Research Study Coordinator

UNC-Chapel Hill • Chapel Hill, NC

9d • Onsite

About The Position

The Research Study Coordinator will support the clinical and translational research program led by Dr. Caroline Sawicki in the Department of Pediatric Dentistry and Dental Public Health at the UNC Adams School of Dentistry. This position plays a central role in coordinating human subjects research focused on pediatric orofacial pain, particularly temporomandibular disorders ( TMD ), migraine, and related biopsychosocial factors. The coordinator will serve as the primary operational staff member responsible for the day-to-day implementation of multiple ongoing and future studies involving children, adolescents, and their caregivers. A major focus of this role will be the NIH -funded clinical study on characterizing pressure pain thresholds, orofacial pain symptoms, and psychosocial profiles in adolescents with and without TMD . Responsibilities include participant recruitment and outreach, screening for eligibility, scheduling research visits, preparing study materials, communicating with DDS and undergraduate research assistants, and ensuring timely completion of study procedures. During visits, the coordinator will assist with administering clinical examinations (e.g., pressure pain threshold testing using a Wagner algometer), psychosocial questionnaires, and additional standardized measures. The coordinator will maintain high-quality data collection within REDCap, conduct quality assurance checks, manage study documentation, and ensure adherence to IRB protocols and study-specific standard operating procedures. The coordinator will also support additional active studies within the research program, including a pediatric migraine research study and other emerging or pilot projects aimed at understanding pain, anxiety, and behavioral responses in pediatric dental populations. Responsibilities include participant communication, regulatory documentation, coordination with clinical faculty and staff, preparation of study materials, and assistance with visit flow. As new studies are funded, the coordinator will play an integral role in launching study operations, drafting recruitment and visit workflows, assisting with IRB submissions and modifications, and supporting pilot data collection. This position requires strong organizational skills, excellent communication with children, adolescents, and families, and the ability to collaborate effectively with faculty, residents, dental students, research assistants, and clinical staff across the Adams School of Dentistry. The coordinator must ensure strict compliance with human subject’s protections, HIPAA standards, departmental procedures, and UNC institutional policies. Duties include maintaining detailed logs, scheduling calendars, participant contact documentation, and accurate tracking of recruitment activities across multiple concurrent projects. The coordinator will serve as a central point of contact for participants and study team members to ensure smooth implementation of study visits, participant retention, and high-quality data capture. Additional responsibilities include maintaining study supplies and equipment, preparing participant incentives through ClinCard/Tango, providing parking validations, coordinating meeting agendas, and contributing to study progress reports and internal communications. This position requires flexibility, initiative, and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic research environment. The coordinator must be able to work independently while also contributing to a collaborative team setting. As the research program continues to grow, the coordinator will have opportunities to support evolving projects, assist with protocol development, and contribute to the expansion of pediatric orofacial pain research at UNC .

Requirements

• A bachelor’s degree in a relevant field (e.g., psychology, neuroscience, biology, public health, dental hygiene, health sciences, or related discipline) from an accredited institution, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills in English are essential, with the ability to interact professionally with children, adolescents, caregivers, faculty, staff, and student research assistants.
• Experience working with human subjects in U.S.-based research, clinical, or academic setting is required.
• Candidates must demonstrate familiarity with research procedures such as participant recruitment, screening, scheduling, informed consent/assent processes, administration of questionnaires, and data collection.
• The ability to follow study protocols and standard operating procedures with high reliability and attention to detail is essential.
• Candidates must maintain confidentiality of protected health information and comply with HIPAA , IRB regulations, and UNC institutional policies.
• Competence with computer software and data entry is required, including proficiency with Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, Outlook) and the ability to learn new electronic data capture systems.
• Applicants must be able to maintain detailed participant logs, communication records, and accurate documentation across all study activities.
• Candidates must demonstrate strong organizational skills, sound judgment, adaptability, and the ability to manage multiple tasks in a fast-paced research environment.
• The coordinator must be able to work both independently and collaboratively, communicate effectively with pediatric populations, and maintain professionalism during clinical research procedures.
• This position requires the ability to work occasional adjusted hours to accommodate participant availability.
• A commitment to high-quality research conduct, participant safety, ethical standards, and consistent follow-through on assigned responsibilities is essential.

Nice To Haves

• Experience coordinating human subjects research involving children or adolescents is strongly preferred.
• Prior work in clinical, behavioral, dental, or pain-related research settings is highly desirable, particularly experience administering questionnaires, conducting participant interviews, or supporting clinical visit procedures.
• Candidates with familiarity in orofacial pain, pediatric pain, psychology, neuroscience, or related health sciences will be well-suited for this position.
• Preference will be given to applicants with experience using REDCap or comparable electronic data capture platforms, particularly those who have managed longitudinal datasets, performed data quality checks, or maintained detailed documentation across multiple phases of study activities.
• Experience working within IRB -regulated environments including preparation of regulatory documents, submission of modifications, creation of study logs, or maintenance of SOPs is highly desirable.
• Strong organizational abilities and demonstrated initiative in managing workflows, prioritizing competing tasks, and independently troubleshooting common challenges in research operations are highly valued.
• Experience coordinating scheduling workflows, interacting with multiple stakeholders, or maintaining recruitment and tracking logs is preferred.
• Candidates with prior experience communicating with families, especially within health-related or academic environments, will excel in this role.
• Experience working in interdisciplinary teams, including faculty, clinicians, residents, students, and research assistants, is preferred, as is the ability to provide guidance or support to trainees involved in recruitment and data collection.
• Familiarity with pediatric clinical settings, dental clinics, or outpatient environments is helpful but not required.
• Technical competencies such as proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, secure data handling, and digital communication platforms (e.g., Zoom, Teams) are preferred.
• Applicants with experience conducting clinical procedures such as basic anthropometric measurements, observational coding, or standardized assessments, or a willingness to learn clinical tasks such as pressure pain threshold testing, are highly desirable.
• Candidates who demonstrate strong problem-solving skills, a high level of professionalism, and a commitment to ethical research conduct are preferred.
• The ability to maintain composure, communicate clearly, and support pediatric participants and their caregivers in research settings is especially valuable.
• Experience working in fast-paced, evolving research programs or assisting with the launch of new projects is a significant asset.
• A strong interest in pediatric research, pain research, behavioral science, or clinical dentistry, and a desire to contribute to a growing, multifaceted research program, is highly desirable.
• Candidates with prior experience in research coordination or an interest in pursuing advanced training in health-related fields (e.g., dentistry, medicine, psychology, public health) are encouraged to apply.

Responsibilities

• participant recruitment and outreach
• screening for eligibility
• scheduling research visits
• preparing study materials
• communicating with DDS and undergraduate research assistants
• ensuring timely completion of study procedures
• assisting with administering clinical examinations (e.g., pressure pain threshold testing using a Wagner algometer), psychosocial questionnaires, and additional standardized measures
• maintaining high-quality data collection within REDCap
• conducting quality assurance checks
• managing study documentation
• ensuring adherence to IRB protocols and study-specific standard operating procedures
• participant communication
• regulatory documentation
• coordination with clinical faculty and staff
• preparation of study materials
• assisting with visit flow
• launching study operations
• drafting recruitment and visit workflows
• assisting with IRB submissions and modifications
• supporting pilot data collection
• maintaining detailed logs
• scheduling calendars
• participant contact documentation
• accurate tracking of recruitment activities across multiple concurrent projects
• maintaining study supplies and equipment
• preparing participant incentives through ClinCard/Tango
• providing parking validations
• coordinating meeting agendas
• contributing to study progress reports and internal communications

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Number of Employees: 11-50 employees