Clinical Research Assistant HU4111

Advertising Summary: Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Medicine is a premier academic medical center located in the heart of Richmond. Accounting for almost half of VCU’s sponsored research, the School of Medicine is internationally recognized for patient care and education. Virginia Commonwealth University is an equal opportunity employer.

Unit: School Of Medicine 

Department: Psychiatry

Duties & Responsibilities:

The VCU Department of Psychiatry is seeking to hire an hourly Clinical Research Assistant for its Child and Adolescent Division. 

Position Responsibilities:

The Child and Adolescent Division of the Department of Psychiatry conducts research studies to help inform and treat child and adolescent mental health conditions. Clinical Research Assistants perform a variety of routine, non-technical duties in assisting technical and professional personnel in a research setting.

The Clinical Research Assistant will be expected to contribute to several projects in development and carry out study procedures, once approved. Additionally, the Clinical Research Assistant will collaborate with all members of the research teams, to ensure all federal, state, university, and protocol requirements are followed, institutional research objectives are met, and ethical obligations are kept.

The current position will contribute to research focusing on school and community services for youth with ADHD and their families.

Specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Participant recruitment, including placement of IRB- approved materials and media advertisements about research studies being conducted. Emailing participants and providers inviting them to participate in research studies.   
• Collection and computer entry of responses and information furnished by potential research volunteers contacting the lab by phone, web or other means in order to identify possible participants. 
• Scheduling of participants within protocol specific time frames.  
• Collection of informed consent and/or assent and permission from research volunteers, including describing the study to research participant candidates in simple language, and overseeing the signing of consent and assent forms.
• Psychometric data collection, including administration, collection and scoring of paper-and-pencil or computer-driven questionnaires, as well as administration and recording of computer-driven performance tasks.
• Contributing to an ongoing systematic review that will include coding of manuscripts and extraction of relevant information
• Conducting interviews and collecting qualitative data from potential study participants
• Accurate and secure transmission and storage of study data, including to centralized databases or to physically-secured case report forms.
• Creation of data management systems or electronic surveys.
• Accurate calculation of participant compensation. 
• Coordinate with community partners, including school staff, caregivers, and academic partners who are contributing to ongoing research and topics
• Follow up with participant questions
• Other duties assigned by supervisor or Principal Investigator.

Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications

• Proficient in computer skills including word processing, data entry, spreadsheet, and database management.
• Strong interpersonal skills such as establishing rapport, maintaining participant motivation, empathic responding, ability to work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team, and ability to use clinical judgment in (rare) emergency situations.
• Strong organizational skills, including understanding of HIPAA regulations.
• Demonstrated ability to work in and foster an environment of respect, professionalism and civility with a population of faculty, staff, and students from all backgrounds and experiences, or a commitment to do so as a staff member at VCU.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelors of Science degree or equivalent in Psychology, Social Work or related field.
• Interest and experience working with families and educators of children and adolescents with mental health concerns
• Experience conducting research in pediatric or adolescent populations
• Experience recruiting, consenting, and carrying out study procedures with adult and youth participants
• Qualitative research experience, including data collection, coding, analysis
• Experience administering surveys in REDCap
• Experience in conducting mental health surveys with adults and youth
• Experience in mentoring and training student research trainees, incorporating them into research teams

Salary Range: $20-25

Benefits: All full-time university staff are eligible for VCU’s robust benefits package that includes comprehensive health benefits, paid annual and holiday leave granted up front, generous tuition benefits, retirement planning and savings options, tax-deferred annuity and cash match programs, employee discounts, well-being resources, abundant opportunities for career development and advancement, and more.

FLSA Exemption Status: Non-Exempt

Hours per Week: 16-20

Restricted Position: Yes

ORP Eligible: No

Flexible Work Arrangement: Fully Onsite

University Job Title: 34001N - Clinical Research Assistant 1

Contact Information:

Contact Name: Lisa Straub

Contact Email: lkstraub@vcu.edu