Research Associate, Research Department

To be considered you must reside in the DC Metro Area.

To apply, please send a resume and cover letter to researchpositions@qfi.org with the subject line “Research Associate”. Only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.

Qatar Foundation International (QFI) is now building a research department to implement QFI’s Research Agenda that will explore issues related to the teaching and learning of Arabic and Arab culture and multilingualism in primary and secondary schools. This research department is charged with operationalizing the Research Agenda that has three main goals:

1. To expand and enrich the existing body of literature on the teaching and learning of Arabic in primary and secondary schools; and
2. To inform QFI’s strategic planning and programming; and
3. To establish QFI’s reputation as a thought leader.

While QFI values peer-reviewed research and articles, all QFI-supported research findings must be accessible to QFI’s main stakeholders – primary and secondary schools, teachers, and students who are teaching and /or learning Arabic and about the Arab world and inform QFI’s work.

The position of Research Associate (RA) works to administer and support a portfolio of research to the teaching and learning of the Arabic language. The RA is responsible for the announcement, application, review, award, monitoring, and closing processes of certain QFI grant programs (essentially managing submissions in QFI’s grants management portal). The RA will also support the research team by performing a wide range of administrative tasks, events management, reading research and writing summaries, writing literature reviews or case studies, and managing other day-to-day responsibilities of the research team.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities

• Process research grants related to research on the learning and teaching of the Arabic language, overseeing all aspects of the grant lifecycle in QFI’s grant management portal.
• Provide logistical and administrative support to the research department such as:
  • Coordinate and serve as the primary point of contact for event participants;
  • Process payments for consultants, honorariums, and advisors;
  • Process reimbursements and payments;
  • Assist with gathering and organizing relevant programmatic data for monitoring and evaluation purposes.
  • Keep the research page on the QFI Intranet up to date;
  • Ensure documentation and housekeeping for the research department is in order.
• Contribute to QFI thought leadership such as:
  • Reading and summarizing research;
  • Attending events such as conferences, events, workshops, and symposiums;
  • Stay current on research related to Arabic language and teaching, multilingualism, & related topics;
  • Drafting literature reviews, case studies and other research-driven content.
• Answer questions about QFI and its research, when appropriate. Direct QFI beneficiaries and general community members to the correct information, resources, and fellow staff member(s) when necessary.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Demonstrated skills in problem solving and critical thinking
  • Extremely detail oriented & demonstrates initiative.
  • Strong team player who also works well independently.
  • Clear communication (written and oral).
  • Commitment to QFI’s mission and values.
• Previous experience with research, education, or the teaching and learning of Arabic in schools.

Requirements

Education & Experience

• 6 months previous experience working or interning on educational programs or in K-12 education
• Bachelor’s degree in a field of study such as foreign languages, language teaching, world or heritage language education, language acquisition, bilingual education, Arabic, applied linguistics, linguistics, statistics, psychology, international relations, global affairs, political science, or other relevant fields.