The Science & Justice Research Center (SJRC) will employ a Graduate Student Researcher (GSR) with a 50% appointment for the Spring 2020 term; (22 hrs/week) appointment at Step 7. This appointment is funded by a grant through CITRIS and the Banatao Institute.
General Scope
In consultation with the Center Manager, and Director(s), the GSR will generate comparative data on the efficacy of graduate-level training in interdisciplinary feminist research for STEM scholars. In concert with colleagues in both the UC Santa Cruz-based Science & Justice Training Program (SJTP) and at the UC Davis Feminist Research Institute, the GSR will collect and analyze data for a comparative cross-campus review of the two graduate programs whose curriculum makes questions of gender and social justice fundamental to STEM training. They will focus on the following major research questions:
- student recognition of societal context for research (including potential bias and societal needs)
- a culture of inclusion for those underrepresented in STEM fields
- interdisciplinary collaborations, and
- the ability to accurately and appropriately use categories in research (e.g. gender, race). A comparative analysis of the two programs will help demonstrate the efficacy of course-based graduate training in interdisciplinary research and support future expansion of these programs across the UC and beyond.
Responsibilities may include: applying for IRB; foster collaboration and teamwork among the two programs; organizing and co-facilitating the review including reviewing Center and Institute Training Programs pedagogy (refer to: https://scijust.ucsc.edu/pedagogy/), conducting interviews with instructors / staff / past SJTP fellows and students currently enrolled in 268A during Winter 2020 and in Individual Studies during Spring 2020; assist with organizing two site visits (TBD one at UCSC, one at UCD); lead ethnographic and observational data collection, transcription and analysis of comparative data between the seminars after their completion; create infographics, outreach materials, reports based on findings; develop and contribute to Center communication channels (ie: blog posts, news articles) for sharing research findings on campus and to the broader public.
The GSR position will be filled by a graduate student who:
- has not advanced to candidacy
- has successfully completed the Science & Justice Training Program
- is able to attend 268A on select Wednesday’s 9am-12noon; Rachel Carson College 301
- is interested in applying questions of gender and social justice to STEM curriculum
- can translate relevant trending news items into blog pieces to be posted as news items on the S&J website and shared on social media
- can assist with writing SJRC curriculum and training practices to be listed on the webpages: https://scijust.ucsc.edu/pedagogy/ and https://scijust.ucsc.edu/curriculum-training-practices/
By March 18: Applicants should submit their CV and a 1-2 page application (to scijust@ucsc.edu) that presents:
- their ideas about cross-divisional and interdisciplinary STEM curriculum and training
- how their work/research/career goals would benefit from the position;
- what experiences they have that would make them good for this position.