Research Assistant - Case Closed: Bridging Gaps in Criminal Investigations for Racial Equity

The SGA (Bridge Mentor) will play a pivotal role in a high-impact, multi-generational research team investigating the determinants of success in criminal investigations. This project leverages a unique administrative dataset from 12 major U.S. policing agencies to address the historical under-provision of investigatory resources for violent and property crimes in communities of color.

The SGA will serve as the "Bridge Mentor," occupying a critical middle-tier leadership role that connects PhD-level econometric implementation with undergraduate data validation and cataloging.

Key Responsibilities
The SGA will be responsible for overseeing the undergraduate research workflow and ensuring the integrity of the project’s data infrastructure:

• Undergraduate Mentorship: Act as the primary technical and professional mentor for undergraduate researchers (including 2–3 students).
• Data Validation & Quality Control: Lead the "Data Audit" process for undergraduate tasks, ensuring the accuracy of agency-specific triaging protocols and clearance status documentation.
• Technical Training: Train undergraduate staff in identifying discrepancies in administrative records and documenting metadata across diverse jurisdictional datasets (e.g., Chicago, Denver, Dallas).
• Research Scholarship: Assist in the translation of complex data findings into accessible research briefs and contribute to the development of value-added models.

Impact
By serving in this role, the SGA will directly contribute to generating actionable, evidence-based recommendations for policing agencies. The ultimate goal of the work is to improve clearance rates for minority victims and ensure a more equitable distribution of public safety resources.

Mentorship & Professional Development
This position is designed under a Progressive Mentorship Model. The SGA will:

• Receive direct supervision and technical guidance from a Post-Doctoral Data Lead.
• Engage in weekly lab-wide meetings with PI to discuss project status, literature, and high-level strategy.
• Gain experience in grant-funded research management and running a social-science research lab.