Job Description

Posting number: 2026-01950

Department: University of Hawai'i at Manoa - College of Social Sciences - Urban and Regional Planning

Job classification: GRADUATE ASSISTANT

Posting type: Open

Categories: Higher Education

Summary

Title: Graduate Research Assistant

Hiring Unit: College of Social Sciences - Department of Urban and Regional Planning

Location: Manoa Campus

Date Posted: 09/09/2028

Closing Date: Continuous recruitment until position filled; application review to begin on September 11, 2026

Salary Information: Step 18 ($32,784 annual, MA Program); Step 19 ($34,098 annual, PhD Program at 50% FTE

Monthly type: 11 month

Full/time/part time: Part time - Full time equivalency 50%

Temporary/Permanent: Temporary

Graduate Research Assistant

Under the supervision of Dr. Ashok Das, the Primary Investigator (PI) and staff of the Executive Office on Aging (EOA), the GA will assist with research to support the Intrastate Funding for Older Adults in Hawai‘i project. The project intends to perform a comprehensive study of public and private long-term care financing options, including analyses of feasibility, impacts, costs and implementation considerations to suggest future policy recommendations; Update the Intrastate Funding Formula (IFF) used by the State of Hawai‘i (i.e. EOA) to distribute federal funds under the Older Americans Act (OAA) to the state’s four Area Agencies of Aging (AAAs) [demographic conditions, data availability, and planning needs have significantly changed since the last IFF of 2010]; Ensure that the IFF serves the objectives of the State Plan of Aging (a multi-year strategic roadmap required by the OAA to coordinate care, support services, and advocacy for older adults), and individual area plans.

Other conditions:

State funds. Appointment to begin September 2026. The initial appointment is scheduled to run until May 30, 2027. Continuation is contingent upon project needs, satisfactory work performance, academic progress, and availability of funds.

Duties and Responsibilities:

1. Conduct reviews of the literature and IFFs used by other comparable states;
2. Review preliminary work towards the IFF prepared by EOA’s research statistician;
3. Help organize and convene meetings with EOA and AAAs, as needed per the project schedule;
4. Assist with creating two (2) possible IFFs for EOA review and recommendations;
5. Assist the PI support EOA during the public comment period, April 12-May 20, 2027;
6. Complete the final IFF report for EOA by May 30, 2027;
7. Other related duties, as assigned

Minimum Qualifications:

1. Classified, full-time (minimum 6 credits) graduate student in good academic standing (GPA of 3.0 or above) at the University of Hawai-i at Manoa. Certificate and non-degree students are not eligible.
2. Good numeracy, as in understanding and/or skills of quantitative analysis;
3. Strong secondary research, literature review, and writing skills;
4. Ability to work collaboratively, especially with public officials and researchers
5. Excellent attention to detail
6. Ability to work independently with minimal supervision
7. Ability to organize meetings and summarize meeting minutes

Desirable Qualifications:

1. Data collection and management skills
2. Familiarity with census data and demographic analysis
3. Familiarity with spatial analysis, including GIS
4. Facility with econometric models
5. Familiarity with health challenges of older adults and health services delivery
6. Familiarity with issues of social and spatial equity and justice

To Apply:

Submit the following materials to Dr. Ashok Das, Professor and Chair, Department of Urban and Regional Planning

1. Cover letter explaining how you satisfy the minimum and desirable qualifications,
2. curriculum vita or resume,
3. names and contact information (including email addresses) of 2 professional references, and
4. official transcripts (copies are acceptable; however, official transcripts are required prior to hiring).

For security reasons, do not send applications via email. Applications must be submitted electronically to Dr. Ashok Das (ashokdas@hawaii.edu@hawaii.edu) via UH FileDrop Services at https://www.hawaii.edu/filedrop/ with the expiration timer for the file upload to 7 days.

Incomplete applications will not be considered. Application materials will not be returned.

Inquiries:

Ashok Das, +1-808-956-4265; ashokdas@hawaii.edu

Examples of duties

The University of Hawai'i is an Equal Opportunity Institution and is committed to a policy of nondiscrimination in employment, including on the basis of veteran and disability status. For more information, visit: https://www.hawaii.edu/offices/eeo/policies/

Employment is contingent on satisfying employment eligibility verification requirements of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986; reference checks of previous employers; and for certain positions, criminal history record checks.

In accordance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, annual campus crime statistics for the University of Hawai'i may be viewed at: https://www.hawaii.edu/titleix/help/campus-security/, or a paper copy may be obtained upon request from the respective UH Campus Security or Administrative Services Office.

Accommodation Request: The University of Hawai'i complies with the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the EEO coordinator directly. Determination on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. For further information, please refer to the following link: https://www.hawaii.edu/offices/eeo/accommodation-request/