Unleash YOUR Potential With Us

As a next-generation public research institute, we are an inclusive community of thinkers, doers, creators, innovators, healers, and leaders striving to shape the future and solve the world’s most challenging problems. No matter what your role is, when you join Knight Nation, you’ll play an integral role in pushing us forward to become among the most impactful universities in the country. You’ll be met with opportunities to connect and collaborate with uniquely talented faculty, staff, and students across 13 colleges and multiple campuses and regional locations. That means greater challenges to tackle, more meaningful opportunities to grow, and rewarding experiences that go beyond a paycheck. We’re seeking qualified, motivated individuals who will help UCF fulfill its mission in unleashing the potential of every individual, enriching the human experience through inclusion, discovery, and innovation; and propelling broad-based prosperity for the many communities we serve.

Profile of the dept. or college

UCF College of Community Innovation and Education is a one-of-a-kind academic unit with distinct, interdisciplinary expertise and potential for partnership with community stakeholders, conceived to address societal challenges and work alongside the community.  Established in 2018, the college offers undergraduate and graduate programs on the main campus and UCF Downtown.  At the heart of the college's mission is the institutional commitment to transform lives and strengthen society by developing a unified vision and innovative solutions to complex social issues.  CCIE promotes innovation through state-of-the-art interdisciplinary research with social impact, contemporary inclusive teaching and learning practices, and preeminent service for the disciplines, the institution, and the community.

The UCF Department of Criminal Justice provides excellence in teaching, research, and service with 34 full-time faculty members and an impressive student body made up of approximately 1,700 undergraduates, 300 master’s degree students, and 15 doctoral students. Faculty members are dedicated to our students and deliver outstanding undergraduate and graduate instruction while combining learning, service, and inquiry. The department also conducts quality research within our discipline. By actively developing meaningful partnerships, we provide exemplary service to the university as well as the broader professional and academic communities. For more information about the Department of Criminal Justice and its programs, visit https://ccie.ucf.edu/criminaljustice.

The VAW Cluster is one of nine faculty clusters at the University of Central Florida focused on conducting cutting-edge, interdisciplinary research to make positive impacts across the globe. Postdoctoral scholars will work under the mentorship of Bethany Backes, PhD, MSW, MPH, and will collaborate on research studies examining domestic violence transitional housing, testing the predictive validity of risk assessments intended to predict intimate partner violence and intimate partner homicide, and related victimization research. It is expected that postdoctoral research scholar(s) will spend the majority of their time on the following funded research studies:

Safe Transitions: Longitudinal Examination of Domestic Violence Transitional Housing Models on Survivor Outcomes: This study uses a longitudinal, mixed-methods design to understand domestic violence transitional housing (DVTH) program outcomes across individual, organizational, and community-level indicators in the United States. Following an initial pilot year, 400 domestic violence survivors across five states will be recruited and followed for up to three years as they enter and exit DVTH. Community- and agency-level data will be collected from a national sample of DVTH programs.

Intimate Partner Violence & Pretrial Safety Study: This research study will create and validate intimate partner violence risk assessment(s) that can be integrated into current pretrial decision-making tools and processes across the country. The developed risk assessment(s) will be used in collaboration with interventions that connect survivors of violence to social services. This study will involve quantitative data collection from the criminal justice system and microlongitudinal data collection from survivors of violence.

The Opportunity

The Violence Against Women Cluster (VAW Cluster) is looking for a full-time, benefits eligible, 12-month postdoctoral research scholar. Contract renewal is possible on an annual basis for up to 3 years. For additional information and policies regarding postdoctoral scholars at UCF, including professional development and resources for UCF postdoctoral scholars, please see https://graduate.ucf.edu/postdoctoral/. Postdoctoral scholars with approved funding may receive a $5,000 stipend in addition to salary and benefits to support travel, professional development, and/or research activities.

The post-doc's primary task will include liaising with community partners overseeing student researchers, developing data collection protocols, collecting quantitative and qualitative data, assisting in data analysis, preparing and contributing to manuscripts, and developing future grant applications.

Selected candidate should have strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work independently and collaboratively.

Anticipated Start Date: August 2023

Responsibilities:

•           Project management and oversight of study procedures, protocols, and tasks (e.g. recruitment and retention.

•           Liaise with community partners locally and nationally.

•           Oversee student researchers/volunteers.

•           Develop data collection protocols.

•           Collect qualitative, quantitative, and longitudinal data.

•           Assist in data analysis.

•           Assist in the development of future grant applications.

•           Participate in manuscript development and publication.

