Research Study Assistant

Department: MED-Medical Social Sciences
Salary/Grade: NEX/9

Target hiring range for this position will be between $17.05-$21.31 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.

Job Summary:

Performs biomedical &/or social-behavioral research by administering tests &/or questionnaires following protocols; collecting, compiling, tabulating &/or processing responses; gathering information; &/or assisting in the preparation of material for inclusion in reports. Completes 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). Dr. Cindy Veldhuis at the Institute for Sexual Minority Health and Wellbeing is seeking a research assistant to support the research manager, the PI, and the SOQIR Lab on two NIH-funded studies focused on women's same-gender couple relationships. The incumbent will assist in overseeing and implementing the protocols of the SOQIR and SOQIR families' studies. The incumbent will collaborate with the research project manager in recruitment, interview coordination and conduction, and data analysis. This position is contingent upon receipt of funding. May co-author scientific papers for presentation & publication. Specific duties below.

Please note:

Supervisor provides objectives, detailed deadlines and general instructions. Work is reviewed for technical accuracy and compliance with instructions, practice, policy and procedures. EE meets frequently with supervisor to obtain instructions regarding general phases of work and in some cases as to specific details.

Specific Responsibilities:

Technical

• Recruits study participants.
• Reviews & obtains informed consent.
• Schedules study visits with participants.
• Conducts interviews.
• Collects survey data.
• Facilitates communication with key personnel & participants to maintain project study flow.
• Support in original content creation to maintain study's presence on social media platforms including Instagram, X, TikTok, and Facebook and to educate the public about LGBTQ+ women's health and wellbeing.

Administration

• Supports research manager in maintaining detailed records of results which may include collecting, extracting & entering data; &/or preparing basic charts & graphs.
• Performs scientific literature searches to support the research lab as a whole and maintain reference library.
• Completes portions of grant applications &/or documents associated with current local, state, & federal regulatory guidelines, requirements, laws & research protocols.

Finance

• Support research manager in tracking and reporting lab expenses
• Support research manager in participant payment distribution
• May process reimbursements for travel expenses.

Supervision

• May train other research staff to interview/test participants.

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.

• Experience working as a research assistant or other research related 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.)

• Knowledge of qualitative methods highly desirable; must be sensitive to the nature of the work and confidentiality of the study participants.

• Experience doing qualitative research interviews.

• Experience with qualitative coding.

• Ability to read, understand and extract key information (e.g., design, methods, major findings) from research articles.

• Exceptional listening skills.

• Must be comfortable discussing relationships, sex, mental health (including suicide), substance use, gender, sexuality, family planning, and trauma using a non-judgmental, strengths-based approach.

• Strong ability to prioritize tasks.

• Demonstrated attention to detail and ability to adhere to instructions/procedures.

• Good communication skills, demonstrated effective spoken and written communication, including willingness to ask questions when clarification or amplification is required.

• Good time management skills; efficient and resourceful in problem-solving; able to prioritize tasks.

• Ability to interact sensitively, effectively, and professionally with individuals from diverse cultural, socioeconomic, and educational backgrounds.

• Demonstrated ability to take ownership of the work, possessing initiative, good follow-through and ability to work without supervision.

• Ability to receive and benefit from feedback; willingness to expand skill set and improve.

• Flexibility in adapting to new procedures and environments.

• Ability to work in a team environment.

• Knowledge of basic computer skills.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Demonstrated experience working with lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals.

• Demonstrated experience working with Black, Indigenous, and other people of color (BIPOC).

• Demonstrated experience working in women's health or wellbeing

• Experience with community-based participatory research or other community-centric research models.

• Interest in women's health, transgender/nonbinary people's health, and research on LGBTQIA+ couples and research

Preferred Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities)

• Ability to work in a team environment.

• Ability to work with minimum supervision and guidance.

• Willingness to expand skill set and improve.

• Ability to write scientifically for dissemination activities.

• Familiarity with data collection and management software, such as Qualtrics.

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 University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected characteristics, including disability and veteran status. View Northwestern's non-discrimination statement. Job applicants who wish to request an accommodation in the application or hiring process should contact the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance. View additional information on the accommodations process.

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