Research Data Support Intern for HEAL

Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

A global higher education leader in innovative teaching, research and public service, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill consistently ranks as one of the nation's top public universities. Known for its beautiful campus, world-class medical care, commitment to the arts and top athletic programs, Carolina is an ideal place to teach, work and learn.

One of the best college towns and best places to live in the United States, Chapel Hill has diverse social, cultural, recreation and professional opportunities that span the campus and community.

University employees can choose from a wide range of professional training opportunities for career growth, skill development and lifelong learning and enjoy exclusive perks that include numerous retail and restaurant discounts, savings on local child care centers and special rates for performing arts events.

Are you ready to go beyond the state of the art?

At the Renaissance Computing Institute ( RENCI), we use data, creativity, and inclusive teaming to revitalize how science is done. Fostering data science expertise and creating cyberinfrastructure isn't just about solving known problems - it's about expanding human potential by unlocking data.

We need innovators, builders, strategists, technologists, architects, and creative thinkers across all domains to drive this work forward. When you join our team, you'll:
-Spend your time solving the interesting and unique problems of research and development.
-Shape your future through experimentation and unfettered access to premier education and research.
-Make connections to people and projects that ignite your passion.

We know that diversity of people and ideas is a cornerstone of innovation, and we work to ensure our culture reflects that knowledge. We provide the tools you need to do your job effectively; we offer flexibility so you can be the most productive version of you; and we encourage thoughtful and challenging discourse.

Join our research institute at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill today and help us spark a scientific renaissance across the Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, and beyond.

The HEAL Data Reuse Intern will support ongoing efforts to identify, evaluate, and enable secondary use of data generated by HEAL-funded studies. The primary focus of this role is to review publicly available HEAL data packages and associated metadata to assess data availability, completeness, documentation quality, and alignment with HEAL Common Data Elements (CDEs). The intern will help identify datasets that are well-positioned for reuse and contribute to targeted, exploratory secondary analyses that support new research questions beyond a study's original aims. Working closely with data stewards, the intern will support early-stage reuse assessments that help accelerate scientific discovery and inform future data reuse efforts. This position is ideal for someone interested in data stewardship, open science, metadata, and research data reuse.

Key Responsibilities:
- Review publicly available HEAL study datasets and accompanying metadata for completeness, clarity, and reuse readiness
- Assist with evaluating data reuse feasibility at both single-study and cross-study levels
- Help clean, organize, and maintain tracking logs, reports, and internal documentation
- Identify patterns, common data elements, or overlaps across datasets that may support reuse
- Contribute to brainstorming and documenting potential secondary research questions
- Support qualitative assessments of data quality, structure, and documentation
- Collaborate with data stewards to summarize findings and flag follow-up needs
- Learn and apply FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable) and open science principles in real-world data workflows

Demonstrated possession of the competencies necessary to perform the work.

- Experience developing research questions and conducting secondary analyses using existing research datasets
- Experience reviewing datasets and associated documentation to assess reuse potential
- Familiarity with evaluating data availability, completeness, and documentation quality
- Basic experience with programming or scripting (e.g., Python, R, or SQL)

If you experience any problems accessing the system or have questions about the application process, please contact the Office of Human Resources at (919) 843-2300 or send an email to employment@unc.edu

Please note: The Office of Human Resources will not be able to provide specific updates regarding position or application status.

The University is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes all to apply without regard to age, color, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation. We encourage all qualified applicants to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.