VA Center for Integrated Healthcare - Paid Full time or Part time Research Assistant

Company Information

VA Center for Integrated Healthcare
United States
Syracuse, NY

Contact Information

Robyn Shepardson , Graduate School 2013
Robyn.Shepardson@va.gov

Job Details

Job title: Paid Full time or Part time Research Assistant

Date posted: July 31, 2025
Posting expires: August 14, 2025

PAID FULL-TIME OR PART-TIME RESEARCH ASSISTANT OPPORTUNITY

Are you interested in gaining experience in healthcare research? Do you have interests in psychology, psychiatry, integrated healthcare, or implementation? This is a great position for individuals considering graduate school in a mental health or medical field, as you will be exposed to clinical research studies conducted in a healthcare setting.

Researchers in the Supporting, Evaluating, and Researching Veterans’ Integrated Care Experiences (SERVICE) Lab at the VA Center for Integrated Healthcare (CIH) are looking to recruit a full-time research assistant. Learn about mental health, integrated primary care, health care systems, and how to work with Veterans!

What: Research Assistant in CIH’s SERVICE Lab. The primary focus of the full-time role is patient recruitment, screening, and assessment. Research assistants have many other duties, including (but not limited to) preparation of study materials, data entry and analysis, literature reviews, and helping with manuscripts and grant preparation. You would work with three investigators who lead the SERVICE lab (Drs. Jennifer Funderburk, Robyn Shepardson, and Julie Gass) and several early career psychologists along with a team of research assistants. We have several clinical research trials happening, including testing a brief intervention for substance use and a self-help intervention for depression and PTSD. We are also conducting research on suicide prevention practices within primary care. Our research focuses on integrated primary care using a team approach, so you may be exposed to VA primary care team members such as psychologists, primary care providers, and nurses. We strive to support our staff’s educational and professional development.

When: The position will begin in late 2025. The duration of the position is 1 year, with a possibility of an extension contingent on additional grant funding (to be determined in summer 2026).

Where: The position will be on-site at the Syracuse VA Medical Center in beautiful Central New York.

Who: Must be a US citizen. Bachelor’s degree in mental health or science related field (e.g., psychology, social work, public health, pre-med, biology, health services) strongly preferred, but we will consider applicants who are close to completing their Bachelor’s degree. We especially welcome applications from Veterans. Prior research experience is strongly preferred. Candidates must have good communication skills and attention to detail.

Why: Working with our team has several excellent benefits. First, build skills in discussing sensitive topics, including mental health and suicide, with Veterans. Second, gain exposure to clinical research trials and the development, testing, and implementation of evidence-based mental health interventions. Third, learn about and possibly work with interprofessional integrated primary care teams (including physicians, nurses, behavioral health providers, social workers, etc.) in the VA health care system. Fourth, gain exposure to mental health and primary care research that may inform future research interests or what type of graduate study to pursue. There may be opportunities to participate in manuscript writing and other dissemination (e.g., first author or co-author on conference presentations).

Salary and benefits: Full-time is 40 hours per week (some evening hours required). Full-time salary range is approximately $39,000-$55,000 per year, depending on education and experience level. The full-time position includes benefits such as health insurance. Staff receive 11 federal holidays per year and accrue vacation and sick leave.
Part-time is 10-30 hours per week (some evening hours required). Part-time pay rate is approximately $19-$26 per hour, depending on education and experience level. The part-time position does not include benefits. Staff receive 11 federal holidays per year. Part-time staff working over 20 hours per week would accrue vacation and sick leave.

How: Interested applicants should send their CV and a cover letter to Robyn (dot) Shepardson (at) va.gov In the cover letter, specify the following: you are applying for the full-time position, why you are interested in the position, your academic/career goals, and key experience/skills. In your CV, be sure to include your college GPA, the number of semesters/years of research or other helpful experience (e.g., support hotline volunteer, telemarketing) you have, the specific types of research tasks you have done, and the name, email, and phone number of 3 professional references. The application deadline is Thursday, August 14. We will be conducting virtual interviews in late August. We are targeting a start date in November or December.

Application link: https://www.mirecc.va.gov/cih-visn2/

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