Teaching & research assistants

Online Intervention Development Project

Department of Psychology, University of Victoria

We are seeking a motivated Research Assistant (RA) to join our team in developing an online intervention designed to support individuals living with persistent smell dysfunction.

The primary role will involve working closely with Dr. Marlise Hofer and collaborating with Dr. Brianna Turner to develop and refine an online intervention designed to support individuals living with persistent smell dysfunction. Responsibilities will include creating and implementing digital content, contributing ideas related to layout, accessibility, and user experience, and helping manage content on the intervention website.

The RA will also support collaboration with patient partners by helping organize meetings, track feedback, and implement revisions to intervention materials. Additional responsibilities will include assisting with research ethics applications, preparing materials for a randomized controlled trial evaluating the intervention, maintaining project documentation, and helping coordinate the final stages of intervention development and testing.

Qualifications

Third- or fourth-year undergraduate students in a related field (e.g., Psychology, Education, Sociology, Public Health, or a related discipline) are encouraged to apply. Students with an interest in digital media, health communication, design, online learning, or patient-oriented research are particularly welcome.

The successful applicant will have:

• Excellent communication and organizational skills
• Strong attention to detail
• The ability to work both independently and collaboratively
• An interest in health promotion, patient education, or digital health
• An interest in digital content creation and design
• Availability to work approximately 6 hours per week
• Availability to attend weekly team meetings (a combination of in-person and Zoom meetings)

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with graphic design, video creation, or digital content development tools (e.g., Canva, Adobe Express)
• Experience with website development, website editing platforms, or learning management systems
• Experience coordinating projects, meetings, or multiple tasks simultaneously
• Experience working with research studies, ethics applications, or data collection
• Experience creating accessible digital content

Why Join the Project?

This is an excellent opportunity to gain experience in applied health research, digital intervention development, patient engagement, research ethics, and randomized controlled trial implementation while working closely with a supportive interdisciplinary team.

To Apply

Please send a brief email describing:

• Your interest in the position
• Your CV/resume
• A copy of your transcript
• Your availability over the summer

Please send applications to Marlise Hofer (hofer@uvic.ca)

The primary duties for most TA positions involve grading exams and papers. Let the course instructor know if you want to gain experience in teaching while acting as a TA. There may be chances for you to give a guest lecture on topics related to your research or interests.

TAs at UVic are unionized, and we follow the appointment guidelines in the CUPE 4163 Agreement (Article 13.02). To be eligible, students must be registered full-time and be on campus for the term of the TA appointment (unless the class itself is online).

Selection decisions include:

• qualifications and ability of the candidate (s) based on academic merit and related experience
• the career and/or pedagogical value that the position will provide the student
• the student's preferences (as listed on the application form)
• other sources of graduate student financial support being received

All TAs must have a solid background in the related subject (unless specified otherwise). A good command of spoken and written English is essential.

Priority in hiring goes first to graduate students registered in the Department of Psychology, following our appointment priority policy.

Find salary rates for TAs on the Human Resources website (CUPE 4163, Component 1).

120 hours per term is normally the maximum number of hours that will be assigned to each TA. The actual number of hours worked per week varies by course and term.

A call for applications goes out on the Psychat email list in late June/early July for TA positions for fall and spring courses. There are a few summer course TA positions, which are advertised near the end of March.

Sending us an application confirms that you do want a TA job. It also gives you the chance to list your course preferences so we can consider them when we make assignments.