Postdoctoral Training Opportunity in Translational and Community-Engaged Scholarship to Improve Community Living and Participation of People with Disabilities - Department of Occupational Therapy, University of Illinois at Chicago
Posted: Thursday, January 21, 2016
Department of Occupational Therapy,
PhD Programs in Disability Studies & in Rehabilitation Sciences
University of Illinois at Chicago
The Department of Occupational Therapy at the University of Illinois at Chicago is inviting applications from qualified candidates in any relevant discipline for postdoctoral research training experiences in research to improve community living and participation outcomes for persons with disabilities. This interdisciplinary postdoctoral program emphasizes preparing scholars to conduct research that has real world impact (i.e., guiding and changing services, programs, organizations and policies that affect persons with disabilities).
The training program includes: a) didactic preparation, b) close mentoring by highly qualified researchers, c) immersion in ongoing research, and d) field placement in carefully selected programs or organizations partnering with researchers on research projects that promote translational and community-engaged scholarship. Trainees undergo a closely-supervised training process with a range of opportunities for developing their own research program, didactic and experiential training, and with common expected milestones. Each trainee's program will be individually designed to assure that the trainee has access to the most rigorous and relevant concepts and research methodologies for his/her chosen focus for studying needs, services, and outcomes.
Applicants must have received their doctoral degree within the past four years. The length of the fellowship experience is one year with potential for extending two years. Trainees receive a competitive salary and full benefits, tuition support for any courses taken and a modest travel budget. Applicants should submit a curriculum vita, three reference contacts. Copies of relevant publications and a letter including a brief statement of research experience and research goals must be provided for full consideration. For fullest consideration, please submit application by January 29, 2016. Applications will continue to be accepted until the position is filled.
For potential postdoctoral fellows interested in studying with Dr. Joy Hammel, Professor in Disability Studies and Occupational Therapy, her scholarship and funded research portfolio focuses on participatory action research in close collaboration and partnership with disability and aging communities. Projects focus on 1) consumer-directed assessment of participation and environmental barriers and supports to full participation; 2) participation-focused intervention research with people who have had a stroke, and with people with long term disabilities who are trying to transition out of public nursing homes and institutions to least restrictive community living; 3) large scale, population level participation disparities research to document home, community participation, and work/economic disparities and promising practices 25 years post the Americans with Disabilities Act at the national, state and city levels; and 4) systems change and policy analysis research to ensure and enforce civil rights and to increase participation opportunities for people with disabilities as citizens and as a social group. For more information, contact Joy Hammel at [email protected]
Postdoctoral fellows can also work with Dr. Susan Magasi. Her research focus is healthcare equity among people with disabilities. She works closely with the disability community to develop a peer-to-peer interventions that break down barriers to health and cancer care.
Two on-going research studies are: OP-ENS (Our Peers - Empowerment and Navigational Support) - a peer health navigator program for people with disabilities (funded by a Rehabilitation Research Training Center Grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, Disability and Rehabilitation Research) and We-CanConnect - an accessible peer support app-based intervention for people with disabilities and cancer (funded by the National Cancer Institute as part of the Chicago Cancer Health Equity Collaborative). Both projects offer excellent opportunities for related independent and collaborative scholarship.
Please send application to Matrice Truevillian at [email protected]. For inquiries about this postdoctoral training opportunity contact Dr. Joy Hammel at [email protected].
