Research Study Coordinator

Research Study Coordinator

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 program called The Research Adoption Support Center: SUD Implementation Core (RASC). RASC is a support center that helps projects funded through the National Institute on Drug Abuse's Data2Action network to infuse implementation science methods, models, and measures into their work. The RSC will specifically support the Substance-Use Disorder (SUD) Implementation Core, aimed at bringing the best of Dissemination & Implementation science to the Innovation Projects to guide the selection, implementation, and sustainment of evidence-based, locally appropriate SUD interventions to reduce overdose risk in communities with the greatest burden.

Activities include reviewing the current evidence-base for effective SUD treatments among communities most at risk for overdose; generate pragmatic implementation science tools; adapt implementation science tools for different users in the community (researchers, frontline staff, etc.); liaise with Innovation Project leads; and communicate with multisite team members via phone/Zoom/email. The RSC is also expected to help with the organization and maintenance of project documents and files and contributing to the continual submission of annual grant progress reports. This RSC may have the opportunity to assist on other NIH-funded research programs, including (1) an initiative partnered with the Chicago Department of Public Health focused on promoting the uptake of contingency management (CM) within community-based organizations across Chicagoland 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 must have the flexibility to cover research assessments including occasional sessions during early morning, evening, and weekend hours. 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.
• 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: Perform other duties as assigned

Minimum Qualifications: (Education, experience, and any other certifications or clearances) 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: (Education and experience) 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 $19.86 - 25.64 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 and competitive benefits. The available benefits package for this position will include health, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance; paid vacation and holidays; paid medical/sick and parental leave; tuition benefits for the employee and dependents; pre-tax and flex spending accounts for commuting and dependent care; generous retirement savings options; and wellness programs.