Research Study Coordinator

Department: MED-Ctr-Dissemination & Implementation Science
Salary/Grade: NEX/11

Job Summary:

The Center for Dissemination and Implementation Science (CDIS) led by Dr. Sara Becker is within the Institute for Public Health and Medicine (IPHAM) at the Feinberg School of Medicine. The central vision of CDIS is to bridge the gap between public health/medical knowledge (what we know) and public health/medical practice (what we do). D&I science is essential to realize the full impact of public health and medical research. Traditional, passive dissemination strategies such as publishing clinical recommendations, trials, or guidelines are insufficient for realizing practice change. Innovative, proactive strategies for increasing the implementation and sustainability of evidence-based interventions in community and clinical settings are essential for improving population health and driving health care innovation.

This Research Study Coordinator (RSC) will support the Principal Investigator on an NIH-funded implementation initiative focused on promoting the uptake of contingency management (CM) within community-based organizations across Chicagoland. The research program involves implementation of CM, an intervention in which patients earn incentives for meeting treatment goals, and it is carried out in partnership with the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH). Activities include communicating with CDPH and partnering community-based organizations via phone/Zoom/email; facilitating in-person CM trainings for organization staff; outreach to research participants for completion of study assessments at multiple timepoints following study protocols; and listening to role plays of treatment delivery to provide feedback on fidelity. The RSC is also expected to help with the organization and maintenance of project documents and files, contributing to the continual submission of IRB documents, annual grant progress reports, and data safety monitoring board reports.

This RSC may have the opportunity to assist on other NIH-funded research programs, including (1) a support center that helps projects funded through the National Institute on Drug Abuse to infuse implementation science methods, models, and measures into their work (RASC) and (2) a large pragmatic effectiveness randomized controlled trial evaluating whether a technology-assisted intervention can improve the outcomes of adolescents in residential treatment (Parent SMART).

The RSC will complete all activities by strictly following Good Clinical Practices (GCP) & all relevant current local, state, & federal laws, regulations, guidance, policy & procedure developed by the NU Institutional Review Board (IRB), Food & Drug Administration (FDA) Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), & the International Conference on Harmonization (ICH).

Specific Responsibilities:

Technical

• Participates in the planning & conduct of research study including participant recruitment and retention.
• Obtains informed consent.
• Administers tests &/or questionnaires following protocols.
• Collects, compiles, tabulates &/or processes responses.
• Gathers information.
• Extracts & analyzes data from medical charts.

Administration

• Collects, records, reviews & summarizes research data.
• Collates relevant mathematical results & prepares tables, charts & graphs reflecting relationships of multiple tests.
• Prepares reports for investigators and sponsors on recruitment status and other pertinent study data.
• Writes portions of grant applications & co-author scientific papers.

Finance

• Processes payments for research participants per study protocol.
• Coordinates reimbursements for expert panel travel, consultant pay, additional gift card orders, etc. & ensure costs remain within allotted grant budget.

Supervision

• May provide work direction &/or train other research staff to interview/test participants.
• May act as a mentor in regard to education of junior staff.

Miscellaneous

• Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree in a major such as social or health science or related; OR appropriate combination of education and experience and 2 years' research study or other relevant experience required; OR
• Successful completion of a full course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a master's or higher degree in a major such as social or health science or related; OR appropriate combination of education and experience.
• Must complete NU's IRB CITI training before interacting with any participants & must re-certify every 3 years.

Minimum Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities.)

• Ability to set goals and work independently to manage both short- and long-term responsibilities.
• Flexibility to adapt to changing work conditions.
• Excellent organizational skills with keen attention to detail.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with ability to communicate effectively in both verbal and written form.
• Ability to receive and incorporate feedback into work products.
• Ability to compile and enter data accurately.
• Flexibility in scheduling of research assessments including sessions during early morning, evening, and weekend hours.
• Knowledge of computer applications, including word processing and data entry.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience working in a clinical setting or with a clinical population (i.e., volunteer experience in psychiatric hospital, experience in clinical research lab, etc.).
• Experience working with community-based organizations or diverse research partners
• Previous experience conducting structured clinical interviews and patient assessments.
• Experience and familiarity with grant funding and IRB procedures.

Preferred Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities)

• Knowledge of experimental research methodology and clinical research procedures.
• Ability to use and navigate computer applications such as videoconference software (e.g., Zoom, Microsoft Teams), reference management software (e.g., Endnote, Zotero, Mendeley), data management software (e.g., Redcap, Qualtrics), and project management software (e.g., Filemaker).
• Proficiency in Spanish preferred.

Target hiring range for this position will be between $19.89 to $24.86 per hour. Offered salary will be determined by the applicant's education, experience, knowledge, skills and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data.

Benefits:
At Northwestern, we are proud to provide meaningful, competitive, high-quality health care plans, retirement benefits, tuition discounts and more! Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/index.html to learn more.

Work-Life and Wellness:
Northwestern offers comprehensive programs and services to help you and your family navigate life's challenges and opportunities, and adopt and maintain healthy lifestyles.
We support flexible work arrangements where possible and programs to help you locate and pay for quality, affordable childcare and senior/adult care. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/work-life/index.html to learn more.

Professional Growth & Development:
Northwestern supports employee career development in all circumstances whether your workspace is on campus or at home. If you're interested in developing your professional potential or continuing your formal education, we offer a variety of tools and resources. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/learning/index.html to learn more.

Northwestern strongly recommends COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters for people who can obtain them as a critical tool for minimizing severe illness. More information can be found on the COVID-19 and Campus Updates webpage.

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