Senior Professional Research Assistant

Serves as a key contributor on a multi-disciplinary health services or clinical research team, including project coordinators/managers, research specialists, data specialists, analysts, and investigators. Depending on the nature of the scientific research, activities may include interacting with study participants, developing and using data collection instruments, drafting operations manuals, preparing and filing scientific and/or regulatory reports, orienting new staff, and organizing project logistics. Maintains a culture of compliance, ethics and integrity. Maintains knowledge of policies and procedures and performs in accordance with applicable regulatory requirements, external laws and accreditation standards as they relate to clinical or health services research. Performs in accordance with the Principles of Responsibility and appropriately reports observed fraud or abuse.

• Contributes to the development and maintenance of the research project timeline and procedures, and as needed creates forms, scripts, manuals, and tracking systems.


• Collaborates with other research team members on a wide range of technical, operational and clinical functions specific to a research study. Owns portions of study activities, which may include: Participant recruitment; data collection and database development; participant tracking; facilitation of pilot protocols; medical chart abstraction; performing literature searches for grant preparation; maintenance of reference databases for manuscript preparation; and other duties specified.


• Assignments may require recruitment of research participants, coordination of communication and follow-up with study participants and study-site staff, as well as other participating research partners.


• Contributes to the creation of survey tools and coding forms, and documentation of this process for use in manuscript development.


• Exercises judgment and takes proactive steps to resolve issues as they arise. Briefs the study coordinator/manager, PI, supervisor or other appropriate IHR staff as appropriate (e.g. director, compliance administrator) on emerging issues with the project.


• Conducts interviews with participants including screening for eligibility and primary data collection.


• Coordinates with medical office staff and physicians to determine participant eligibility and the medical appropriateness of study for participants.


• Administers informed consent per regulations, drawing upon specialized research training. Answers participant questions concerning their involvement in study. Coordinates, as necessary, communications between prospective study participants and other members of the study team, including the principal investigator.


• Collects data for research studies using appropriate electronic or paper methods. Ensures that data collection instruments are properly completed and performs quality assurance on the data. Per the study, may also interpret results, or may code qualitative data.


• Participates in the development and testing of chart abstraction tools. Applies abstraction tools and methodology to collect research data from medical charts using the Electronic Medical Record. Uses medical terminology and medical procedure knowledge as needed to interpret chart information.


• Develops and maintains databases for tracking participants, including creation of standard queries and ad hoc reports. Records and cleans data, and transfers it to data specialists and project analysts on a timely basis. Ensures that project participant database records and electronic or hard-copy files are maintained per applicable regulations.


• Creates reports including tables for use by members of the study team to assure study activities remain on track and goals are achieved (e.g. recruitment reports, participant visit reports).


• Adheres to federal and local regulations governing research. Adheres to the study protocol and good clinical practices.