Virginia Tech School of Public and International Affairs

Overview

Access or lack of access to high-quality, sustainable transportation is a key social determinant of health, related to a breadth of health inequities that can echo through generations. Greater Greater Washington (GGWash) is seeking a contractor for an up to 200-hour research project to compile, analyze, and summarize academic research and other data on the impacts of transit access and quality on community health in Washington, DC, and to prepare products for disseminating the findings. The research project duration is approximately 24 weeks, from October 2022 to April 2023. This opportunity is an excellent fit for a masters or doctoral student with training in research methods and a background in public health, transportation, both or a related field.

About Greater Greater Washington

GGWash is a nonprofit organization that promotes an inclusive, diverse, growing Washington, DC, region where all people can choose to live in walkable urban communities. We pursue our vision by bringing people together online and offline to discuss, organize, and advocate for a

greater Washington, DC, region for all people.

Project Scope

Greater Greater Washington is engaged in work to increase understanding among appointed and elected government officials, and other stakeholders, of the effects of transportation policy, transit investments, and transportation infrastructure and services on health outcomes and

health inequities in DC. Specifically, we seek to bridge a gap in understanding of the distribution of transit access and quality in communities of color and low-income communities, and the health outcomes of those communities (such as respiratory conditions and experience of traffic violence). In support of that work, the research analyst will conduct a literature review and identify and analyze existing data sets (concerning both transportation and health outcomes, and the intersections therein) to construct a clear and compelling picture of how these variables relate and respond to one another. The research analyst will focus largely on data specific to Washington, DC.

The research analyst will develop products including a report targeted at public sector decision-makers and fact sheets targeted at community leaders who seek to better understand and advocate for public services. This includes identifying existing research, organizing it,

determining its quality and relevance, summarizing it for expert and lay audiences, and working with GGWash staff to build an evidence-based case for transit access and quality as key health determinants in the District of Columbia.

Responsibilities

Responsibilities include:

● Gathering, analyzing, manipulating, and mapping of quantitative, and possibly qualitative, data.

● Production of tables, charts, and maps.

● Drafting and/or contributing to research reports, blog posts, infographics, and a fact sheet to describe important or unexpected patterns, relationships, and trends in the data.

● Completion of administrative tasks such as tracking your hours, assisting with grant reporting, taking and summarizing meeting minutes, and other tasks as assigned.

● Independent time management and collaboration with teams to prioritize and complete multiple tasks.

Qualifications

● Bachelor’s degree or master’s degree, preferably in the field of Public Policy, Public Health, Transportation, Urban Studies, Urban Planning, Data Science, Sociology, Economics, Statistics, Environmental Studies, Geography, Epidemiology, or a related field.

● Demonstrated ability to understand and interpret quantitative and qualitative findings, including assessing the validity of the methods used in published research and making informed comparisons between different studies.

● Experience reviewing, interpreting, and mapping data sets and reports concerning transit access, quality, or equity; and/or data sets and reports concerning community health outcomes that relate to air pollution or traffic violence.

● Familiarity with the concept of racial equity as it pertains to public services and/or health outcomes, and how structural racism has disadvantaged communities of color.

● Ability to translate research findings into clear, accessible prose for readers that are new to the subject matter.

● Experience conducting research in academic databases and other tactics for locating relevant published research and datasets.

● Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

● Strong time management skills and initiative.

● Strong interest in issues relating to transportation and/or health equity, or structural racism.

● Familiarity with DC or the DC region.

Graduate students (masters or doctoral) are strongly encouraged to apply.

Compensation

This is an independent contractor role, compensated at $30 - $40 per hour depending on experience, for a project maximum of 200 hours.

To Apply

Please submit a resume or CV and an email discussing your qualifications or interest in the position to jobs@ggwash.org with the subject line “Health and Transportation Research Analyst.” Please ensure that either your resume/CV or email specifies your training in research methods/analysis. Applications are due on Tuesday, September 27, 2022, at 11:59 PM EST, and will be considered on a rolling basis.

Please note that role is an independent contractor position and not an employment position. Accordingly, the contractor hired for this role would provide the services at such place and in such a manner as the contractor deems appropriate, and would be responsible only for the results of the contractor's work.

Greater Greater Washington provides equal employment opportunities to all applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, or disability