EdenLab Research & Care Fellowship
Part-Time | Austin, TX | In-Person | Paid Care Role + Research Fellowship
About EdenLab
EdenLab is a disability-led research and innovation initiative building better infrastructure for real life. We work at the intersection of disability, care, universal design, health technology, creative practice, and community participation.
Our work begins with a simple premise: people with disabilities should not have to spend extraordinary energy navigating systems that were never designed for them. EdenLab develops research, prototypes, public projects, and practical tools that make participation in life more possible—at home, in healthcare, in work, in recreation, and in community.
This is an early-stage organization. The right fellow will not be stepping into a finished program; they will help build its foundations.
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The Role
The EdenLab Research & Care Fellowship is a paid, hybrid opportunity for a thoughtful, reliable person who is interested in direct care, disability-led research, and building real-world systems.
This role combines hands-on personal assistance with a structured fellowship pathway. Direct care is the foundation of the position: consistency, trust, timing, and communication matter deeply. For fellows who demonstrate reliability and interest, additional paid or volunteer-supported research opportunities may include helping develop research documentation, community listening work, early pilots, grant materials, and public-facing projects.
This is not a clinical position, and prior caregiving experience is welcome but not required. Training is provided.
Contact hiring phone number directly for communication. I do not rely on indeed messaging. I do not have hand function. 737-302-2522
Current Scheduling Needs
We are especially seeking someone who can reliably take at least two shifts per week, with availability in one or more of these windows:
Early mornings: approximately 5:45/6:00 AM–9:00 AM
Daytime shifts: approximately 9:00 AM–3:00 PM or 11:00 AM–5:00 PM
Evening / overnight support: approximately 7:00 PM–4:00 AM, with some flexibility depending on the day
Schedules are built collaboratively, but reliability is essential. This role is based in East Austin and requires in-person work.
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Direct Care Responsibilities
You will be trained to support a disabled adult with daily living tasks in a respectful, collaborative home environment. Responsibilities may include:
Morning routines may include or exclude:
Transfers, dressing, stretching, showering, and household support
Assistance with intermittent catheterization and bowel-care routines after training
Meal preparation, hydration, medication reminders, and light organizing
Supporting access to appointments, creative work, community activities, and daily plans
Maintaining clear communication around timing, changes, and safety needs
Helping create a calm, dignified, dependable care environment
This work requires comfort with bodily care, emotional maturity, punctuality, discretion, and the ability to follow detailed instructions.
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Fellowship & Research Pathway
After onboarding and demonstrated reliability in care, fellows may contribute to EdenLab’s early research and innovation work. Projects may include:
Mapping barriers to participation in work, vocation, recreation, relationships, healthcare, and public life
Supporting disability-led listening sessions with disabled people, caregivers, clinicians, and community members
Documenting care workflows, access barriers, and lived-experience insights in ways that can inform research and design
Conducting literature reviews and environmental scans
Helping organize early research protocols, consent processes, notes, and data systems
Supporting prototype testing and documentation for assistive-health and independent-living tools
Contributing to grant research, presentations, public education, and future publication or conference materials
Participating in creative research projects at the intersection of disability, culture, media, and systems change
The fellowship is especially suited for someone who wants to understand how research can emerge from real life—not merely observe disability from a distance.
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Who This Is For
This may be a strong fit for a student, recent graduate, artist, researcher, or early-career professional interested in:
Neuroscience, psychology, public health, medicine, nursing, OT/PT, or rehabilitation
Disability studies, social work, public policy, or community organizing
Human-centered design, engineering, assistive technology, UX, or product development
Anthropology, sociology, qualitative research, or ethics
Film, journalism, creative writing, media, or cultural work
Building a career rooted in care, access, research, and social impact
You do not need to have a specific degree or previous personal-care experience. You do need to be grounded, capable of learning, and genuinely interested in working alongside—not “helping” from above—disabled people.
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We’re Looking For Someone Who Is
Highly reliable and on time
Comfortable communicating directly and receiving feedback
Curious, observant, and able to notice patterns
Calm in a home environment and respectful of privacy
Comfortable with hands-on learning and personal care after training
Able to commit to at least two recurring shifts per week
Interested in disability justice, universal design, healthcare innovation, or community care
Organized enough to document tasks and follow systems
Emotionally mature, nonjudgmental, and collaborative
Comfortable in a queer-friendly, creative, disability-led household
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Compensation
Direct care shifts: rate depends on shift type, experience, and responsibilities
Fellowship / research work: may be paid as funding and project scope allow; some optional volunteer, portfolio-building, or academic-credit opportunities may be available
EdenLab is actively building its funding base. This position offers immediate paid care work, with research opportunities designed to grow alongside the organization
Job Type: Part-time
Pay: $20.00 - $30.00 per hour
Work Location: In person
