The College of Social Work at the University of Utah invites applications for a full-time Postdoctoral Research Associate to join a growing portfolio of projects focused on infant and early childhood mental health (IECMH), trauma-informed education, and statewide workforce development initiatives.
Under the mentorship of Dr. Alysse Loomis, the postdoctoral fellow will contribute to several ongoing studies and evaluations aimed at strengthening trauma-informed practices across early childhood systems, including teacher training innovations, statewide workforce initiatives, and IECMH-focused evaluation partnerships.
This position offers advanced training in applied research, project management, data analysis, and grant development, with opportunities to co-author manuscripts, lead analyses, mentor/ supervise undergraduate and graduate researchers, and contribute to federal and foundation funding proposals. The postdoc will also have protected time for professional development and independent scholarship aligned with trauma-informed intervention or early childhood workforce topics.
Responsibilities
Research & Evaluation ( 80–85%)
- Lead and support data management, cleaning, and reporting for state- and federally funded early childhood mental health program evaluations, potentially including Utah’s Training & Teleconsultation Program (TTP) funded through the Office of Substance Use and Mental Health and the Trauma Program for Young Children funded through the National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative (NCTSI/SAMHSA), both in partnership with The Children’s Center Utah. Responsibilities include data management, data analysis, preparing quarterly and annual reports, and translating findings for funders and community partners.
- Coordinate quantitative and qualitative research activities for pilot studies and emerging projects supported by internal and foundation funding that advance trauma-informed and workforce-focused innovations in early childhood settings (e.g., game-based trauma-informed teacher training prototypes, trauma-informed teaching observational measure development). Responsibilities include contributing to study design, conducting analyses, preparing manuscripts and dissemination products that strengthen the evidence base and position these projects for future federal submissions (e.g., NIH, IES, SAMHSA), preparing funding reports, and supervising undergraduate and graduate research assistants.
- Other tasks:
- Develop summaries and visualizations to communicate findings to non-academic audiences.
- Support grant proposal development, contributing to methods, measures, and analytic plans for federal (e.g., NIH, SAMHSA) and foundation (e.g., WT Grant, Spencer) submissions.
- Supervise and mentor research assistants, coordinate with community partners and evaluation teams.
- Co-author peer-reviewed manuscripts, policy briefs, and conference presentations.
Professional Development & Independent Scholarship ( 15–20%)
- Pursue independent or secondary analyses related to IECMH systems, trauma-informed workforce supports, or implementation science.
- Participate in structured mentorship around grant writing, project leadership, and research-practice partnerships.
- Engage in statewide and national learning networks (e.g., National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative Evaluation Community of Practice, Utah Early Childhood Mental Health Workforce).
- Develop mentoring, and supervision skills through collaboration with undergraduate and graduate trainees.
- Attend trainings and conferences as relevant to position and career goals.
Required Qualifications
- PhD (or ABD near completion) in Social Work, Psychology, Human Development, Public Health, Education, or a closely related field.
- Strong analytic and data management skills (e.g., SPSS, R, Stata, Excel).
- Demonstrated experience in data cleaning, reporting, and applied program evaluation.
- Excellent writing skills for academic, grant, and practitioner audiences.
- Proven ability to manage multiple projects independently and collaboratively.
Training & Mentorship
The postdoctoral scholar will receive structured mentorship from Dr. Loomis and collaborators in: IECMH and trauma-informed workforce development, Data management and program evaluation, Grant and manuscript writing, Leadership within interdisciplinary, community-engaged research teams. The postdoc will have protected time for independent scholarship, professional development, and engagement with statewide and national IECMH networks.
Additional Information
The University is a participating employer with Utah Retirement Systems (“URS”). Eligible new hires with prior URS service, may elect to enroll in URS if they make the election before they become eligible for retirement (usually the first day of work). Contact Human Resources at (801) 581-7447 for information. Individuals who previously retired and are receiving monthly retirement benefits from URS are subject to URS’ post-retirement rules and restrictions. Please contact Utah Retirement Systems at (801) 366-7770 or (800) 695-4877 or University Human Resource Management at (801) 581-7447 if you have questions regarding the post-retirement rules.
This position may require the successful completion of a criminal background check and/or drug screen.
The University of Utah values candidates who have experience working in settings with students and possess a strong commitment to improving access to higher education.
Veterans’ preference is extended to qualified applicants, upon request and consistent with University policy and Utah state law. Upon request, reasonable accommodations in the application process will be provided to individuals with disabilities.
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