UCLA PI Name: Ariana Anderson, PhD
Division/Department: Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences
Lab website: https://nearesearch.ucla.edu
Expected Weekly Time Commitment: 6-20 hours per week

Job Description:

The National Endowment for the Arts Research Lab at UCLA is currently seeking a volunteer research assistant to start as soon as possible and develop our Open AIMS interface.

Commitment end: 06/30/2026
Compensation: University credit through the UCLA Student Research Program
Required Skills: JavaScript and/or Python

We at the NEA Research Lab at UCLA have already created a database that houses an extensive collection of scales that claim to measure facets of emotional well-being. This work has allowed us to develop the Arts Impact Measurement System (AIMS), a customizable survey that intends to measure the effects of arts interventions on well-being. We have collaborated with community leaders to pilot-test the AIMS in numerous studies, programs, and events.

We are now in the process of combining the AIMS Database with Qualtrics–our go-to survey platform–to create the Open AIMS, an online interface where users (such as researchers and members of the international arts community) can select from the abundance of survey items to build and deploy their own arts-impact assessments. The Open AIMS project lays the groundwork for greater translational research focused on understanding the fundamental cognitive and biological mechanisms by which the arts affect well-being.

We are seeking a volunteer research assistant who will work on designing and developing the Open AIMS web app using Qualtrics, JavaScript, and/or Python. Your duties may also involve assisting with the organization and refinement of the AIMS Database by conducting literature reviews and data entry tasks. Lastly, you will attend weekly lab meetings with the principal investigator of the lab, Dr. Ariana Anderson, the lab coordinator, Sophie Lawrence, co-investigators, and project partners.

Application Instructions:

This position is open until filled, with applications considered on a first-come, first-served basis. If you are interested, please fill out and submit the application form here: https://forms.gle/4tY7kNvzCrDgcJK1A

Please reach out to SophieLawrence@mednet.ucla.edu with any questions.