The research centers of the Institute for Social Research (ISR) conduct rigorous social science research, disseminate research results, and train future generations of social scientists. The Survey Research Center and the Population Studies Center at ISR seek a marketing and communications specialist to raise the profile of their centers, projects, faculty, and trainees. A key objective for this semester’s work will be publicizing the work of faculty and trainees from both centers who will be participating in the Population Association of America’s annual meeting in April 2025: The premier conference of demographers and social and health scientists from the United States and abroad.

This flexible, 8-hour per week position for the winter (2025) semester will support marketing and communications representing the Survey Research Center and the Population Studies Center, creating content related to the conference and arising center needs. This includes data collection; graphic design; social media and web content creation, and writing about social science research, with the possibility of attending and reporting on the conference in Washington D.C. in April.

We are looking for a candidate with strong interest and experience in either marketing/communications/journalism or social science, or both. The candidate should have writing, design, and communication skills, and ideally has experience with creating communications plans/schedules; social media accounts (Twitter, LinkedIn, Bluesky); graphic design software (Adobe and/or Canva), and Google Suite. The candidate should be committed to making content that is accessible and inclusive and be adept at crafting content for academic and lay audiences.

Application requirements: Applicants should include a cover letter with their CV/resume and complete a short task as a demonstration of skills suited to this position:
 

Please write two versions of a social media post promoting a poster session that will take place at the PAA 2025 Conference. One version of the post should be for LinkedIn, the other for X or Bluesky. The poster will be presented by Sarah Patterson, an alum of the PSC Training Program and an affiliate of SRC. The title of the poster and an abstract describing its content are below. Please include these work samples in your cover letter.

“Families are messy, aren't they?”: Defining family and care expectations among family caregivers

In the U.S., the public expect families to provide care to older adults in need, and older adults themselves are more likely to expect support from family as they age. Families often meet these expectations, serving as the main source of care for many older adults. However, the definition and measurement of diverse family forms have been slow to change in population-level studies, impacting our ability to understand family dynamics in the context of an aging population. Relying on the lived experience of family caregivers for older adults with trouble remembering, this study fielded focus groups to elicit an understanding of the definition of family ties and care expectations and responsibilities. Preliminary findings show that dementia has the potential to influence definitions of family and care roles, and that expectations sometimes differ from what happens. These findings have implications for the development of survey items around families, expectations, and care.