Research Asst 2

Vanderbilt University Medical Center•Nashville, TN

4d•Onsite

About The Position

Under moderate supervision, set up, conduct experiments, and continue research projects following protocols including the appropriate recording of data and reporting of standard or variant results. Assist in other laboratory and research functions. Our Academic Enterprise is one of the nation’s longest serving and most prestigious academic medical centers. Through its historic bond with Vanderbilt University and integral role in the School of Medicine, Vanderbilt Health cultivates distinguished research and educational programs to advance a clinical enterprise that provides compassionate and personalized care and support for millions of patients and family members each year. World-leading academic departments and comprehensive centers of excellence pursue scientific discoveries and transformational educational and clinical advances across the entire spectrum of health and disease. Aligning with Vanderbilt Health’s Strategic Directions, the Office of Research provides shared research resources, administrative expertise and professional guidance to enable the trans-disciplinary environment and highly collaborative culture that advances discovery and training for all the research faculty, trainees, students and staff.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree
2 years relevant work experience

Nice To Haves

Develops Self and Others: Invests time, energy, and enthusiasm in developing self/others to help improve performance and gain knowledge in new areas.
Builds and Maintains Relationships: Maintains regular contact with key colleagues and stakeholders using formal and informal opportunities to expand and strengthen relationships.
Communicates Effectively: Recognizes group interactions and modifies one's own communication style to suit different situations and audiences.
Serves Others with Compassion: Seeks to understand current and future needs of relevant stakeholders and customizes services to better address them.
Solves Complex Problems: Approaches problems from different angles; Identifies new possibilities to interpret opportunities and develop concrete solutions.
Offers Meaningful Advice and Support: Provides ongoing support and coaching in a constructive manner to increase employees' effectiveness.
Performs Excellent Work: Engages regularly in formal and informal dialogue about quality; directly addresses quality issues promptly.
Ensures Continuous Improvement: Applies various learning experiences by looking beyond symptoms to uncover underlying causes of problems and identifies ways to resolve them.
Fulfills Safety and Regulatory Requirements: Understands all aspects of providing a safe environment and performs routine safety checks to prevent safety hazards from occurring.
Demonstrates Accountability: Demonstrates a sense of ownership, focusing on and driving critical issues to closure.
Stewards Organizational Resources: Applies understanding of the departmental work to effectively manage resources for a department/area.
Makes Data Driven Decisions: Demonstrates strong understanding of the information or data to identify and elevate opportunities.
Generates New Ideas: Proactively identifies new ideas/opportunities from multiple sources or methods to improve processes beyond conventional approaches.
Applies Technology: Demonstrates an enthusiasm for learning new technologies, tools, and procedures to address short-term challenges.
Adapts to Change: Views difficult situations and/or problems as opportunities for improvement; actively embraces change instead of emphasizing negative elements.

Responsibilities

Independently conducts high-quality qualitative and quantitative data collection activities across active studies.
Leads participant recruitment, consent, and follow-up activities with minimal supervision.
Builds rapport with participants to support retention, engagement, and completion of study visits.
Ensures accurate and complete documentation of study activities in accordance with protocol requirements.
Identifies and resolves routine participant and workflow challenges in real time.
Serves as a lead member of the data collection team, supporting day-to-day coordination of study activities.
Assists with scheduling data collection activities and adjusting plans to meet enrollment and staffing needs.
Provides guidance to other research assistants during data collection, helps with troubleshooting issues, and maintains consistency.
Acts as a point of support for problem solving related to participant availability, protocol, coordination, and fieldwork challenges.
Elevates issues appropriately while independently implementing practical solutions when possible.
Demonstrates strong ownership of assigned study tasks, requiring less direct supervision than an entry-level research assistant.
Anticipates study needs and proactively communicates potential challenges or solutions to the project team.
Ensures readiness for data collection by confirming materials, schedules, and participant communication in advance.
Supports smooth implementation of study protocols through reliability and consistent follow-through.
Contributes to maintaining momentum during high-volume or time-sensitive data collection periods.
Maintains a high standard of data quality through careful review of collected data and documentation.
Identifies missing or inconsistent data and takes corrective action or escalates concerns appropriately.
Ensures adherence to IRB-approved protocols, consent procedures, and study guidelines.
Models best practices in ethical research conduct and participant interaction for other team members.
Communicates clearly and effectively with supervisors and team members regarding study progress and challenges.
Shares insights from fieldwork to support continuous improvement in recruitment and data collection strategies.
Assists with onboarding or informal mentoring of newer research assistants as needed.
Contributes to a collaborative team environment that supports efficient and high-quality research execution.