Assistant Professor (WOT), Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences School Mental Health Assessment, Research, and Training (SMART) Center
Position Overview
Organization: Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Title: Assistant Professor (WOT), Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences School Mental Health Assessment, Research, and Training (SMART) Center
Position Details
Position Description
The Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington invites applications for a full-time 100% (1.0 FTE) faculty position at the rank of Assistant Professor without tenure due to funding (WOT) on the Faculty Scientist pathway, with an anticipated start date of August 1, 2026. We seek applicants who demonstrate commitment to excellence in research, teaching, and service in a diverse and inclusive academic community. The successful candidate will join our faculty on a full-time basis for a twelve-month appointment, 3-year term, renewable, beginning August 1, 2026.
The base salary range for this position will be $9,167 - $10,417 per month, commensurate with experience and qualifications, or as mandated by a U.S. Department of Labor prevailing wage determination.
The successful candidate will be expected to:
- Lead a research, evaluation, and training and technical assistance program focused on School Mental Health and Implementation Science through the School Mental Health Assessment, Research & Training (SMART) Center.
- Develop and implement study protocols that can guide SMART Center training and technical assistance as well as produce generalizable knowledge.
- Lead data collection and analysis activities for research and evaluation projects.
- Lead grant and contract proposals for research and evaluation funding as PI, Co-PI, and Co-I.
- Prepare publications, presentations, and public-facing reports to disseminate results.
- Develop materials relevant to and in support of training and technical assistance delivered by UW SMART and its collaborators.
- Build and sustain partnerships with community organizations, schools and districts, and local, city, and state agencies.
- Support SMART Center staff through professional development, mentorship, and effective and equitable supervision.
- Collaborate with other SMART Center faculty and faculty and staff from other departments on projects related to school mental health and community-based research approaches.
- Provide leadership regarding areas of expertise, including community-based research, equitable implementation in schools, culturally- and contextually-relevant evaluation processes, community-based, mixed methods research design and analysis.
- Participate in Department, Center, and University service activities that align with expertise.
- Other duties as assigned by Chair.
School Mental Health Assessment, Research, and Training (SMART) Center
The overarching mission of the School Mental Health Assessment, Research, and Training (SMART) Center is to promote high-quality, culturally-responsive programs, practices, and policies to meet the full range of social, emotional, and behavioral (SEB) needs of students in both general and special education contexts. The SMART Center aims to accomplish this mission by using innovative and practical research methods to:
- Develop contextually appropriate, low-burden programs that prevent or ameliorate SEB problems;
- Develop strategies for communities, districts, and schools to increase the use of effective SEB programs, practices, and policies;
- Support indigenous providers such as teachers and school-based mental health providers in their roles; and
- Enhance the interconnections across school, home, and community contexts.
The Center represents a transdisciplinary collaboration between faculty in the College of Education (CoE), the School of Social Work (SSW), and the School of Medicine (SoM; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences) at the University of Washington. Through this collaboration, SMART facilitates more equitable, effective, and integrated approaches to research and technical assistance surrounding the design and implementation of evidence-based SEB interventions.
Research and evaluation are fundamental to the SMART Center’s mission of advancing the science on school mental health and developing innovative methods to improve the adoption and sustainment of evidence-based practices (EBP) in the education sector. SMART Center faculty maintain a collaborative, externally-funded program of research with local and national colleagues that has direct relevance to the Assessment and Training arms. To support the Center’s research goals, we maintain a “local laboratory” in Seattle, King County, and the Puget Sound Region (supporting schools, providers, and learning through the process) to evaluate innovative methods of service delivery and quality improvement.
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
The Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences is an integral component of the UW School of Medicine and shares UW Medicine’s mission to ‘Improve the Health of the Public.’ We accomplish this by providing the best care we can today, conducting research to develop better treatments for tomorrow, and inspiring and training the next generation of health care professionals for the Pacific Northwest. Our core values include openness, transparency, integrity, engagement, collaboration, and mutual respect. Our department is the third largest within the School of Medicine.
As the only academic psychiatry department serving Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho, we are committed to improving access to psychiatric care and consultation throughout the greater Pacific Northwest. Our educational programs include a required medical student clerkship for 260 medical students per year at some 30 sites across the WWAMI region, a nationally competitive psychiatry residency program with more than 90 psychiatry residents in Seattle and in two regional residency tracks in Idaho and Montana, subspecialty fellowships in addiction, child and adolescent, consultation-liaison, perinatal mental health and geriatric psychiatry, a nationally renowned scientist-practitioner psychology internship program, and numerous post-doctoral clinical and research fellowships.
Learn more: https://psychiatry.uw.edu/
All University of Washington faculty are expected to engage in teaching, research, and service.
Qualifications
Applicants for this position must meet the following minimum qualifications:
- A PhD, PsyD, EdD or foreign equivalent in Psychology (or a related field). At least two years of postdoctoral or equivalent advanced research training in areas related to school mental health, implementation science, training and technical assistance, or community-based data and evaluation.
- Evidence of an emerging, externally-funded independent research, evaluation, and training and technical assistance program in school mental health, prevention research, or implementation science.
Instructions
To ensure full consideration of your application, please submit all materials no later than May 1, 2026. Priority will be given to those applications received by May 1, 2026. Applications will only be accepted via Interfolio: apply.interfolio.com/183005. The position will remain open until filled.
Applications should include the following materials:
- a cover letter of no more than 3 (three) pages detailing your interest in the position, relevant qualifications, and experiences
- a curriculum vitae
Applicants should articulate how their past experiences and/or future plans in research, teaching, mentoring, patient care, and/or service promote a sense of belonging and foster a welcoming and inclusive environment.
Please also include 3 (three) of letters of recommendation to be submitted at time of application.
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
Equal Opportunity
The University of Washington is committed to fostering an inclusive, respectful and welcoming community for all. As an equal opportunity employer, the University considers applicants for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, citizenship, sex, pregnancy, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, disability, or veteran status consistent with UW Executive Order No. 81.
Benefits Information
The University is committed to providing excellent benefits to our faculty. For a summary of available benefits, please see UWHR benefits information.
Privacy Notice
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Disability Services
The University of Washington is committed to providing access and reasonable accommodation in its services, programs, activities, education, and employment for individuals with disabilities. To request disability accommodation in the application process, contact the Disability Services Office at 206-543-6450 or dso@uw.edu.