Training Opportunities

As of June 2014 we do not have any current openings for lab positions. If you are interested in developing your research skills please visit the TRACC website for more information about the program. 

Graduate Students

Volunteer Clinical Research Externship

This volunteer clinical research externship is intended for graduate students currently enrolled in a Ph.D. or Psy.D. program in Clinical Psychology and who are interested in gaining additional research and clinical experience. Prior experience and coursework in trauma and addictions are preferred but not required. Prior clinical experience is required.

This position requires a 1-year commitment (10 hours per week, 2 days on-site).  This externship provides extensive experience in the diagnostic assessment of individuals with PTSD and Substance Use Disorders (SUDs), through administration of structured clinical interviews (including the SCID-I, SCID-II, and the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale) as well as exposure to all aspects of the implementation of clinical trials on the treatment of PTSD and SUDs. Externs will receive training on all assessment measures, will participate in a weekly clinical assessment supervision meeting, and have the opportunity to attend ongoing clinical trainings. 

Advanced graduate students may utilize data collected from our studies for their dissertation projects. Dissertation projects are overseen by senior members of the research team. There may also be opportunities for students to gain additional experience by co-authoring abstracts for local conference presentations. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis throughout the year.  

Undergraduates

There are opportunities for undergraduate students who are interested in gaining exposure to clinical psychology research. Students may volunteer as Research Assistants for a semester during the school year or the summer. Students are required to be at the Trauma and Addiction Project for three hours a week and attend research meetings that take place at the beginning, middle and end of the semester. As Research Assistants students will be involved in the day-to-day operations assisting in activities related to and supporting current studies for individuals with comorbid Substance Use and Posttraumatic Stress Disorders. Some specific tasks will include organizing and managing participant data, preparing materials for psychotherapy sessions and clinical assessments, and scoring participant self- reports so that staff can closely monitor symptom changes over the course of treatment. As part of their learning experience students will read the study protocols and articles relevant to the Project's clinical treatment trials as well as become familiar with the assessment batteries and treatment manuals utilized in the clinical studies. Students will also have the opportunity to listen to audiotapes of diagnostic and motivational interviews to gain clinical exposure.

We do not have any current openings for Research Assistant positions. 

High School Students

There may be opportunities for High School students interested in learning more about clinical psychology research and looking for guidance on school research projects related to the study of trauma and addiction. 

Summer Research with NIDA for Underrepresented Students

Summer Research with the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) encourages high school and undergraduate students from groups underrepresented in the sciences to pursue careers in biomedical and behavioral research. Students work within the research team for eight weeks in June and July and receive a stipend. For more information, please go to www.drugabuse.gov/pdf/sposummer.pdf.