Research Assistant I

University of Arkansas System•Little Rock, AR

5d•Onsite

About The Position

The Research Assistant I will be responsible for working on research projects and/or federally-funded grants under the direction of the Principal Investigator, Dr. Melissa Zielinski, within UAMS’ Health and the Legal System Research, Practice, and Policy Lab. Major responsibilities include recruitment, screening, assessment, and retention of human subjects research participants using multiple measurement modalities (structured and/or semi-structured interviews, self-report, behavioral observation, coding of administrative data); managing and aggregating data; and administrative support (e.g., organizing meetings, managing supplies). The successful candidate will lead and/or work closely with interdisciplinary staff/faculty/and student researchers and report directly to the Laboratory Manager. Willingness to undertake regular local, in-state travel (rarely, but occasionally, overnight) is a requirement of the position. Outstanding organizational skills are essential. Exquisite attention to detail; the ability to easily build rapport with people from a wide variety of backgrounds; outstanding communication and interpersonal skills, particularly given the community aspect of the planned work; and the ability to work both autonomously and within a team are all essential for this position. Prospective applicants can learn about the lab’s current projects at https://psychiatry.uams.edu/research/heals-lab/projects/ and about members of the team at https://psychiatry.uams.edu/research/heals-lab/about-us-2/. Broadly, the team’s work often focuses on the intersections amongst traumatic stress, addiction, and incarceration, with a particular focus on 1) the implementation of evidence-based interventions for posttraumatic stress in legal settings and 2) women’s health, including during the perinatal period. Projects generally have the mission to promote evidence-based health interventions and/or study the outcomes of programs with unknown effectiveness but potential promise. Projects also typically involve working with and/or in correctional settings such as jails and prisons, though some projects may focus on more general settings (e.g., hospitals) or other kinds of specialty care settings (e.g., addiction treatment centers, specialty courts).

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in psychology or a closely related field plus one (1) year of human subjects research experience relevant to HEALS Lab’s mission areas within an academic medical center and/or psychology/social science department required.
Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
Ability to work collaboratively and sensitively with incarcerated individuals.
Must be comfortable talking with participants about traumatic experiences, including sexual violence and abuse.
Must be able to drive for in-state travel.

Nice To Haves

Willingness to undertake regular local, in-state travel (rarely, but occasionally, overnight) is a requirement of the position.
Outstanding organizational skills are essential.
Exquisite attention to detail; the ability to easily build rapport with people from a wide variety of backgrounds; outstanding communication and interpersonal skills, particularly given the community aspect of the planned work; and the ability to work both autonomously and within a team are all essential for this position.

Responsibilities

Conducts necessary activities for ongoing studies/projects within the HEALS Lab.
Screen potential participants to determine eligibility.
Conduct informed consent to ensure participants have accurate information related to the study.
Conduct activities necessary for data acquisition, including assisting with scheduling, conducting participant interviews, administering self-report measures, completing retention checks, and providing reminder phone calls, texts, and letters as needed.
Assist, on an ongoing basis, in achieving the targeted enrollment and retention goals for HEALS studies by engaging in recruitment and outreach strategies. Recruitment strategies include but are not limited to going to community partners and describing studies to patients, patrons, or members, and asking potential participants to participate in studies. Retention strategies include, but are not limited to, making cold calls to participants or their designees to verify or obtain contact information for participants.
Complete research documentation to ensure accurate and up-to-date research records and participant tracking information.
Ensures that completed questionnaires are complete, legible & accurate in accordance with research protocols.
Make follow-up contact with participants to obtain missing or questionable data.
Codes and enters study information into a database (e.g., REDCap) and establishes new databases for new projects as required.
Transcribes qualitative interviews and prepares for upload to qualitative analysis software.
Conducts qualitative coding.
Demonstrate the ability to work effectively in a team environment by daily interaction with HEALS faculty and staff, research participants, and administrative support.
Develops relationships with key project and program stakeholders.
Attends assigned meetings.
Maintains complete & accurate records and files pertaining to projects.
Maintain detailed records of research subject visits & procedures.
Coordinates meetings and helps to aggregate study updates.
Manages and ships research supplies.
Assists with participant compensation using petty cash accounts and maintaining detailed compensation records.
Assists with the development of IRB protocols and research-related procedures.
Builds instructions for scoring research assessments.
Design forms, worksheets, study questionnaires, and other materials for projects.
Maintains compliance requirements.
May contribute to dissemination efforts, including conference presentations, manuscripts, lay reports, grant applications, and grant reports.
Prepares reports and summaries as needed.
Prepares meeting agendas and takes meeting notes as assigned.
Performs other duties as assigned.