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RESEARCH ASSOCIATE (NON-TENURE TRACK) AUTISM RESEARCH AND POLICY IMPACT

Rutgers

Rutgers

USD 100k-100k / year
Posted on Apr 7, 2026
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Position Information
Recruitment/Posting Title RESEARCH ASSOCIATE (NON-TENURE TRACK) AUTISM RESEARCH AND POLICY IMPACT
Department State Health Policy Center
Salary Details A minimum of $100,000
Offer Information
The final salary offer may be determined by several factors, including, but not limited to, the candidate’s qualifications, experience, and expertise, and availability of department or grant funds to support the position. We also take into consideration market benchmarks, if and when appropriate, and internal equity to ensure fair compensation relative to the university’s broader compensation structure. We are committed to offering competitive and flexible compensation packages to attract and retain top talent.
Benefits
Rutgers provides a comprehensive benefits package to eligible employees. The specific benefits vary based on the position and may include:
  • Medical, prescription drug, and dental coverage
  • Paid vacation, holidays, and various leave programs
  • Competitive retirement benefits, including defined contribution plans and voluntary tax-deferred savings options
  • Employee and dependent educational benefits (when applicable)
  • Life insurance coverage
  • Employee discount programs
Posting Summary
The Rutgers Center for State Health Policy (Center/CSHP) within the Institute for Health, Health Care Policy, and Aging Research (IFH), a unit of Rutgers Health, is recruiting a Research Associate to join our faculty to scientifically advance a portfolio focused on autism and intellectual/developmental disabilities research led by the incoming Director of the Center for State Health Policy (CSHP). This is a co-terminus, externally grant and contract funded faculty position that will report directly to the incoming leader of the CSHP.

The incumbent in this position will implement strategies to increase lines of active research funding among faculty and staff researchers at the Center for State Health Policy. The incoming director’s research portfolio pioneers population- and community-based research that empowers people, organizations, and government agencies to improve the quality of life for people with autism and other intellectual/developmental disabilities by informing and assessing programs, and impacting social and health policies, and systems of support.

The Research Associate in this role will support the incoming director in implementing a set of strategic, proactive capacity building activities designed to facilitate the faculty and staff research team in attracting extramural research funding, creating relationships, and developing and implementing strategies that increase the competitiveness of the Center’s proposals, overall.
The initial appointment will be for one year, renewable for annual or multi-year periods, depending on productivity, overall performance, and continued availability of funding.

Duties of the Position
Conduct high-impact, policy-relevant health services research
  • Lead development of research proposals, including submissions to NIH and other federal funders.
  • Prepare scientifically rigorous reports for funders, academic audiences, and broad stakeholder constituencies.
  • Publish peer reviewed, academic articles focused on analytic findings from studies related to autism and other intellectual/developmental disabilities.
  • Participate in, and present at, appropriate scientific conferences and professional meetings.
  • Translate complex data findings for non-technical audiences to maximize the impact of the research.
Lead strategic research advancement
  • Meet with principal investigators to discuss extramural research funding opportunities and make recommendations for proposal development strategies and improvements to ensure competitiveness and fit with sponsor requirements.
  • Review solicitations to suggest appropriate opportunities for all Center faculty.
  • Maintain familiarity with sponsor trends to assist principal investigators in identifying appropriate research funding sources aligned with PI goals.
  • Develop knowledge of applicable regulations, policies, and guidelines at the federal, state, local, sponsor, and institutional levels.
  • Use research development software (e.g., Pivot) to issue regular funding updates.
  • Conduct multi-year planning for external grant applications across researchers.
  • Maintain faculty expertise database and other collaborative web tools to advance the autism related portfolio at the Center.
  • Disseminate grant opportunities and proposal development tools.
  • Establish and document mechanisms for tracking funding proposal opportunities, development, and submission timelines.
  • Facilitate team collaboration to identify potential research interests and their match to community- and policymaker-identified research needs.
  • Fulfill a leadership role in assisting team members to identify, fund, plan, manage, and conduct research projects.
  • Implement a set of strategic, proactive, catalytic, and capacity-building activities designed to facilitate Center faculty in attracting extramural research funding, creating relationships, and developing and implementing strategies that increase competitiveness for extramural funding.
Design and implement strategies to document policy impact
  • Provide broad advice on critical areas of policy-related research needs.
  • Serve as a connector between those researchers and policy/research audiences creating a communication loop to systematically identify policy information needs at the federal, state, and local levels.
  • Maintain awareness and monitoring of national level disability policy issues and efforts, reviewing government reports and other policy-relevant documents and communicating new information and opportunities for advocacy and feedback.
  • Establish and document mechanisms for tracking how research and data visualization influences policy development at the state and national levels and produce reports on our results.
  • Build national level stakeholder networks and strategies for dissemination through these channels.
  • Oversee the creation of an information repository and curated guidance for researchers on evidence-based methods for increasing policy impact through interactions with policy-engaged stakeholders, planning for knowledge translation, and strategic communication of research findings.
Position Status Full Time
Posting Number 26FA0324
Posting Open Date
Posting Close Date 05/01/2026
Qualifications
Minimum Education and Experience
  • Master’s degree in social work, health policy, public health, or equivalent social science discipline.
  • Minimum 5 years of experience leading interdisciplinary, team-based research projects and translating research into policy and practice.
  • Excellent communication, interpersonal and leadership skills.
  • Advanced training and research expertise in areas related to autism, intellectual and developmental disabilities, and other neurodiverse conditions.
Certifications/Licenses
Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
Preferred Qualifications
Equipment Utilized
Physical Demands and Work Environment
Overview
About the Center for State Health Policy
Rutgers Center for State Health Policy (Center/CSHP) is an initiative within the Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research, which is part of Rutgers Health. Established in 1999 with major funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Center combines Rutgers University’s traditional academic strengths in public health, health services research, and social science with applied research and policy analysis initiatives. The Center was conceived in response to the unique and essential role of the states in the formation and implementation of sound health policy.

