Job Description

Posting number: 2026-02312

Department: University of Hawai'i at Manoa - Thompson School of Social Work & Public Health - DSW

Job classification: GRADUATE ASSISTANT

Posting type: Open

Categories: Public Health, Social Sciences

Summary

Title: Graduate Research Assistant (0000GA11)

Position Number: 0000GA11

Hiring Unit: Department of Social Work

Location: University of Hawai'i at Manoa

Date Posted: October 28, 2026

Closing Date: November 10, 2026, 11:59 PM Hawai'i Time

Salary Information: GA Step 17 (11-month) or comparable to qualifications and experience, see GA Compensation Schedule

Monthly Type: 11-month

Full Time Equivalency (FTE): .50

Job Term: Non-Tenure/Part-Time/Temporary

Funding: RTRF

Other Conditions:

• pending position clearance and availability of funds.
• position is only available for one year.
• position to tentatively begin in December 2026 or soon thereafter.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Assist the principal investigator with coordination and implementation of the Improving Mobile Crisis Response in Honolulu County Study.
• Assist with communication and coordination with project partners including the Hawai'i Community Safety Coalition and the Hawai'i Health and Harm Reduction Center.
• Conduct a literature review on mobile crisis response.
• Support the recruitment of focus group participants.
• Coordinate focus groups including scheduling with participants, confirming space, setting up and breaking down
• Co-facilitate focus groups when needed.
• Assist with data transcription and data analysis.
• Assist with writing the final report and journal article.
• Assist with the dissemination of the final report.
• Participate in meetings, zoom calls, and trainings for the project.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Classified graduate student at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa.
• Be in good academic standing and maintain a GPA of 3.0 or above.
• Maintain 6 credits per semester, with the exception of those who have reached 800 (dissertation) or 700F (thesis).
• Able to work respectfully with diverse communities, and with a heightened level of sensitivity necessary for mental health/suicide prevention work.
• Able to work and time-manage independently, under direction of the principal investigator and project team, and with appropriate training.
• Prior experience conducting literature searches via online academic search engines (e.g., Pubmed, Psycinfo, etc.).
• Working knowledge of computers and basic processing (e.g., Microsoft Suite including Word, Excel, Powerpoint) and connectivity programs (e.g., Zoom, Webex, Teams).
• Must have strong skills with respect to communication (oral and written), organization, and attention-to-detail.
• Have access to transportation for visits/meetings with community sites.
• Must be personally ready/able to work in suicide prevention (those who have recently been impacted by suicide loss, or are personally struggling, sometimes find it difficult to engage in suicide prevention work).

Desirable Qualifications:

• University of Hawai'i graduate student in public health, social work, psychology, or related field.
• Knowledge or experience in the fields of community safety and crisis response.
• Prior experience writing reports and/or peer-reviewed manuscripts.
• Prior experience on projects that required interfacing with diverse populations, community partners, and the general public.
• Able to commit to project for at least one year.

To Apply:

Click on the "APPLY" button to complete an application and attach the following REQUIRED documents/information:

• current curriculum vitae;
• cover letter describing how you meet the minimum and desirable qualifications;
• names and contact information (including email addresses) of at least 3 professional references; and
• transcripts or equivalent documents from institution confirming highest educational degree relevant to this position (unofficial copies acceptable, official originals required upon hire).

Note: First time NEOGOV users are required to create an account. Only applications through NEOGOV are accepted.

Inquiries: Dr. Cameron W. Rasmussen, Principal Investigator, cwras@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/