Working/Functional Title
Assistant/
Position Summary
Seeking well-funded senior and mid-career implementation and intervention scientists to expand a new community-partnered, equity- and policy-focused medical school department
The College of Human Medicine at Michigan State University (MSU) invites applications for multiple tenured full-time research positions (Associate or Full Professor) in the highly prolific and rapidly growing Charles Stewart Mott Department of Public Health in Flint, Michigan. These generous positions offer a unique opportunity for established researchers who seek to continue highly impactful programs of implementation, intervention, and policy research in topics that are both relevant to Flint and widely applicable. These include equity, social determinants of health, behavioral health, healthy behaviors, chronic disease, maternal-child health, and environmental justice, among others. A $25 million gift from the Flint-based Charles Stewart Mott Foundation allows us to largely or fully guarantee salary coverage for researchers who are willing to move their substantial research portfolios to MSU.
The current opportunity. Led by Founding Department Chair Jennifer Johnson, PhD, we seek to attract and generously support new research colleagues who are committed to conducting the high caliber, high impact, and community-partnered research that has come to characterize the department. To maximize the real-world impact of our findings, the Department is currently working to: (1) expand our strength in implementation and dissemination science; (2) continue innovation in sharing departmental governance with the Flint community; and (3) leverage a dedicated Departmental health policy advocate to move findings into policy.
We seek exceptional mid‐to‐advanced career investigators with innovative research portfolios focused on addressing the needs of underserved communities to join our energetic, mission-driven Department. Public health issues of high importance originally identified by the Flint community included health equity, social determinants of health (violence, safety, the built environment, education, employment), behavioral health (i.e., mental health and substance use), healthy behaviors (including screening/prevention), and chronic disease. Recent events have also highlighted maternal-child health and environmental justice. Primary research methodologies are action-oriented: implementation science (including sustainment), dissemination and communication, intervention and services research, and research to change health policy. The Department also includes three health geographers whose work focuses on identifying and eliminating the effects of racism on the built environment. Community members are ready to work alongside researchers to improve conditions here, nationally, and globally.
These are tenured, full-time research, medical school faculty positions through which we can largely or fully guarantee salary coverage for researchers who are willing to move their substantial research portfolios to MSU. There are no classroom teaching responsibilities but numerous opportunities for research mentorship if desired. Leadership opportunities in implementation science, in developing a health equity focused postdoctoral T32 training program, and in other areas are available. Because the Department is young, many things are possible.
Salaries are very competitive and the cost of living is low. Michigan offers a good quality of life, with many outdoor activities, more than 3,000 miles of Great Lakes shoreline (the longest freshwater coastline in the world), and a rich cultural heritage and diversity which includes Motown, Indigenous peoples, and the most Arab Americans of any U.S. state. Michigan has a rich history in the automobile industry and a thriving arts scene.
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, age, disability or protected veteran status.
Required Degree
Doctorate -Public Health or Related
Minimum Requirements
1. A PhD, DrPH, or similar in a field such as public health, health services research, health economics, social/health psychology, developmental psychology, clinical disciplines (including clinical psychology, social work, medicine, pediatrics, nutrition, etc.), sociology, food science/human nutrition, health communications, and epidemiology;
2. Successful applicants will have an established investigator-initiated research program and a record of NIH or related federal funding (i.e., PCORI, AHRQ, CDC, DoD, USDA, etc.) and peer-reviewed journal/articles.
3. Assistant Professor level positions require postdoctoral training or experience, a K-award, and/or other evidence of preparation to become an R01-level principal investigator.
4. Associate Professor or Professor level applicants are expected to possess an established record of external funding and scholarship and the ability to build teams/clusters of scientists focusing on related topics.
5. Demonstrated ability to provide leadership and collaborate across multi-disciplinary teams is essential.
Desired Qualifications
6. Identified areas of need include research and instruction to address substance abuse, mental health, smoking, obesity, maternal and child health, chronic diseases including cancer and cardiovascular illness, stress and coping, prevention/detection health behaviors, health disparities, sexually transmitted infections, access to care, and social and built environmental determinants of health including violence, safety, education, poverty, and unemployment.
7. The required degree is a PhD or equivalent in a field related to public health. MD or DO degrees with public health research interests may also be considered.