Research Study Coordinator

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

Job Summary

This Research Coordinator will support the Principal Investigator to implement a portfolio of NIH-funded clinical trials. The primary study is a clinical trial of a group-based, culturally adapted, mindfulness-based intervention (M-Body) for African American adults with depression and hypertension through faith-based organizations on Chicago's South Side. Activities involve participant recruitment, consent, tracking and retention; administering clinical assessments of blood pressure following protocols; coding audio recordings of intervention sessions; collecting, compiling, tabulating, and/or processing participant survey responses; and communicating and organizing with staff and study participants. The RA is also expected to help with organization and maintenance of project documents and files, organization of Community Advisory Board (CAB) meetings, and contributing to the continual submission of IRB documents and annual grant progress reports.

Coordinates collection, analysis, processing & reporting of data & assists Principal Investigator (PI) in judging the validity of test data obtained in regard to biomedical &/or social-behavioral research study(ies) of limited complexity involving co-investigators, multiple campuses &/or universities. 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).

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.

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 & processes responses.
• Gathers information.
• Extracts & analyzes data from medical charts.
• Completes basic clinical procedures such as drawing blood & obtaining blood pressure.

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.
• Completes documents associated with current local, state, & federal regulatory guidelines, requirements, laws & research protocols.

Finance

• Processes payments for research participants per study protocol.
• Works with industry representatives to negotiate tentative grant funding.
• 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 coordinators.

Miscellaneous

• Performs 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.)

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, in both verbal and written form.
• 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.
• Ability to receive and incorporate feedback into work products.
• Ability to compile and enter data accurately.
• Flexibility in conducting research assessments including sessions during evening and (possibly) weekend hours.
• Knowledge of computer applications, including word processing and data entry.

Preferred Qualifications: (Education and experience)

• Experience collecting and/or coding qualitative data
• Experience working in human subjects research or with a clinical population
• Previous experience conducting clinical or research assessments
• Familiarity with IRB procedures and compiling reports

Preferred Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities)

• Qualitative data collection and/or coding skills
• Quantitative data collection form development via REDCap, Qualtrics, or Google forms
• Quantitative data cleaning, management and analysis skills in Excel, SPSS, or similar software
• Knowledge of health equity principles
• Interested in contributing to and leading academic products (posters, presentations, papers)

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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Northwestern University is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action Employer of all protected classes, including veterans and individuals with disabilities. Women, racial and ethnic minorities, individuals with disabilities, and veterans are encouraged to apply. Click for information on EEO is the Law.