Graduate Research Assistant (Part-time)

About Vitalief

Vitalief partners with Sites, Sponsors, and CROs to streamline research operations, reduce costs, and accelerate breakthroughs that improve patient care. We bring deep clinical research expertise together with practical, results-driven consulting to help organizations operate more efficiently and achieve sustainable growth.

THE ROLE

We are seeking a highly motivated and detail-oriented Masters or PhD level student as a Graduate Research Assistant to support our client’s dynamic neuroscience research laboratory. The successful candidate will contribute to a growing body of work focused on addiction, brain function, and behavioral neuroscience, playing a central role in manuscript development, grant preparation, data analysis, and general research operations.

This position offers an exceptional opportunity for a student with a passion for translational research to gain hands-on experience in the scientific, analytical, and administrative aspects of academic research.

Compensation & Work Environment

• Location: Onsite role in a collaborative and supportive research environment in Newark, NJ.
• Work Hours: Part-time, 20 to 30 hours/week (Flexible scheduling to accommodate academic commitments)
• Duration: 12-month contract
• Compensation: Competitive hourly rate commensurate with experience and academic standing.
  
  

Key Responsibilities

• Manuscript Development: Draft, edit, and prepare scientific manuscripts for publication in peer-reviewed journals, including literature reviews, data interpretation, and figure preparation.
• Grant Support: Assist in developing and editing grant proposals, supporting background research, and preparing preliminary data and figures.
• Data Analysis: Perform data cleaning, statistical analyses, and data visualization using appropriate software tools (e.g., SPSS, R, Python, MATLAB, or GraphPad Prism).
• Research Coordination: Support day-to-day lab activities, including documentation, database management, and coordination of research timelines.
• Literature Review: Conduct and synthesize current literature relevant to addiction and neuroscience to support ongoing studies and future grant submissions.
• Collaboration: Work closely with the Principal Investigator (PI), postdoctoral fellows, and other team members to advance the lab’s research objectives.
  
  

Qualifications

• Currently enrolled in a Master’s or a PhD program in Neuroscience, Psychology, Biomedical Sciences, or a related field.
• Prior research experience in neuroscience, addiction science, behavioral research, or related disciplines.
• Experience with academic/scientific writing and publication processes.
• Familiarity with grant writing (NIH or foundation-level preferred) is a strong plus.
• Background in statistical or computational data analysis methods, including experience with SAS or SPSS, and some experience with AI models development.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; collaborative and comfortable working in a team-oriented lab environment.
• Self-directed and intellectually curious, professional, reliable, and responsive to feedback.
• Strong analytical and critical thinking abilities; high attention to detail and ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Proficiency in relevant software for data analysis, literature management (e.g., EndNote, Zotero), and document preparation.
  
  

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: Standing, sitting, walking, visual perception, talking and hearing. Lifting up to 20lbs.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Vitalief partners with clients such as major medical centers and academic institutions that often requires all on-site resources such as prospective Vitalief consultants to be inoculated annually for Influenza and successfully pass a Mantoux Tuberculin Skin Test (TST) for Mycobacterium Tuberculosis.