Research Data Curation Technician

Position Location: North Carolina, US

Hiring Range: $26.00 per hour

Estimated Duration of Appointment: 6 months or longer

Be a Tar Heel!

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.

Primary Purpose of Organizational Unit:

The Research Data Management Core (RDMC) is a campus unit that was established by the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research (OVCR) in response to scientific data management and sharing policies issued by federal funding agencies and other critical stakeholders in the scientific enterprise at UNC. These policies demand development and implementation of a campus-wide research data management strategy that supports compliance with those policies.

Authorized and financially supported by the OVCR, the RDMC has been charged with providing overall direction and oversight of operations and activities that prioritize research data management and sharing leadership, support, and innovation. The Director of the Research Data Management Core provides reporting of operations, finances, and program outcomes to the OVCR for program evaluation and unit accountability.

Position Summary:

The Research Data Curation Technician is a temporary position in the Research Data Management Core (RDMC) unit that performs data curation functions. Reporting to the Assistant Director for Research Data Stewardship, this position refers to standardized protocols to prepare, manage, and archive research data as part of the deployment of RDMC data management and curation services. These activities support a unified, campus-wide ecosystem of research data management and sharing infrastructure and services to ensure compliance with funding agency policies and to promote the goals of those policies.

The Research Data Curation Technician has experience in applying established standards and best practices to data repository ingest processes to ensure that archived data uphold the FAIR principles for findable, accessible, interoperable, reusable data. They have knowledge of data management requirements across the research lifecycle with hands-on experience handling data in various file formats. They also are familiar with trends in research practices, scientific publication, funding agency and institutional policies, and information technology requirements, and how these trends affect the research data management and sharing requirements and preferences of research communities.

The primary purpose of the Research Data Curation Technician position is to: 1) execute data curation workflows in accordance with archival standards and best practices; 2) perform quality checks on data repository records; 3) develop and maintain documentation for data curation procedures; and 4) provide other support for RDMC data stewardship and repository operations.

Minimum Education and Experience Requirements:

Bachelor’s degree; or equivalent combination of training and experience. All degrees must be received from appropriately accredited institutions.

Management Preferences:

• Experience executing data curation workflows including dataset package review, metadata creation, file format normalization, or file ingest
• Practical knowledge of data repositories including Dataverse, Zenodo, Figshare, or other data repository platforms
• Understanding of data management or sharing policies and requirements issued by funding agencies, academic journals, or other scientific stakeholders
• Ability to effectively communicate with audiences of various backgrounds or professional levels in both written and oral form
• Familiarity with trends in research practices, scientific publication, funding agency, institutional policies, or information technology innovations

Campus Security Authority Responsibilities:

Not Applicable.

Organization

The nation’s first public university is at the heart of what’s next, preparing a diverse student body to become creators, explorers, innovators and leaders in North Carolina and throughout the world. Carolina’s nationally recognized, innovative teaching, campus-wide spirit of inquiry and dedication to public service continue the legacy that began in 1795 when the University first opened its doors to students.

Here, in one of America's most beautiful college settings, we offer exceptional careers in richly diverse fields. Come explore what UNC-Chapel Hill has to offer you.

Undergraduate Enrollment: 19,117

Graduate/Professional Enrollment: 10,894

Total Student Enrollment: 30,011

Founded: 1789, as the first state university in the United States

Type of Institution: Public, four-year

Faculty: 3,000

Percentage of faculty who hold Ph.D.s or the highest degrees in their field: 94 percent

Faculty/student ratio: 1/14

Location: UNC is located in the heart of Chapel Hill, the best college town in America! It's a friendly town of about 40,000 in the geographical center of North Carolina. Chapel Hill is at the western point of the Research Triangle, an area of about one million people, comprised of Chapel Hill, the cities of Durham and Raleigh, and the Research Triangle Park, home of many corporate offices and scientific research centers. Carolina is about 30 miles from the state capital, Raleigh, and 20 minutes from Raleigh-Durham International Airport.

Chapel Hill's main street, Franklin Street, borders the campus and offers shops, coffee houses, cafés, movie theaters and houses of worship. The town has a historic district, museum, library, parks, malls, and many recreational facilities.

Origins of Carolina's students: 82 percent of UNC's freshmen are from North Carolina and 18 percent are from out-of-state. Our students come from 42 different states and our international students represent 37 countries.

Size of freshman class: Approximately 3,400

Class size: Barely five percent of undergraduate classes contain more than 100 students; two-thirds of undergraduate classes have fewer than 30 students. Forty-one percent have fewer than 20 students, including First Year Seminars, in which first-year students work closely with professors.

Sports and athletic programs: UNC is an NCAA Division I school with 28 varsity teams. Carolina is the proud home of the Dean Smith Center, Kenan Stadium, Carmichael Auditorium, Koury Natatorium, and many other fine athletic facilities. Students join more than 60 intramural and club sports, which include baseball, bowling, crew, golf, lacrosse, rock climbing, rugby, tae kwon do, and ultimate frisbee. The Student Recreation Center offers weight training, aerobics, stair machines, and all the equipment you would expect to find at a great health club! Carolina offers a newly renovated outdoor pool and indoor pools, a golf course, tennis courts, and the longest zipline in America!

Number of residence halls: Incoming undergraduates will live in one of Carolina's 29 residence halls, which are wired for Internet access and cable television. housing.unc.edu

Scholarships and financial aid: About 40 percent of UNC-Chapel Hill students receive scholarships and/or some form of financial aid. studentaid.unc.edu

Special research institutes: Institute for Research in Social Science, Institute of Outdoor Drama, Morehead Planetarium, Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise, Institute of Government, Institute of African American Research.

Career services: On-campus counseling, job fairs, résumé writing service, internships, placement services. www.unc.edu/depts/career

Technological facilities: Students find multiple uses for Carolina's state-of-the-art technological resources. They can access Carolina's computer services through Academic Technology and Networks, which manages academic computing, e-mail, microcomputing labs, interactive media presentation, video and classroom support, and a help desk. The MetaLab oversees the development of SunSITE, one of the world's busiest digital library and electronic publishing projects.

Students may open e-mail accounts, and many use campus computer resources to construct personal Web pages. Students in residence halls have hardwired network connections to the Internet and cable television in their rooms. At the ATN Training center, students may take classes on software packages and utilities. Computer labs are available for student use all over campus.

Carolina Computing Initiative: Beginning with the freshman class of 2000, undergraduates must purchase laptop computers. The University has arranged for IBM to offer computers at excellent prices. Students, faculty, and staff will enjoy cost savings, higher quality compatible equipment, and better technical support through CCI. www.unc.edu/cci

The Study Abroad program allows students to live and learn in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific Rim, Africa, and the Americas. www.unc.edu/depts/abroad

The Honors Program offers special seminars, research programs, and the chance to design your own independent studies. www.unc.edu/depts/honors

Carolina students spend time in public service through student organizations, the Campus Y, the Carolina Center for Public Service, and courses that incorporate community service.

UNC's chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, a national collegiate honor society, is the oldest in North Carolina, dating from 1904. There are many other honorary societies at Carolina.

UNC offers ROTC programs in all branches of national military service.

Through the First Year Seminars program, first year students will understand what it means to study at a premier research university. They will learn from faculty members and share in their research in seminars of no more than 20 students.

Life outside the classroom: More than 370 clubs, teams, and student organizations offer something for everyone! You can choose from among musical and dramatic performing groups, publications, ethnic and religious clubs, the Campus Y and other service organizations, fraternities and sororities, and pre-professional organizations. Whatever your interests, you will find others at Carolina who share them! www.unc.edu/depts/union/student/listintr.htm