NWS- Student Research Assistant Occupational Therapy

This position is only open to current Pacific University School of Occupational Therapy students in the second or third year of the program.

Title: Student Research Assistant - Occupational Therapy

Department and Location: School of Occupational Therapy, Hillsboro Campus, HPC2 3rd Floor

Purpose: The Student Research Assistant supports Dr. Sancler Andrade's community-based participatory research study, "Values, Belonging, and Occupational Identity in Adaptive Scuba Diving," conducted in partnership with Scuba Access for Everyone (S.A.F.E.) in Hillsboro, Oregon. The study examines the shared values, attitudes, and beliefs that characterize the S.A.F.E. adaptive diving community, and how these elements build occupational identity among adaptive divers. The Student Research Assistant supports recruitment, informed consent, interview scheduling, and data collection - including administration of the Occupational Self-Assessment Short Form (OSA-SF) - and will receive training in data collection procedures and in qualitative data analysis methods.

Wage: $17.10/hour

Employee Classification: Non-exempt

Length of Employment: Fall 2026 through Spring 2027 - role opens as soon as IRB clears the pending revisions and grants final approval; the position runs through the FY 2026-27 grant period (ending June 30, 2027).

Hours: Total Allotted Hours - Up to 70 hours, covering the data collection phase of the study and training in data analysis.

Supervisor: Dr. Sancler Andrade, OTD, OTR/L

Recruiter: Dr. Sancler Andrade, OTD, OTR/L (sanclerandrade@pacificu.edu)

Principal Investigator: Dr. Sancler Andrade, OTD, OTR/L

Job Duties and Responsibilities:

Specific duties and timeline are outlined in the table below. This position is grant-funded (Pacific University Faculty Development Grant, FY 2026-27) and will follow a phased rollout aligned with the study's data collection and analysis timeline. General duties also include:

• Lead recruitment of OT Level I Fieldwork student participants independently of the Principal Investigator, since the PI is (or was) a course instructor to eligible students.
• Manage informed consent for the OT Fieldwork student participant group.
• Coordinate scheduling and logistics for interviews across all participant groups.
• After training, conduct data collection in collaboration with the PI.
• Support secure storage and handling of study data (Box), alongside the PI.
• Engage in additional duties as needed in coordination with the PI.

Semester

Core Focus

Specific Activities & Duties

Early Fall 2026 (upon IRB approval)

Orientation and Training

• Link the CITI human subjects research training to the Research Protocol submitted for IRB
• Orientation to study protocol and procedures
• Training in interview-based data collection and in administering the OSA-SF

Fall 2026

Data Collection

• Recruit and consent OT Level I FW student participants, independent of the PI
• Schedule and coordinate interviews across all participant groups
• Support administration of the OSA-SF
• Support secure transfer and storage of recordings and data
• Conduct data collection alongside the PI

Spring 2027

Data Analysis Training & Support

• Receive training in qualitative data analysis methods
• Assist with organizing and preparing transcribed data for analysis

Competencies to Practice:

• Analytical and Critical Thinking
• Applied Research Methods
• Ethical Reasoning & Decision Making (human subjects protections, confidentiality)
• Digital Literacy (secure data platforms)
• Oral & Written Communication
• Professionalism & Cultural Humility
• Core Competencies Gained Through Experience

Qualifications:

• Currently enrolled second- or third-year Pacific University School of Occupational Therapy student.
• Must complete (or already hold) CITI human subjects research training - the IRB will not finalize study approval until the selected Student Research Assistant's CITI credentials are on file.
• Comfortable working with a diverse, disability-inclusive community population; no prior adaptive sports or diving experience required.
• Commit to up to 70 hours across the data collection and data-analysis-training phases of the project (Fall 2026-Spring 2027). Hours are flexible/as-needed rather than a fixed weekly schedule, in coordination with the PI.