Social Science/Humanities Research Associate I - Lemur Biology

Job Posting Title:

Social Science/Humanities Research Associate I - Lemur Biology

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Hiring Department:

Department of Anthropology

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Position Open To:

All Applicants

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Weekly Scheduled Hours:

40

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FLSA Status:

Non-Exempt

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Earliest Start Date:

Sep 01, 2025

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Position Duration:

Expected to Continue Until Aug 31, 2026

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Location:

UT MAIN CAMPUS

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Job Details:

Purpose

The Sifaka Research Project is an individual-based longitudinal study of wild lemurs. Field assistants in Madagascar collect data which need to be curated, cleaned, and analyzed. Regular mandatory reports need to be written to various US and Malagasy agencies as well funders. The purpose of this position is to manage this large amount of data and begin analyzing them for reports and publication. This is a fixed-term 1-year position with opportunity for renewal.

What benefits do I receive with UT?  The university offers an impressive benefits package. For more details on benefits, please see: https://hr.utexas.edu/prospective/benefits and https://hr.utexas.edu/current/services/my-total-rewards.

For more information about the College of Liberal Arts, please visit: https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/.  

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https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/resources-for-faculty-staff/staff-leadership-academy/.

For more information on college staff professional development, please visit:

https://wikis.utexas.edu/display/larc/Staff+Professional+Development+Fund.

Responsibilities

• Compile datasets (e.g., social behavior, instantaneous focal scan, nearest neighbor, sleep tree, census, phenology) from different sources, identify and correct all errors in the data, and generate clean datasets appropriate for statistical analysis; Update existing datasets as new raw data continuously comes in.
• Create and maintain organizational system for genetic samples, DNA extractions, and genomic data.
• Generate research questions that can be explored with the available data and conduct preliminary analyses; Use molecular laboratory techniques to carry out genetic analyses.
• Manage social media for project
• Liaise with researchers using the Sifaka Research Project database, update Sifaka Research Project information for researchers and research collaboration contracts.
• Write reports to government, granting, and permitting agencies and donors. Grant-writing and publishing in scientific journals.
• Compile field receipts and offer budget and purchasing assistance.
• Train and oversee volunteers.
• Other related functions as assigned

Required Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Biological/Evolutionary Anthropology, Biology, or related field. Experience/knowledge in qualitative and quantitative research methods, molecular laboratory methods, and statistical software. Previous experience conducting research with primates. 

Preferred Qualifications

Skills, abilities and competencies highly preferred include: exceptional writing and communication skills, project management skills, highly organized and detail-oriented disposition, willingness and ability to learn, strong computer literacy, proficiency in Excel and R, ability to work independently and as a member of a team, and strong work ethic. 

Salary

$40,000

Working Conditions

• May work around standard laboratory conditions.
• May work around standard office conditions.
• Repetitive use of keyboard at workstation.
• Repetitive use of laboratory equipment.

Required Materials

• Resume/CV
• 3 work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor
• Letter of interest

Important for applicants who are NOT current university employees or contingent workers: You will be prompted to submit your resume the first time you apply, then you will be provided an option to upload a new Resume for subsequent applications. Any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) will be uploaded in the Application Questions section; you will be able to multi-select additional files. Before submitting your online job application, ensure that ALL Required Materials have been uploaded.  Once your job application has been submitted, you cannot make changes.

Important for Current university employees and contingent workers: As a current university employee or contingent worker, you MUST apply within Workday by searching for Find UT Jobs. If you are a current University employee, log-in to Workday, navigate to your Worker Profile, click the Career link in the left hand navigation menu and then update the sections in your Professional Profile before you apply. This information will be pulled in to your application. The application is one page and you will be prompted to upload your resume. In addition, you must respond to the application questions presented to upload any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) that were noted above.

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Employment Eligibility:

Regular staff who have been employed in their current position for the last six continuous months are eligible for openings being recruited for through University-Wide or Open Recruiting, to include both promotional opportunities and lateral transfers. Staff who are promotion/transfer eligible may apply for positions without supervisor approval.

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Retirement Plan Eligibility:

The retirement plan for this position is Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), subject to the position being at least 20 hours per week and at least 135 days in length.

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Background Checks:

A criminal history background check will be required for finalist(s) under consideration for this position.

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Equal Opportunity Employer:

The University of Texas at Austin, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.

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Pay Transparency:

The University of Texas at Austin will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information.

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Employment Eligibility Verification:

If hired, you will be required to complete the federal Employment Eligibility Verification I-9 form.  You will be required to present acceptable and original documents to prove your identity and authorization to work in the United States.  Documents need to be presented no later than the third day of employment.  Failure to do so will result in loss of employment at the university.

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E-Verify:

The University of Texas at Austin use E-Verify to check the work authorization of all new hires effective May 2015. The university’s company ID number for purposes of E-Verify is 854197. For more information about E-Verify, please see the following:

• E-Verify Poster (English and Spanish) [PDF]
• Right to Work Poster (English) [PDF]
• Right to Work Poster (Spanish) [PDF]

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Compliance:

Employees may be required to report violations of law under Title IX and the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act). If this position is identified a Campus Security Authority (Clery Act), you will be notified and provided resources for reporting. Responsible employees under Title IX are defined and outlined in HOP-3031.

The Clery Act requires all prospective employees be notified of the availability of the Annual Security and Fire Safety report. You may access the most recent report here or obtain a copy at University Compliance Services, 1616 Guadalupe Street, UTA 2.206, Austin, Texas 78701.