ROLE

The Research Fellow is a new role for Wallace, designed as a one-year, part-time position (minimum of 20 hours/week), particularly well-suited for a graduate student working towards a Ph.D. and a portfolio of advanced scholarship focused on the intersection of equity and K-12 education leadership, youth development or the arts.

The position offers a distinct opportunity to integrate this scholarship to strengthen, deepen and expand Wallace’s knowledge base, inform our grantmaking, and participate in research design, while learning about the philanthropic sector. The position reports to the Director of Research.

At Wallace, research is an integral part of our strategy design grounded in our interdisciplinary teams, our commitment to learning, and our focus on dual goals for our initiatives: (a) benefits for our partners and those they serve, and (b) benefits for the broader field through credible, relevant knowledge. By comparison, at most foundations the focus for research is on evaluation of the work of the grantees or the foundation.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Develop deep familiarity with Wallace’s published research about education leadership, youth development, and the arts, and the strategies guiding our initiatives to establish a foundation on which to build.
• Conduct literature reviews, research scans, and analyses, to inform the exploration phase of strategy design, ongoing refinement of an initiative, a potential new area of interest, or a particular topic or tactic that supports the Foundation’s approach to grantmaking.

Examples of the projects include developing a thematic bibliography for equity-centered principal pipelines, and prepare summaries of relevant papers for internal use; and developing a bibliography and short syntheses on a range of research methodologies, e.g., culturally-responsive evaluation, research-practice partnerships, or improvement science.

• Prepare and present the findings of the scans, reviews, and analyses using an approach that engenders discussion within the teams to refine the initiative design and knowledge question.
• Stay current on, and share with the team(s) relevant trends and developments in the field, as well as new published research over the course of an initiative, to inform the team’s discussion of the impact of the research on our initiatives.
• As requested, assist in the development of Requests for Proposals (RFPs), managing grants for commissioned research, and contribute to the editorial review of new research reports.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Graduate student working toward a Ph.D. with a portfolio of advanced scholarship on the intersection of equity and K-12 education leadership, youth development or the arts.
• Demonstrated experience conducting literature reviews and (co)-designing research studies.
• Experience with critical research methods, either quantitative or qualitative, is preferred.
• Preferred work experience in relevant practitioner settings, e.g. districts, schools, afterschool, intermediary organizations, or arts organizations
• Capacity to work productively and contribute in Wallace’s interdisciplinary team approach
• Exceptional project management skills and ability to multi-task in a fast-paced environment
• Excellent conceptual and analytical thinking skills
• Outstanding communication skills: listening, writing, speaking
• Resourceful, attentive to detail, and efficient in conducting scans and analyses

HOW TO APPLY

The Wallace Foundation is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to maintaining a diverse workforce where differing perspectives are a source of strength. People of color are encouraged to apply.

Interested candidates should send their resume with a cover letter to [email protected] by February 21. Please note “Research Fellow” as the subject in your email.