•           Other research tasks as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

•           A Ph.D. or expect to receive a Ph.D. in a theoretically relevant field of study (i.e., social work, criminal justice, sociology, psychology, women’s studies, nursing) from an accredited institution by the start of the appointment.

•           Research project management experience.

•           Applicants must exhibit a comprehensive understanding of research methods and data analysis.

•           Intermediate or advanced knowledge of SPSS, Stata, or SAS and multivariate statistics.

•           Applicants must demonstrate strong scientific writing skills and have the skills to publish research findings in peer-reviewed journals.

Preferred Qualifications:

•           Experience conducting research related to domestic violence victimization/perpetration, intimate partner homicide, risk assessment, domestic violence services, and/or housing and homelessness.

•           Knowledge / ability to work with large datasets.

•           Data collection experience with one or more of the following: survivors of violence, criminal justice system stakeholders, community-based services, case file review, and administrative data.

•           Experience with longitudinal data collection and/or multi-site research.

•           Spanish or other foreign language proficiency.

Additional Application Materials Required:

UCF requires all applications and supporting documents be submitted electronically through the Human Resources employment opportunities website.

NOTE: Please have all documents ready when applying so they can be attached at that time. Once the online submission process is finalized, the system does not allow applicants to submit additional documents later.

•           Current curriculum vitae

•           Letter (limit 2 pages) summarizing your relevant experience and career goals; past and/or potential contributions to social justice, diversity, equity and/or inclusion; and specify which of the above projects interests you and why.

•           Contact information for three professional references, at least 2 references should be academic (their position, title, affiliation, email, phone number)

•           Two writing samples that best exemplifies your scholarly work (e.g., technical report, a published or unpublished manuscript-length document)

Special Instructions to the Applicants:

The selected candidate will be required to submit official transcripts (and, as applicable, U.S. degree equivalency evaluations) documenting the conferral of their qualifying academic credentials. 

Questions regarding this search may be directed to:  Bethany Backes, Assistant Professor, at Bethany.Backes@ucf.edu

Are Benefits Important to You?

State Benefits eligibility for OPS employees are subject to criteria established by the State of Florida. The state’s benefits administrator, People First, determines eligibility and coordinates enrollment. If this position becomes eligible for state benefits the employee will be notified directly by People First.  OPS positions are not entitled to paid time off. 

Who Are We?

Founded in 1963 to fuel the region’s talent pipeline and support the growing U.S. space program, UCF is built to make a better future for our students and society. It’s one of the reasons U.S. News & World Report ranks UCF among the nation’s top 20 most innovative colleges, while Forbes, Kiplinger, and The Princeton Review rank us a best-value university. UCF is one of 14 universities nationwide designated as both a Hispanic-Serving Institution and a Research 1 university. With 13 colleges, including a fully accredited College of Medicine, UCF offers more than 220-degree programs between its main campus, downtown campus, hospitality campus, academic health sciences campus, and 11 UCF Connect centers located throughout the region. In addition, UCF extends its reach to communities in and beyond Central Florida by offering complete, online programs leading to bachelor's degrees, master's degrees, Ph.D.'s., certificates, and more.

Unless explicitly stated on the job posting, it is UCF’s expectation that an employee of UCF will reside in Florida as of the date the employment begins.

Additional Requirements related to Research Positions:

Pursuant to Florida State Statute 1010.35, prior to offering employment to certain individuals in research-related positions, UCF is required to conduct additional screening. Applicants subject to additional screening include any citizen of a foreign country who is not a permanent resident of the U.S., or who is a citizen or permanent resident but is affiliated with or has had at least 1 year of education, employment, or training in China, Cuba, Iran, Russia, North Korea, Syria, or Venezuela.

The additional screening requirements only apply to research-related positions, including, but not limited to faculty, graduate positions, individuals compensated by research grants or contract funds, post-doctoral positions, undergraduate positions, visiting assistant professors, and visiting research associates.

Department

College of Community Innovation and Education (CCIE) - Criminal Justice

Work Schedule

8:00AM through 5:00PM
Monday-Friday

Type of Appointment

Fixed Term (Fixed Term)

Expected Salary

$55,000.00 to Negotiable

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement:

As an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, UCF encourages all qualified applicants to apply, including women, veterans, individuals with disabilities, and members of traditionally underrepresented populations. UCF's Equal Opportunity Statement can be viewed at  http://www.oie.ucf.edu/documents/PresidentsStatement.pdf.

As a Florida public university, UCF makes all application materials and selection procedures available to the public upon request.

The University of Central Florida is proud to be a smoke-free campus and an E-Verify employer.