Research Project Coordinator (Temporary)
Req #: | 175335 |
Department: | Surgery: SORCE |
Appointing Department Web Address: | http://uwsurgery.org/sorce |
Job Location: | Other Location |
Job Location Detail: | University District |
Posting Date: | 12/20/2019 |
Closing Info: | Open Until Filled |
Salary: | Salary is Competitive. Salary is Commensurate Upon Qualifications and Experience. |
Shift: | First Shift |
At the University of Washington, diversity is integral to excellence. We value and honor diverse experiences and perspectives, strive to create welcoming and respectful learning environments, and promote access, opportunity and justice for all.
The Department of Surgery has an outstanding opportunity open for a Temporary Research Project Coordinator.
The purpose of this position is to provide research project coordination for the Surgical Outcomes Research Center (SORCE). SORCE is a multidisciplinary research center established by the Department of Surgery supporting research to improve the quality of surgical care at the local, regional and national level. SORCE also collaborates with a variety of academic and community partners and institutions providing expertise in design/deployment of health services and patient-oriented outcomes projects for research and clinical quality improvement.
The individual in this position will report to a Research Project Manager under the direction of SORCE’s Associate Director for Clinical Research.
SORCE is committed to encouraging diversity and inclusion and to being a workplace where such values are at the forefront of our daily interactions and our work as a research center. We value and seek diverse team members who are passionate, innovative, and collaborative. All candidates are encouraged to address as part of their cover letter how their experiences and perspective could potentially contribute to diversity and inclusion at SORCE.
This position will coordinate components of multiple health services and outcomes projects spanning internal and external sites, multiple investigators, and multiple clinical disciplines. Some of these projects may be related while others may encompass completely unique teams, sites, and/or topic areas. The project portfolio for this position includes aspects of three multi-site pragmatic trials funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), all comparing surgery to medical management. SORCE serves as the Clinical Coordinating Center for these ambitious, milestone-driven trials that involve collaborations with multiple UW departments and over 30 sites nationwide.
The project appointment will be primarily assisting with the closure of the Comparing Surgery versus Antibiotics to Treat Appendicitis (CODA) study, (https://www.pcori.org/research-results/2015/comparing-surgery-versus-antibiotics-treat-appendicitis-coda-study) which over the next 6 months will be wrapping up it’s recruitment efforts.
The project appointment will also be assisting with the start-up activities during a crunch period for two studies: COSMID & CISTO: COSMID is the Comparison of Surgery and Medicine on the Impact of Diverticulitis (COSMID) trial https://www.pcori.org/research-results/2018/comparison-surgery-and-medicine-impact-diverticulitis-cosmid-trial and CISTO is the Comparison of Intravesical Therapy and Surgery as Treatment Options for Bladder Cancer (CISTO) https://www.pcori.org/research-results/2018/comparing-two-treatment-options-recurrent-bladder-cancer.
The areas of responsibility fall into these categories:
• Human Subjects Research Activities (70%)
• Data Coordination (20%)
• Regulatory and Administrative Coordination (10%)
This position will carry out many aspects of human subjects research, including in-person and telephone interaction with research participants. This individual will be responsible for the thorough understanding of research project aims, timelines, and milestone goals and must be able to effectively translate this understanding into project operations. In addition, the person in this position will effectively collaborate with investigators and project staff to ensure that project deliverables are achieved on schedule.
This position will work on projects that may involve routine travel among home office in University District and several local study sites. Travel may be done via UW Shuttle, UCar, Uber/Taxi, or personal conveyance (walking, biking, personal car). Incumbent must be comfortable traveling between worksites. The projects may be recruiting 6:00 am to midnight, seven days a week. Incumbent must be willing and able to share coverage of recruitment responsibilities across these times.
The Department's Surgical Outcomes Research Center (SORCE) was established in 2005 with a mission to assess the impact of surgical procedures on patients, society, and the healthcare system and improve the practice of surgery through education, training, and policy initiatives. To date, SORCE has received over $100 million in grant support and currently operates an annual budget of over $7 million. SORCE has grown into a multidisciplinary collaboration of researchers from across health science disciplines, including over 25 UW faculty from 15 departments and 4 schools, and clinicians at clinical practice sites across the Washington State. In addition, SORCE provides a collaborative resource base for junior faculty from all Surgical Divisions as well as cross-departmentally. More information about SORCE is available at http://uwsurgery.org/sorce.
Position Responsibilities
Details Of Major Job Duty & percentage of time: Human Subjects Research Activities (70%)
Using Identified methods and protocols:
• Identify, Approach, and Recruit Participants: Screen medical records to identify eligible study participants; Approach patients in clinical settings to recruit them into research studies; Consent participants; Conduct initial data collection including surveying/interviewing.
• Conduct Participant Follow-up via Phone: Receive and respond to participant calls to answer questions and resolve concerns; At specified study time points, complete telephone surveys/interviews with participants per study protocols.
• Coordinate Participant Activities Throughout Study: Accurately track current study participants: screen for appointments, enrollment status and progress in project; Schedule and conduct research visits with enrolled participants; Share information with other research coordinators; Use consistent organization methods for accurately tracking enrolled patients; Assist other coordinators in tracking participant progress and engagement in studies; Proactively identify opportunities to resolve barriers to managing subject participation; Proactively identify gaps in efficiency or effectiveness of study processes and suggest/draft improvements.
