Research Fellow - Rural Community Design

Healthy Places by Design (HPbD) (healthyplacesbydesign.org) advances community-led action and proven, place-based strategies to ensure health and wellbeing for all. We partner with philanthropies, nonprofits, government, and other organizations to engage local leaders and residents in designing transformative strategies that drive policy, systems, and environmental changes, building healthier and more equitable communities across the United States. Operating remotely, HPbD provides tailored services including technical assistance, strategic consulting, collaborative learning, training, and tools to support community coalitions and leaders in driving systems-level community-health change. We also build the capacity of organizations who support community leaders. Drawing on our experience with hundreds of partnerships in 42 states since 2002, we help strengthen community assets and foster a lasting culture of equity and social connectedness.

Healthy Places by Design is a fiscally sponsored organization of TSNE (tsne.org), which has a mission of creating a more just and democratic society.

We are seeking a motivated and detail-oriented Research Fellow to support a project focused on rural community design and the built environment. This project involves conducting literature reviews, gathering information from various sources, assisting in the development of reports, and supporting the writing of recommendations and other project content. The ideal candidate will bring knowledge or interest in active transportation, rural community health, policy/systems change, and environmental design.

This fellowship offers an opportunity to gain experience in applied public health research, rural design strategies, and the development of resources tailored to community health needs. The Research Fellow will work closely with HPbD staff, contributing directly to high-impact projects with national reach.

Essential Functions

Research & Content Organization

• Conduct comprehensive literature reviews on topics related to rural community design, active transportation, policy/systems change, and the built environment in rural communities.
• Download, evaluate, and validate all sources for accuracy and credibility to ensure alignment with project standards.
• Gather, organize, and synthesize information from peer-reviewed studies, reports, and relevant grey literature to support project objectives.
• Maintain collected information in an accessible structure on HPbD’s SharePoint platform​.

Content Development & Analysis

• Assist in developing reports and summaries based on research findings, with an emphasis on rural health and environmental strategies.
• Review and contribute to writing summaries, recommendations, and other project content.
• Collaborate on the thematic analysis of qualitative data to inform HPbD’s content and project deliverables.

Project Support

• Work with HPbD team members to ensure that research and findings align with the goals of the project.
• Provide support in preparing presentation materials, data summaries, and documentation for internal and external stakeholders.

We will consider exceptional candidates who demonstrate a strong combination of the specific qualifications and skills described below.

• A bachelor’s degree in a relevant field (e.g., public health, community development, environmental studies, or related disciplines) preferred and at least two years of professional experience.
• Experience conducting literature reviews and summarizing research findings.
• Experience with AI tools for research and data synthesis, or willingness to learn and adapt AI applications to support tasks like literature review and information analysis
• Familiarity with or interest in rural community design, active transportation, and the built environment.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to produce clear, concise reports and presentations.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to work independently in a virtual environment.
• Self-starter with excellent organizational and time-management skills, capable of balancing multiple priorities​.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and familiarity with digital collaboration tools like SharePoint.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including relationship building, problem solving, and resolving conflicts.
• Ability to think creatively and work independently in a virtual work environment.
• Passion for and personal commitment to our mission and values of equity, community, collaboration, and integrity.

Physical Demands/Work Environment

The physical demands described here are representative of those for this position. Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions. Work is performed in an office environment and in close proximity to other workers.

While performing the duties of this position, the employee is required to:

• Ability to sit and/or for extended periods of time in front of a computer screen is an essential aspect of the position;
• There may be a need to lift and/or move materials or equipment;
• Talk, hear and see in the normal range with or without correction.
• Job is not subject to significant occupational or environmental hazards;
• Likelihood of personal injury would be relatively slight;
• Ability to travel within the United States, as needed.

Compensation and Benefits

Location: Staff work remotely from personal home office or adequate working space within the US.

Schedule: Part-time, up to 15 hours a week within HPbD’s core business hours of 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday. Outside of this timeframe, the fellow might be able to establish a work schedule in agreement with their supervisor.

Compensation: The pay range for this position is $21 - $25/hr.

Benefits: This position is not eligible for benefits.

TSNE/HPbD strives to achieve excellence through a diverse, equitable, and inclusive work environment that embraces all of our individual and collective differences. Black, Indigenous, People of Color, Middle Eastern and North African, Bilingual and/or Bicultural candidates, and LGBTQ2SIA+ candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. We value and honor the unique talents, learning styles, and lived experiences of each individual that enrich and strengthen our workplace culture, and we are proud to be an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer.

All employment conditions are based on an individual’s performance and job qualifications. TSNE/HPbD prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, creed, color, religion, native language, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, national origin, physical or mental disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, parental status, pregnancy, race-based hairstyles, or any other protected characteristic stated by federal and state law. Regardless of any class’ protection under the law or lack thereof, TSNE/HPbD celebrates diversity and values the strengths that come with having a diverse team of employees. It is represented in our workplace culture, and it is who we are.

TSNE/HPbD's EEO statement extends to volunteers, interns, contractors, vendors, and clients.