Fellowship Program: National Research Center on Hispanic Children & Families Summer Research Fellowship Program

 National Research Center on Hispanic Children & Families 

Summer Research Fellowship Program 

Background: 

The National Research Center on Hispanic Children & Families1 (Center) is a hub of research to improve the lives of Hispanic children and families across three research priority areas—(1) poverty reduction and self-sufficiency, (2) healthy marriage and responsible fatherhood, and (3) early care and education. The Center is both policy and program driven and is dedicated to providing timely research findings, tools, and scholar opportunities to advance the capacity of the policy, program, and research field serving Hispanic children and families. The Center is made up of a team of national experts in Hispanic issues, and was established by an ACF cooperative agreement to Child Trends in partnership with Abt Associates and university partners (University of Maryland-College Park, University of North Carolina-Greensboro, and New York University) in 2013. 

1 http://www.childtrends.org/our-research/latino-children-and-families/the-national-research-center-on-hispanic-children-and-families/ 

2 The specific dates of the fellowship can be negotiated, as necessary, to match the selected applicant’s academic institution’s schedule. 

3 http://www.childtrends.org/our-research/latino-children-and-families/the-national-research-center-on-hispanic-children-and-families/ 

As part of the overall work, the Center hosts a summer research fellowship program that supports approximately three research fellows per year. 

General Fellowship Description: 

The goal of the Summer Research Fellowship Program at the National Research Center on Hispanic Children & Families (Center) is to attract, develop, and expand the pool of emerging scholars focused on studying issues of relevance to low-income and vulnerable Hispanic children and families. Over a 12-week period (approximate dates June 1st to August 31st)2, fellows will have applied opportunities to work on research studies and policy-related projects relevant to the Center’s mission of conducting research and providing research-based information to inform programs and policies supporting Hispanic children and families around the three research priority areas. The summer research fellowship program is open to advanced graduate students (those currently in their third year or higher of a Ph.D. program). We seek emerging scholars who demonstrate a significant interest in conducting research with low-income Hispanic populations, understand the cultural and linguistic diversity among the populations, and are excited about contributing to the development of better tools and resources to produce more rigorous and valid research concerning low-income Hispanic populations. For additional information other than what is included below, you can also reference FAQs about the Summer Research Fellowship Program on the webpage3. 

Responsibilities and Duties: 

The summer research fellowship is a full-time position; fellows will be expected to work 40 hours per week for the full 12-week fellowship period. Fellows will be located at either Child Trends or Abt Associates in their Bethesda, MD offices. Each fellow will be matched with a supervisor and a mentor who is engaged in similar work supported by the Center. The overall set of fellowship experiences are designed to support the expansion and development of emerging scholars capable of conducting high quality research in culturally appropriate ways on issues of relevance to the growing population of Hispanics. Under the guidance of their mentor and over the course of the 12-week program, fellows will be expected to: 2 

1. Attend an orientation, media training, and regular Center meetings. 

2. Work on a small, independent research project related to the goals of the Center. This research project may be part of the fellow’s own ongoing research, or it may be developed in connection to current Center work. Fellows will present their proposal at the beginning of their fellowship and their findings at the end of their fellowship. 

3. Contribute to other capacity building and/or research products or activities that are part of the Center’s work plan. 

4. Publish their work as a Research or Policy Brief or other appropriate vehicle, including peer-reviewed journal articles. 

5. Submit their work to one or more professional conferences, such as APPAM, CCPRC, SRCD, the Head Start Research Conference, PAA, NCFR or WREC. 

6. Write entries for the Hispanic VOICES blog. 

Additionally, fellows will have the opportunity to participate in other Center-related efforts, including webinars and research seminars as well as trainings in a variety of topics, which may include: 1) writing for policy and practice audiences; 2) proposal writing; 3) the use of data sets most appropriate for the study of issues related to Hispanic families and children; and 4) research-related communications and media. They will be invited to attend hill briefings and other local conferences and meetings. They also will be invited to participate in the Center’s ongoing mentoring and networking activities, which engage fellows from other major DC-based fellowship programs, as well as other emerging scholars and mentors from local universities, organizations and/or other collaborative partner organizations. 