• Use consistent organization methods to track and distribute participant incentives; Manage participant retention activities, including organizing retention contact methods, tracking participants in a retention schedule, and independently executing and/or overseeing retention activities.
• Specimen Management: Prepare for sample procurement, process samples, and complete data collection forms; Independently organize and ship specimens per study protocol.
• Understand and comply with study protocol and Manual of Operations: Effectively utilize and improve resources available such as Frequently Asked Questions and work tasks list; Develop and implement appropriate methods for quality research conduct and quality assurance measures for accurate data collection and entry; proactively identify and describe potential improvements and/or clarifications to study processes.
• Maintain Compliance: Follow all SORCE Standards for best practices in human subjects research coordination; Responsible for compliance with SORCE, Department, University or Federal Regulations, and ensuring that individual work products are completed accurately against standards and protocols.
Details Of Major Job Duty & percentage of time: Data Coordination (20%)
Using identified protocols and established tools:
• Abstract data from patient medical records per research protocols/QI registry policies, with a high degree of efficiency and accuracy.
• Enter and manage data through research study/QI data platforms (i.e. REDCap, Datstat, ARMUS).
• Participate in routine quality control operations for data management, ensuring that protocols for internal audits on data completeness, validity, and accuracy are met.
• Accurately file research materials electronically or in physical charts; Plan and complete appropriate records retention activities, following SORCE and UW standards; Follow established systems for data organization, version control, and data collection form file management.
• Assist in creation and maintenance of data dictionaries or other companion documents.
Details Of Major Job Duty & percentage of time: Regulatory and Administrative Coordination (10%)
With oversight and within scope of position:
• Support regulatory coordination for research projects including submitting study modifications, renewals, and protocol deviations.
• Organize electronic and paper regulatory files; Follow established work processes for accurately tracking, storing and retrieving information; Plan and complete appropriate records retention activities, following SORCE and UW standards.
• Maintain Study MOP; tasks include conducting revisions when regulatory modification approvals are receiving; disseminating MOP to study teams for feedback; and updating other research staff on protocol changes.
• Participate in regulatory process improvement task-forces to streamline multi-site research review; Participate in SORCE research innovation task-forces that touch upon regulatory issues, such as electronic consent, and serve as a point person on drafting new regulatory protocols for review.
• Coordinate investigator and team meetings; participate in planning agendas and preparing materials; take meeting minutes and circulate to the team; assist with preparation and production of research intellectual products, including: data analysis, drafting or editing technical reports or manuscripts, assisting with presentation;
• Train or instruct new staff or student interns in work processes and work flow.
• Assist with monitoring of project resources, including supply purchasing, inventory management, tracking expenditures or participant incentives as requested.
Required Qualifications
Education: Bachelor’s Degree in health sciences, public health, science or health-care related fields as well as other applicable areas of study.
Type and Years of Experience:
• 6-12 months of experience with human subjects research preferably in an academic or healthcare-related setting, and preferably in health services and outcomes projects;
• Relevant education may substitute for some experience requirement. Reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
• Candidates of non-traditional educational or experiential backgrounds are encouraged to apply – please address applicability of education/experience in cover letter
Other Required Qualifications
• Excellent problem-solving skills, strong detail orientation, and ability to adeptly manage multiple priorities and timelines
• Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office required. Ability to learn new software programs. Ability to use multiple complex tracking systems to maintain contact and communication with sites and collaborators
• Ability to share in rotational schedule to ensure team’s ability to cover recruitment efforts between 6:00 am and midnight, seven days a week
• Comfortable with routine travel between study sites in the greater Seattle area
• Resilient and able to work under pressure
• Willingness to adhere to Department Standard Operating Procedures for conducting clinical research
Desired Qualifications
• Experience in human subjects research coordination preferably in an academic or healthcare-related setting
• Spanish language fluency (written and spoken)
• Experience recruiting study participants in person
• Experience conducting participant outreach and data collection by phone
• Training and/or knowledge in ethical conduct of research with human subjects
• Knowledge of medical terminology
• Experience with electronic medical records chart review and data abstraction
• Multi-site research project experience
• Human subjects regulatory management background
• Research data management background
• Experience conducting participant recruitment, outreach, and data collection in Spanish.
Application Process:
The application process for UW positions may include completion of a variety of online assessments to obtain additional information that will be used in the evaluation process. These assessments may include Work Authorization, Cover Letter, and/or others. Any assessments that you need to complete will appear on your screen as soon as you select “Apply to this position”. Once you begin an assessment, it must be completed at that time; if you do not complete the assessment you will be prompted to do so the next time you access your “My Jobs” page. If you select to take it later, it will appear on your "My Jobs" page to take when you are ready. Please note that your application will not be reviewed, and you will not be considered for this position until all required assessments have been completed.
Committed to attracting and retaining a diverse staff, the University of Washington will honor your experiences, perspectives and unique identity. Together, our community strives to create and maintain working and learning environments that are inclusive, equitable and welcoming.
The University of Washington is a leader in environmental stewardship & sustainability, and committed to becoming climate neutral.
The University of Washington is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. To request disability accommodation in the application process, contact the Disability Services Office at 206-543-6450 / 206-543-6452 (tty) or dso@uw.edu.