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First Families Project

First Families logo

This is an ongoing project. New research assistants will be recruited regularly.

The First Families Project is dedicated to understanding the experience of birth families who have placed a child for adoption—a severely understudied group. We are currently conducting life history interviews with birth mothers and will expand to birth fathers and grandparents in future waves of this study.

Qualifications:

Required:

  • Cultural competence
  • Communication skills (e.g., responding promptly and respectfully to emails)
  • Organization skills
  • Dependability—we need you to follow through with assigned tasks
  • Availability for at least 5 hours a week

Appreciated:

  • Courses: Research Methods (SFL 290) and Cross-Cultural Family and Human Development (SFL 354)
  • Previous research experience
  • Faculty references

This is a paid research assistant position. This is an especially good research experience for students’ first experience participating in research. Exceptional student research assistants on this project may be considered for other research positions in the future.

RA Tasks may include:

  • Responding to participant emails
  • Scheduling interviews
  • Managing consent forms
  • Transcribing interviews and focus groups
  • Managing social media websites
  • Aiding with literature reviews

Faculty Director: Dr. Ashley Larsen Gibby (with her colleague at Colorado College, Paulina Inara Rodis)

For more information, contact: first.families.project@gmail.com or Ashley_gibby@byu.edu