Research Study Assistant - Northwestern University

The Center for Dissemination and Implementation Science (CDIS) led by Dr. Sara Becker is within the Institute for Public Health and Medicine (IPHAM) at the Feinberg School of Medicine. The central vision of CDIS is to bridge the gap between public health/medical knowledge (what we know) and public health/medical practice (what we do). D&I science is essential to realize the full impact of public health and medical research. Traditional, passive dissemination strategies such as publishing clinical recommendations, trials, or guidelines are insufficient for realizing practice change. Innovative, proactive strategies for increasing the implementation and sustainability of evidence-based interventions in community and clinical settings are essential for improving population health and driving health care innovation.

This Research Study Assistant (RSA) will support the Principal Investigator on an NIH-funded implementation initiative focused on promoting the uptake of contingency management (CM) within community-based organizations across Chicagoland. The research program involves implementation of CM, an intervention in which patients earn incentives for meeting treatment goals, and it is carried out in partnership with the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH). Activities include communicating with CDPH and partnering community-based organizations via phone/Zoom/email; assisting with CM trainings for organization staff; outreach to research participants for completion of study assessments at multiple timepoints following study protocols; and listening to role plays of treatment delivery to provide feedback on fidelity. The RSA is also expected to help with the organization and maintenance of project documents and files and assisting the Research Project Coordinator with the continual submission of IRB documents, annual grant progress reports, and data safety monitoring board reports. 

This RSA may have the opportunity to assist on other NIH-funded research programs, including (1)

a support center that helps projects funded through the National Institute on Drug Abuse to infuse implementation science methods, models, and measures into their work (RASC) and (2) a large pragmatic effectiveness randomized controlled trial evaluating whether a technology-assisted intervention can improve the outcomes of adolescents in residential treatment (Parent SMART). 

The RSA will complete all activities by strictly following Good Clinical Practices (GCP) & all relevant current local, state, & federal laws, regulations, guidance, policy & procedure developed by the NU Institutional Review Board (IRB), Food & Drug Administration (FDA) Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), & the International Conference on Harmonization (ICH).

Specific Responsibilities:

Technical

• Recruits study participants. 
• Reviews & obtains informed consent. 
• Schedules study visits with participants. 
• Conducts interviews. 
• Scores test results. 
• Collects survey data. 
• Facilitates communication with key personnel & participants to maintain project study flow. 

Administration

• Participate in, organize, and develop materials (e.g., agendas, minutes, summaries) for internal and external meetings and site-visits in collaboration with study team. 
• Maintains detailed records of results which may include collecting, extracting & entering data; &/or preparing basic charts & graphs. 
• Performs scientific literature searches in support of research. 

Finance

• Submit for reimbursements for participants.

Supervision

• May train other research staff to interview/test participants.

Miscellaneous

• Performs other duties as assigned.