Looking for Volunteer RAs in NYC area

[soccercat]

My postdoc (located in the NYC metroarea at a pediatric AMC) is looking for some research assistants to help with database management, scoring of neuropsych assessments, and other administrative duties related to Pediatric hematology/oncology/neurology research. If the interested party is willing to volunteer for longer than a semester there will be opportunities to work on IRB paperwork, grant writing, research publications, and data collection starting next year. There is a really strong need for someone(s) who is highly organized and self-driven as there is a lot of work but the supervisor has had difficulty finding someone who is available for longer than a summer so progress has stalled on several projects. If you know someone who is interested (or you yourself are interested) please PM me and I can give you my supervisor's contact info.

Additionally, there is also an extra practicum spot (peds neuropsych) open for next year.

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[madeincanada]

Volunteer RA work is certainly the norm in our field, but this is something that really frustrates me.

RAs do a great deal of work, and are extremely cheap. The institution, and PI should absolutely be finding ways to fund these positions. Use slush funds, work with another PI to share an RA, or even pay an RA for 25% of their time. A little money goes a long way for these (often) young aspiring psychologists. If this were at a very small college somewhere, I would be far more forgiving, but at an academic medical center in New York City? Come on colleagues... step up to the plate and let's work to pay these RAs at least some money.

/End rant.

 

[soccercat]

I agree whole heartedly with your frustration around this, and as someone who has done hundreds of hours of work for free for our field since undergrad I get it. In this situation, the department is small and the demand is high. A lack of support is directly related to the lack of time and ability to write grants (both institutionally and externally) to get funding to pay people. Typical catch-22 of psychology. However, there is strong organizational support right now to grow the department through training and research efforts. So while it might not be ideal in the short term, that is not the plan for the long term. Gotta start somewhere...