Student Employment Opportunities

Nourishing Tomorrow (NT) is a NIH-funded, community-based research project led by Case Western Reserve University in partnership with MetroHealth, University Hospitals, and the Greater Cleveland Food Bank. The study evaluates approaches to supporting pregnant people and their families through increased access to nutritious food and supportive resources during pregnancy and postpartum.

The Graduate Research Assistant (GRA) will support participant engagement and data collection for Nourishing Tomorrow. The primary responsibility of this position is conducting standardized participant interviews, by phone, at key study timepoints, requiring both careful adherence to research protocols and compassionate, attentive interviewing, particularly when addressing sensitive topics. As a primary point of contact for participants, the Research Assistant plays an important role in establishing trust, supporting retention, and ensuring high-quality study data.

Essential Functions

• Schedule and conduct standardized participant interviews at baseline, near delivery, and three months postpartum, following study protocols and scripts to ensure consistent and high-quality data collection. Interviews include sensitive topics related to psychosocial well-being and require compassionate, attentive interviewing, sound judgment, and the ability to recognize participant responses or behaviors that may require immediate follow-up.
• Coordinate participant data collection activities, including scheduling follow-up interviews and 24-hour dietary recalls with the BioNutrition team, tracking completion of required study activities, and communicating reminders and follow-up information to participants.
• Process participant incentive payments following completion of study activities and maintain accurate documentation of payments in accordance with study and university procedures.
• Support participant engagement and retention through approved phone, email, and text communication. Establish and maintain respectful, responsive relationships with participants and assist in identifying and addressing barriers to completion of study activities.
• Identify and respond to participant psychological safety concerns that arise during study interviews, including elevated depression symptoms, suicidal ideation, or other signs of psychological distress. Follow established safety protocols, promptly communicate concerns to designated study leadership, and support timely documentation and reporting of adverse events and notification of clinical/hospital partners as required.
• Enter and maintain participants and study data in REDCap and other approved systems; review records for completeness and accuracy and assist with routine data quality assurance and cleaning activities.
• Maintain accurate and timely study documentation and participant tracking records in accordance with study protocols, IRB requirements, and institutional policies.
• Maintain participant confidentiality and protect sensitive research information in accordance with human subjects research requirements, study protocols, and institutional policies.
• Communicate professionally and respectfully with participants, research staff, clinical partners, the BioNutrition team, and community partners to support coordinated study implementation.
• Participate in study team meetings, interviewer training, protocol training, quality assurance activities, and ongoing refresher training to maintain consistency and fidelity in participant data collection.

Participant Support: Build supportive and respectful relationships with study participants while maintaining appropriate professional boundaries.

• Approach participant interactions with empathy, cultural humility, and sensitivity to circumstances that may affect pregnant and postpartum individuals and their families.
• Listen attentively for indications that a participant may be experiencing distress or need additional support and respond in accordance with established study protocols.
• Provide study-approved resources or referrals when appropriate and directed by study procedures.
• Apply principles from Mental Health First Aid or similar training when appropriate, while recognizing the boundaries of the research role and connecting participants with appropriate professional resources, including informing study personnel as per study protocols.

Training Requirements

Selected candidates will complete required institutional and study-specific training before independently performing study activities. Training may include research ethics, confidentiality, study protocols, REDCap, participant engagement, and other project-specific procedures. Mental Health First Aid training or certification is preferred and may be provided or required based on the responsibilities of the position.

Hours and Pay

The GRA will work approximately 10–20 hours per week with flexible hours. Work can be done remotely or at a PRCHN or Department location, with occasional in-person meetings or activities as needed. The pay range is $18–22/hour depending on experience.

Applicants should submit a CV/resume and a brief cover letter explaining their interest in the position and relevant experience. Experience can include but is not limited to coursework, employment, internships, volunteer experiences, and other research experience. Please also provide contact information for two professional references. All materials must be submitted via Interfolio.

UNIV 300/400

TA training is required by the Office of the Provost for all undergraduate and graduate students who will be serving as UTAs or GTAs.  This training consists of a series of online modules that must be completed in Canvas at the beginning of the semester in which you start working as a TA.  Additional information can be found on the UCITE TA training website.  Students are not paid for their time during this training.

Under the supervision of the Teaching Kitchen Coordinator, Teaching Kitchen Assistants will be responsible for:

• Pre-lab setup
  • Setting out equipment and ingredients at cooking stations
  • Measuring ingredients as needed
• Assisting students during sessions under the supervision of lead faculty and teaching kitchen coordinator
  • This may include finding missing ingredients or equipment, demonstrating techniques, assisting with spill cleanups, etc.
• Post-lab cleanup
  • Putting away/disposing of leftover food
  • Collecting dirty dishes and cookware
  • Loading cookware and dishes into dishwasher
  • Hand washing cookware and dishes as needed
  • Loading aprons and towels into washing machine
  • Putting away clean cookware and linens
• Weekly inventory and deep cleaning
  • Under the direction of the kitchen coordinator, assist with conducting a weekly inventory of ingredients
  • Dispose of leftover food
  • Deep clean appliances and surfaces

Training

All kitchen assistants will be required to complete university-administered TA training, a series of asynchronous kitchen-specific training modules, and a 1-2 hour, in-person orientation session in the teaching kitchen.

The kitchen orientation session will be scheduled during the week prior to the start of classes. This orientation will focus on kitchen familiarization and safe food handling procedures. The Department of Nutrition will pay any required training fees for all kitchen assistants. Students will also be paid for their time during Nutrition-sponsored training and orientation.

TA training is required by the Office of the Provost for all undergraduate and graduate students who will be performing paid work in service of a course. This training is provided asynchronously in Canvas and must be completed by the deadline set by UCITE (currently TBA). Additional information can be found on the UCITE TA training website. Students are not paid for their time during this training.

Shifts

Culinary labs are generally about 4 hours long. Kitchen assistants will be responsible for setup, cleanup, and support during labs. Preference will be given to kitchen assistants who are available for two or more shifts during the following time blocks (subject to change based on enrollment).

• Mondays 11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
• Mondays 4:30-8:30 p.m.
• Tuesdays 1:45-5:45 p.m.
• Wednesdays 11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
• Wednesdays 4:30-8:30 p.m.
• Thursdays 3:00-8:00 p.m.
• Fridays 1:00-4:00 p.m.

Hourly Rate: Teaching Kitchen Assistants are paid $15.60 per hour.

• Students must commit to all required training sessions, including university TA training, online kitchen training modules, and one 1-2 hour, paid orientation session to be scheduled during the week prior to the start of classes.
• Students must be able to commit to the full, stated time block.
• Preference will be given to students who can commit to this time block for an entire half semester of the class.

Applications will be considered on a rolling basis, but priority will be given to applications submitted by June 12, 2026.

Please submit the following materials via Interfolio to apply for this position:

• Recent cv or resume (PDF or Word document)
  • Your cv should include any relevant food service experience you have, including volunteer work.
• Unofficial transcript
• Teaching Kitchen Assistant Additional Information Form

*This position has been filled for fall 2026.  Come back in late October/early November for more information on spring 2027 openings!*