Compensation: 

Summer research fellows will earn an hourly rate, up to $8,000, for the 12-week fellowship to be paid in semi-monthly increments. The Center anticipates awarding approximately three fellowships in 2015. 

Experience and Education requirements: 

 Currently enrolled in a graduate program as an advanced Ph.D. student (3rd year or higher). 

 Strong interest and background in research concerning low-income Hispanic populations and an understanding of the cultural and linguistic diversity among Hispanic populations. 

 Research experience related to one or more of the Center’s three priority areas: (1) poverty reduction and self-sufficiency, (2) healthy marriage and responsible fatherhood, and (3) early care and education. 

 Strong quantitative/qualitative, analytical, and writing skills. 

Application requirements: 

Interested applicants are required to submit their applications with the following components by 5:00pm ET on January 14th, 2015 through our web application system4. 

4 To connect with our web application system, see the FAQs about the Summer Research Fellowship Program at: http://www.childtrends.org/our-research/latino-children-and-families/the-national-research-center-on-hispanic-children-and-families/ 

 Cover letter which includes the applicant’s contact information (e.g., name, address, phone number(s), email address), and information about their graduate institution. 

 A current curriculum vitae (CV) providing information about educational background, publications, presentations, and any relevant professional or public policy experience related to the work of the Center (4 page maximum). 

 A personal statement (up to two pages) that includes 1) the applicant’s interest in and what they hope to learn from the fellowship experience, 2) why they are interested in research concerning Hispanic children and families, 3) a brief proposal for the applicant’s independent research project that will advance one (or a cross-section) of the Center’s priority areas5, and 4) a proposed timeline for the independent research project which lists the anticipated milestones necessary to complete the project within the 12-week period. 

 Official or unofficial transcript from current or most recent academic institution. 

 Two letters of recommendation that specifically address the applicant’s educational background, training, and research experience(s) relevant to the work of the Center. 

5 If the proposed independent project is based on the applicant’s ongoing work, then the application should discuss the current status of the project, availability of data, and steps that will be taken to enable the active dissemination of the resulting work via the Center’s dissemination activities (including any necessary approvals of the applicant’s advisor, collaborators, or other relevant persons involved in the existing work). 

6 http://www.childtrends.org/our-research/latino-children-and-families/the-national-research-center-on-hispanic-children-and-families/ 

The first four items (cover letter, CV, personal statement, and transcript) must be combined into one pdf document to be uploaded to the system. Letters of recommendation should be emailed directly to recruitment@childtrends.org (Attn: Hispanic Center). Incomplete applications, including those without letters of recommendation, will not be considered. If you have any issues with the submission process, please email the combined pdf to recruitment@childtrends.org referencing the position in the subject line. No phone calls please. 

Selection Criteria: 

Applications will be reviewed by Center staff and will be evaluated according to the following criteria: 

 Content knowledge and fit with the Center’s three Priority Areas. 

 Relevant quantitative and/or qualitative research skills and experience. 

 Quality (including writing quality), feasibility, and fit of research proposal. 

 Experience with conference presentation(s) and/or publication(s) (including relevance to the Center’s three Priority Areas). 

 Letters of recommendation. 

Candidates will be contacted if they are selected on or around March 2nd, 2015. 

Contact information and questions: 

For questions regarding this position, please contact: recruitment@childtrends.org, referencing the position in the subject line. You can also contact Shelby Hickman, Research Analyst at Child Trends (shickman@childtrends.org) and reference FAQs about the Summer Research Fellowship Program on the webpage6. No phone calls please. 

Note: The National Research Center on Hispanic Children and Families is committed to enhancing diversity within the field. Minority individuals are encouraged to apply. Child Trends is an Equal Opportunity Employer.