The Center is home to 27 full-time employees and will be welcoming Dr. Lindsay Shea as its new director in July 2026, succeeding Founding Director Joel Cantor. The Center’s signature areas of research include Health Care Access and Coverage, Health and Long-Term Care Workforce, Health System Performance Improvement, Long-Term Services and Supports, and Population Health.


Within this core portfolio, CSHP marshals the expert resources of its team of multidisciplinary faculty and staff to:
  • Conduct rigorous, timely, and impartial research on health policy issues;
  • Provide objective and practical evaluation of programs and policy choices;
  • Convene the health policy community in a neutral forum to promote an active exchange of ideas on critical issues;
  • Educate current and future health policy makers, researchers, and administrators; and
  • Promote the practical application of scholarship in health policy.
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
It is university policy to provide equal employment opportunity to all its employees and applicants for employment regardless of their race, creed, color, national origin, age, ancestry, nationality, marital or domestic partnership or civil union status, sex, pregnancy, gender identity or expression, disability status, liability for military service, protected veteran status, affectional or sexual orientation, atypical cellular or blood trait, genetic information (including the refusal to submit to genetic testing), or any other category protected by law. As an institution, we encourage all qualified applicants to apply. For additional information please see the Non-Discrimination Statement at the following web address: http://uhr.rutgers.edu/non-discrimination-statement.
Statement
Posting Details
Special Instructions to Applicants
Required application documents Cover letter, CV, contact info for 3 references and a writing sample.
Quick Link to Posting https://jobs.rutgers.edu/postings/272335
Campus Rutgers University-New Brunswick
Home Location Campus Rutgers University - New Brunswick
City New Brunswick
State NJ
Location Details
Pre-employment Screenings
All offers of employment are contingent upon successful completion of all pre-employment screenings.
Immunization Requirements

Under Policy 100.3.1 Immunization Policy for Covered Individuals, if employment will commence during Flu Season, Rutgers University may require certain prospective employees to provide proof that they are vaccinated against Seasonal Influenza for the current Flu Season, unless the University has granted the individual a medical or religious exemption. Additional infection control and safety policies may apply. Prospective employees should speak with their hiring manager to determine which policies apply to the role or position for which they are applying. Failure to provide proof of vaccination for any required vaccines or obtain a medical or religious exemption from the University will result in rescission of a candidate’s offer of employment or disciplinary action up to and including termination.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
It is university policy to provide equal employment opportunity to all its employees and applicants for employment regardless of their race, creed, color, national origin, age, ancestry, nationality, marital or domestic partnership or civil union status, sex, pregnancy, gender identity or expression, disability status, liability for military service, protected veteran status, affectional or sexual orientation, atypical cellular or blood trait, genetic information (including the refusal to submit to genetic testing), or any other category protected by law. As an institution, we encourage all qualified applicants to apply. For additional information please see the Non-Discrimination Statement at the following web address: http://uhr.rutgers.edu/non-discrimination-statement
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