APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:

• CURRENT PENN STATE EMPLOYEE (faculty staff technical service or student) please login to Workday to complete the internal application process. Please do not apply here apply internally through Workday.

• CURRENT PENN STATE STUDENT (not employed previously at the university) and seeking employment with Penn State please login to Workday to complete the student application process. Please do not apply here apply internally through Workday.

• If you are NOT a current employee or student please click Apply and complete the application process for external applicants.

Approval of remote and hybrid work is not guaranteed regardless of work additional information on remote work at Penn State seeNotice to Out of State Applicants.

JOB DESCRIPTION AND POSITION REQUIREMENTS

This Research Support position assists with the implementation of a behavioral intervention study aiming to increase optimism in midlife adults. The role involves delivering intervention sessions via Zoom recruiting and coordinating participants collecting and managing data and supporting day-to-day research activities under the supervision of the Principal Investigator and research staff.

The undergraduate research assistant will support a pilot study housed in the Biobehavioral Health Department at Penn State University. The study evaluates a novel mind-body intervention designed to promote optimism comprising three components: guided writing exercises brief resistance training (air squats) and slow-paced breathing. The interventions are administered remotely (via Zoom) for 30 minutes per day 5 times per week across a 4-week protocol for each participant. A primary responsibility of this role is to facilitate the Zoom sessions; therefore candidates must be available for consistent 23 hour blocks daily (e.g. 5:008:00 p.m. MondayFriday) and be willing to meet with participants on occasional weekends.

SAMPLE WORK ACTIVITIES:

• Deliver live protocol-guided intervention sessions to participants via Zoom including writing prompts 2-minute air squats and breathing exercises
• Recruit screen and schedule participants according to IRB-approved procedures
• Describe study goals procedures and privacy protections to participants; obtain informed consent as needed
• Collect self-report survey data and manage wearable data (e.g. fitness tracker output)
• Enter clean and organize participant data using REDCap or similar platforms
• Monitor intervention fidelity and participant adherence; maintain detailed records
• Attend weekly team meetings and contribute to study operations and troubleshooting
• Assist with IRB documentation and compliance tracking
• Perform other research-related activities as assigned by the Principal Investigator

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Interest in behavioral medicine and psychophysiology
• Strong interpersonal skills particularly in virtual/Zoom-based communication
• Prior experience with participant-facing roles or data collection is preferred
• Reliability professionalism and attention to detail are essential

BACKGROUND CHECKS/CLEARANCES

CAMPUS SECURITY CRIME STATISTICS

Federal Contractors Labor Law Poster

PA State Labor Law Poster

Penn State Policies

Copyright Information

Hotlines