Community Economic Development Postdoctoral Scholar

This position is part of the Post Doctoral Fellows Association and has an initial appointment of 12 months.

This position has a comprehensive benefits package.

**Location**:

- This role is in-person at North Campus Edmonton.

The Community-University Partnership for the Study of Children, Youth, and Families (CUP) at the University of Alberta is seeking a Postdoctoral Scholar (PDS) for a 1-year appointment.

CUP is a unique collaboration of researchers, practitioners, community organizations and members, funders, and policy makers across Alberta. We are committed to improving the lives of children, youth, families, and communities by creating and mobilizing evidence-informed knowledge that impacts programs, practices, and policies. CUP has a 25-year history of collaborative community-based research experience. CUP works closely with the rural community of Drayton Valley, Alberta, which is working on broad community economic development initiatives with significant interest in housing.

Supervised by Dr. Maria Mayan, the PDS will support community economic development initiatives aimed at keeping assets and wealth within the community. The PDS will work alongside a CUP team and Drayton Valley partners (elected officials, administration, non-profits, industry etc.) to contribute to existing and emergent community economic development projects; design and execute research projects (primary and secondary) using various methodologies; develop knowledge mobilization products (e.g., research briefs); contribute to manuscript writing; and identify and prepare relevant funding opportunities to support the Drayton Valley-CUP partnership. CUP offers a supportive environment where the PDS can strengthen their research skills, exercise creative and innovative thinking, and develop networks of collaborators within academia, government, and the social sector.

The PDS’s appointment will be at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, AB, Canada. The PDS will need to be in the office 3-4 days/week and will need to travel to Drayton Valley, Alberta, for meetings or data collection, as needed.

The School of Public Health integrates research, graduate education, and community engagement to improve population health. Its interdisciplinary structure includes academic programs, centres, and research teams focused on tackling pressing public health issues locally and globally. The School is dedicated to creating knowledge, training public health professionals, and advancing evidence-informed policy and practice.
Research

- Implements research activities to fulfill project objectives.
- Employs qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches to answer research questions.
- Provides expertise in community-based participatory research design and methodology.
- Supports collaborative work with research partners (community, government, and/or academic).
- Monitors trends and issues relevant to partners.
- Collaborates with CUP staff and Drayton Valley partners to provide research, evidence, and knowledge mobilization advice and establish research priorities that advance Drayton Valley’s focus on community economic development.
- Travels to meetings related to research activities within Edmonton, to Drayton Valley and possibly other surrounding rural communities.
- Leverages funding opportunities to pursue innovative projects related to community economic development.

Project Management

- Plans and oversees research activities related to community economic development.
- Provides leadership within the scope of the research project internally to ensure efficient and effective operations.
- Tracks timelines and deliverables.
- Participates in the hiring process for research assistants and graduate student
- Supervises, trains, and mentors research assistants, graduate students, and/or other project contributors as required.
- Develops and maintains strong relationships with community, government and academic stakeholders that facilitate ongoing, sustainable research collaborations.
- Engages with interested actors to define research processes and fosters the necessary stakeholder involvement to ensure timely activities, cooperation, and progress of the project.
- Coordinates and contributes to reports on outcomes and other reporting as required by funders.
- Ensures compliance with Tri-council and University policies.
- Collaborates with Drayton Valley team to align with and respond to Drayton Valley’s continuously evolving knowledge needs on diverse issues related to community economic development.
- Participates in CUP’s committees and groups as needed

Knowledge Mobilization

- Contributes to knowledge mobilization activities, including for academic (presentations, papers, abstracts) and community (reports, briefs, summaries, presentations) audiences.
- Translates learnings into targeted, impactful information for community partners.
- Coordinates team meetings.
- Supports opportunities for collaboration with community mem