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Masters Student Research Assistant Internship

Department: Faculty of Community Services
Position supervisor: Dr. Karen Soldatić, Canada Excellence Research Chair: Health and Community Wellbeing; Danielle Landry, Research Associate, Social Determinants of Health and Community Wellbeing
Contract length: 18 weeks, August 13, 2024 start
Hours of work per week: 14 
Position type: Research Assistant 
Rate of pay: $22/hr 

About Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University)

At the intersection of mind and action, Toronto Metropolitan University is on a transformative path to become Canada’s leading comprehensive innovation university. Integral to this path is the placement of equity, diversity and inclusion as fundamental to our institutional culture. Our current academic plan outlines each as core values and we work to embed them in all that we do.

Toronto Metropolitan University welcomes those who have demonstrated a commitment to upholding the values of equity, diversity, and inclusion and will assist us to expand our capacity for diversity in the broadest sense. In addition, to correct the conditions of disadvantage in employment in Canada, we encourage applications from members of groups that have been historically disadvantaged and marginalized, including First Nations, Metis and Inuit peoples, Indigenous peoples of North America, racialized persons, persons with disabilities, and those who identify as women and/or 2SLGBTQ+. Please note that all qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, applications from Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.

As an employer, we are working towards a people first culture and are proud to have been selected as one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers and a Greater Toronto’s Top Employer for 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018. To learn more about our work environment, colleagues, leaders, students and innovative educational environment, visit www.torontomu.ca, check out @TorontoMet (external link) , @TorontoMetHR (external link)  and @ECItorontomet (external link)  on Twitter, and visit our LinkedIn company page (external link) .

About the program

CERC - Health Equity and Community Wellbeing

The Canada Excellence Research Chair in Health Equity and Community Wellbeing (CERC) program is a transformative research initiative that employs an engaged community partnership approach to expand our understanding, practice, and delivery of health outcomes for all members of our communities.

The CERC in Health Equity and Community Wellbeing is led by professor Karen Soldatic. Collaborating closely with a network of health-care institutions, service providers, and civil society organizations, the program aims for a paradigm shift – one that challenges a siloed, expert-driven approach to health and well-being and moves instead towards a community-engaged, preventative model of well-being.

Uniquely applying a critical disability lens, the research program aims to not only reduce health disparities that are inextricable from their social contexts, but to embed community knowledge into health-care institutions, systems and models of delivery. Visit https://www.torontomu.ca/cerc-health-equity/about/ for more information.

The Opportunity

This is a paid student Research Assistant internship position. The aim is to develop your capacity to apply rigorous health equity research approaches to real world issues that impact upon the experiences and health outcomes of people with disabilities in Canada.

We are seeking a TMU Master’s student undertaking research with a focus on news media reporting on Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) and its upcoming expansion to eligibility criteria to include mental illness in 2027. The purpose of this research is to consider the potential social risks and impacts of news media accounts of MAiD and the ways in which people diagnosed with mental illness are discursively framed within these accounts.

The student’s research must align with the aims and objectives of the CERC Health Equity & Community Wellbeing and the CERC’s ethical commitments to intersectionality, accessibility and social justice. Students with disabilities are encouraged to apply. 

Location: This position is on-site, at the CERC Health Equity and Community Wellbeing research center at Toronto Metropolitan University (288 Church St.)

Qualifications

Required:

  • Demonstrated ongoing enrollment in a TMU Master’s program of relevance (Public and Occupational Health, Public Policy and Administration, Criminology and Social Justice, Social Work, Literatures of Modernity Juris Doctor Program)
  • Demonstrated engagement and/or interest in disability health justice issues from intersectional perspectives
  • Proven ability to research and compile academic sources relevant to the outlined topics
  • Willingness to work collaboratively with researchers in an academic environment
  • Preparedness to learn from and contribute to the CERC Health Equity and Community Wellbeing’s overall mission
  • Capacity to adopt and incorporate the research principles, aims and objectives of the CERC Health Equity & Community Wellbeing into internship deliverables.
  • Experience and/or interest in understanding, conceptualizing, and/or conducting critical qualitative social research, such as discourse analysis or content analysis, in addition to literature reviews
  • Strong interpersonal skills including the capacity to work with culturally, racially and linguistically diverse communities with varied needs;
  • Time management and organization skills;
  • Advanced writing skills with editing and proofreading ability;
  • Computer skills (notably library/research resource capacities including Factiva, word processing and spreadsheets)

Assets:

  • Basic understanding of Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) in Canada and current debates with respect to expanding legislation
  • Experience with or interest in learning Zotero, NVivo, and other relevant software
  • Previous experience, academic and/or community, working with community members who have experienced long standing homelessness, severe inequality and poverty, stigmatization and discrimination (in/direct)
  • Previous experience writing academic papers including literature reviews and/or annotated bibliographies;
  • Strong communications skills and interest in developing knowledge translation activities such as creating policy information briefs, infographic summaries and other advocacy communication devices

How to apply

Please email your application to opportunity.cerchecw@torontomu.ca by 5 p.m., Friday, July 26, 2024. In the subject heading indicate:

At What Cost: Master Student Paid Research Internship - “your name” and include the following documents in a single word or .pdf file: 

  • a brief CV (2-4 pages)
  • cover letter that clearly indicates your why you are interested in this internship (1-2 pages)
  • two potential references (references will be contacted for preferred applicants only)

Toronto Metropolitan University’s commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion

  • We encourage all First Nations, Metis and Inuit peoples or Indigenous peoples of North America, to self-identify in their applications. If you are an Indigenous applicant and require support during the recruitment process, please reach out to James McKay, Indigenous HR Lead at james13@torontomu.ca.
  • Toronto Metropolitan University is committed to the principles of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), and aims to ensure that independence, dignity, integration and equality of opportunity are embedded in all aspects of the university culture.
  • We will provide an accessible experience for applicants, students, employees, and members of the Toronto Metropolitan University community. We are committed to providing an inclusive and barrier-free work environment, starting with the recruitment process. If you have restrictions that need to be accommodated to fully participate in any phase of the recruitment process,please reach out to Human Resources: 
  • All information received in relation to accommodation will be kept confidential.