Qualitative Study of Community-Academic Shared Leadership

The successful candidate will serve as a Undergraduate Research Assistant as part of an interdisciplinary research team. The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) developed an innovative funding mechanism that required community partners and academic researchers to be Dual-Principal Investigators and share leadership responsibilities for conducting a large, randomized control trial.  

Our team was one of four projects to receive funding from this call and we are now leading a multi-site paper that will capture how the different projects responded to this requirement for shared leadership. The study will use both document review and brief surveys and semi-structured interviews to characterize the structures, processes, and outcomes associated with shared leadership in each of the four projects.  

The Undergraduate Research Assistant will support qualitative and quantitative data collection, management, and analysis. The role will include tasks such as developing and piloting surveys and interview guides, reviewing interview transcripts for accuracy and de-identification, developing and implementing data management and cleaning protocols, analyzing survey and interview data, maintaining organized documentation and research records, and completing administrative tasks such as scheduling and note-taking. The candidate will receive weekly one-on-one meetings, participate in routine team meetings, and work with a high degree of independence while collaborating closely with team members. The student will have the opportunity, commensurate with interest and contribution, to participate as a co-author on the resulting manuscript that will characterize the shared leadership structures used across the four funded projects. The position will be for the Fall 2026 semester with potential to extend into Spring 2027.

Please Note: In addition to the PROPEL application, all interested students MUST complete and submit the application for this position, which can be found here: https://forms.gle/bbLuKTzjN18inC8C9

 

 

Name of research group, project, or lab
Mackie Research Group
Website
https://www.umass.edu/public-health-sciences/about/directory/thomas-mackie
Why participate in this opportunity?

Community-academic partnership is foundational to advancing maternal health equity. In this project, a successful candidate will have the opportunity to learn about how four different teams have chosen to structure shared leadership between academic and community partners. Student will also learn about qualitative inquiry, study design, data collection and management and analysis and interpretation. The student will have the opportunity, commensurate with interest and contribution, to participate as a co-author on the resulting manuscript that will characterize the shared leadership structures used across the four funded projects 

Representative publication or further information
Stakeholders Perspectives on Stakeholder Engaged Research Strategies to Operationalize Patient Centered Outcomes.pdf
Logistics Information:
Field(s) of Study
Health Policy & Management
Public Health & Health Sciences
Student ranks applicable
Freshman
Sophomore
Junior
Senior
Open to Honors Thesis Work
Student qualifications

Key Responsibilities  

  1. Organize and review project documents and related data.   

  1. Organize and de-identify interview transcripts.   

  1. Participate in data collection and management.   

  1. Assist with survey and interview development, testing, and analysis.   

  1. Maintain organized research documentation.   

  1. Support qualitative data analysis.   

  1. Coordinate meetings and prepare agendas and follow-up materials.   

  1. Prepare presentation slides for internal and external meetings.   

  1. Attend weekly supervisory meetings.   

  1. Assist with administrative tasks as needed. 

 

Requirements  

  1. Strong written and verbal communication skills  

  1. Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively within a team environment  

  1. Strong organizational skills and attention to detail  

  1. Interest in working with qualitative research methods   

  1. Proficiency with relevant software (e.g., Microsoft Word, PowerPoint Slides, Outlook) 

Time commitment
8-10 h/wk
Position Types and Compensation
Paid - General
Paid - Work-Study Required
Number of openings
2
Techniques learned

Students can expect to build their skills in: 

  1. Qualitative instrument development 

  1. Data Management and Quality Assurance 

  1. Qualitative data analysis interpretation  

Project start
Fall 2026 Semester [September 8, 2026- December 15, 2026], with potential for extension.
Contact Information:
Mentors
Margaret Eshleman
meshleman@umass.edu
Research Coordinator/Fellow
Thomas Mackie
tmackie@umass.edu
Professor of Health Policy and Management
Ana Schaefer
aschaefer@umass.edu
Project Director
Name of project director or principal investigator
Dr. Thomas Mackie
Email address of project director or principal investigator
tmackie@umass.edu
2 sp. | 29 appl.
Time commitment
8-10 h/wk
Field(s) of Study
Public Health & Health Sciences (+1)
Health Policy & ManagementPublic Health & Health Sciences