Research Assistant – HUB Cycling Evaluation Project

312 Main Research Shop is a program within SFU CERi that facilitates collaboration between SFU graduate students and non-profit/community groups. It is focused on supporting research projects that provide plain-language answers to community-driven research questions at low or no cost to the community partner.

HUB Cycling is partnering with the 312 Main Research Shop to design and implement a comprehensive, academically grounded evaluation of the Everyone Rides Grade 4/5 (ERG45) program. ERG45 is a bike education program aimed at fostering safe, confident cycling habits among students and encouraging long-term shift toward active transportation.

This project will apply a rigorous academic evaluation framework to assess the effectiveness, efficiency, and outcomes of ERG45, including both immediate and sustained impacts on participants’ travel behaviours and attitudes. The evaluation will be conducted during the spring season, followed by in-depth analysis and reporting to be completed by the end of 2026.

The resulting research will support evidence-based reporting, strengthen ERG45’s research foundation, and contribute to a broader understanding of behaviour change, active travel, and sustainable transportation among students and caregivers.

The Research Assistant will support project activities across all phases, working in collaboration with HUB Cycling to design and implement a comprehensive program evaluation of the ERG45 program. This role is ideal for a Masters or PhD student with strong interests in program evaluation, community-engaged research, education, transportation, public health, and sustainability.

The position involves both qualitative and quantitative research methods and will build on existing evaluation tools, including teacher and family surveys that have been collected over multiple years.

The Research Assistant will:

Evaluation 

• Contribute to the design and implementation of a comprehensive evaluation framework for the ERG45 program

• Conduct analysis of pre- and post-program survey data collected from teachers, students, and caregivers

• Examine short- and medium-term program impacts, including changes in travel behaviour and attitudes

Assessment 

• Assess changes in travel behaviour and cycling mode share among participating students and families.

• Analyze program-related greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction outcomes linked to shifts in active transportation.

• Examine participant perceptions of safety and comfort related to cycling and active travel.

• Evaluate changes in awareness and knowledge of road safety and active travel practices.

• Analyze health, wellness, and physical literacy outcomes associated with program participation.

• Synthesize student and caregiver perspectives to identify program strengths, barriers, and opportunities for improvement.

Analysis

• Support qualitative analysis of open-ended survey responses and stakeholder feedback

Community-Engaged Research

• Contribute to the preparation of a final evaluation report with evidence-based findings and recommendations

• Assist in developing an academically validated case for continued public investment in bike education

• Participate in regular meetings with CERi staff and HUB Cycling representatives

• Master’s or PhD degree (or currently pursuing) in Health Sciences, Public Policy, Environmental Studies, Social Sciences, Urban Studies, or a related field.

• Strong research skills with experience in literature review, data collection, and mixed methods analysis.

• Knowledge of climate adaptation, community resilience, and social equity issues.

• Experience with community-engaged research (CER) and working with diverse communities. 

• Strong communication skills, including the ability to create clear, concise summaries and visual content.

• Organizational and project management skills, with an ability to work independently and as part of a team.

• Experience with knowledge mobilization or public engagement is an asset.

Please send a current CV, writing sample, and application form to Dr. Tara Mahoney, Research and Engagement Manager at SFU CERi: tmahoney@sfu.ca

Candidates from equity seeking groups, including Black, Indigenous and racialized people, people facing accessibility barriers, and 2SLGBTQIA+ people and people from low-income backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply. 

• Application Deadline: The closing date for applications is February 27, 2026
• Application form link: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=fmfoBInJuUeGGdg9Wl9sZ9AEz6EpEKdFvUwgwTUBcMNUOTVIRUE0TzVPMjc5OFIwNzBMSTJQRElERi4u