Discrimination is prohibited in university employment, programs or activities based on race, color, ethnicity, sex, pregnancy, religion, national origin, disability, age, sexual orientation, genetic information, status as a U.S. veteran, or any other status to the extent protected by applicable law. Questions about equal opportunity programs or compliance should be directed to the Office of Civil Rights Compliance, 231 Famous Maroon Band Street, P.O. 6044, Mississippi State, MS 39762, ....

What do I do if I need an accommodation?

In compliance with the ADA Amendments Act (ADA), if you have a disability and would like to request an accommodation in order to apply for a position with Mississippi State University, please contact the Department of Human Resources Management at tel: ... or ... .

If you have any questions regarding this policy, contact the Department of Human Resources Management at ... or ... . Upon request, sections of this job listing are available in large print, and readers are available to assist the visually impaired.