Temporary Research Assistant

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Department: College of Arts & Sciences

Time Type: Full time

Job Type: Temporary (Fixed Term)

FLSA Status: Non-Exempt

Work Modality: Full On Campus Presence

Union: Excluded

The Research Assistant will assist with animal behavior research within the laboratory of Dr. David Kearns. The position will entail carrying out operant behavioral research involving drug self-administration in rats, testing and monitoring animal subjects, recording and statistically analyzing results, and writing and/or presenting findings. Successful candidates will be familiar with operant behavioral procedures and have demonstrated experience with small animal care and testing.

• Training and Testing Rats
• Perform daily behavioral training and testing of rat subjects, including setting up operant chambers, refilling syringes, configuring software to control experiments, placing rats into operant chambers, monitoring ongoing behavior and experimental events, and recording observations.
• Assist and/or carry out small rodent surgery under Dr. Kearns’s supervision as needed per testing requirements.
• Equipment Maintenance and Testing
• Perform regular testing and maintenance on all experimental equipment used in the course of lab research.
• Clean operant chambers and other lab areas as needed.
• Animal Care
• Handle, weigh, feed, administer medication to rats under Dr. Kearns’s supervision.
• Transport rats from vivarium to testing rooms and return to vivarium when done.
• Record weights and procedures performed.
• Perform catheter maintenance for all rat subjects daily to ensure appropriate care and suitability for required experiments.
• Complete animal research compliance training and documentation.
• Analysis
• Collect and save data to spreadsheets.
• Statistically analyze results from testing and prepare figures or tables of results.
• Draft and/or review research reports (journal articles, primarily) on findings.
• Present research findings in lab meetings, to colleagues, and possibly at conferences.
• Supply Maintenance
• Maintain a careful inventory of supplies and equipment used in experiments, testing, and animal care.
• Alert Dr. Kearns or other lab members when a particular supply is running low and needs to be ordered.
• Receive shipments of supplies and/or equipment and organize them in appropriate locations ( shelves, cabinets, or closets) in the lab.
• Communication and Collaboration
• Reliably respond to emails regarding lab work.
• Communicate and coordinate with Dr. Kearns and graduate student and undergraduate members of the lab regarding daily schedules, assigned activities, recent research results, problems with the research, and absences.
• Instruct student members of the lab on procedures as needed.

• Prioritizing and Organizing
• Acquiring and Analyzing Information
• Building and Supporting Teams
• Supporting Coworkers

• Full-time
• 35 hours per week
• Continuation of the program/position is contingent upon external funding
• Current NIH budget period ends 7/31/26, with possibility of an additional year after that

• $22.91 per hour

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent
• Less than 1 year of relevant experience

• Bachelor's degree
• 1-3 years of relevant experience

• Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

AU offers a competitive benefits package.  to learn about American University's unique benefit options.

• Hiring offers for this position are contingent on successful completion of a background check.
• Employees in staff positions at American University must deliver their services to the university from either the District of Columbia, Maryland, or…