Position Definition:

The Research Assistant III (RA) will work with a group of collegial, innovative, and productive health outcomes researchers, clinicians, and program managers at the University of California, San Francisco and NCIRE who are focused on improving the health of older persons. The Division of Geriatrics highly values mutual respect and collegiality and the RA is an essential and highly respected part of our team. We are looking for a highly-motivated candidate with clinical research experience to assist two Principal Investigators (PIs) and a Program Manager on several studies related to clinical research and research on health care quality. The ideal candidate will perform at the fully operational journey level of the series to execute, manage, and coordinate research protocols, data collection and operations of several concurrent clinical and health services research studies and projects under the guidelines of research protocols, UCSF/SFVAMC and regulating agency policies.  Examples of projects the RA may work on include studies of the implementation of programs to improve assessment of functional status in older adults, studies involving secondary analysis of large datasets for purposes of prognostic modeling and evaluating quality and outcomes of care, and collaborative programs and research networks to enhance research on improving medication use in older adults.

Essential Functions:

• Communicate and collaborate effectively with multiple PIs, statisticians, research and project coordinators, research fellows and outside agencies to advance many research and research enhancement projects simultaneously
• Interview subjects for qualitative and quantitative projects; for qualitative studies—being able to critically evaluate participant's responses in conjunction with the overall research study questions to tailor the interviews as necessary
• Schedule subjects for study visits; meet with them to administer questionnaires, collect medical history and perform study procedures
• Maintain rapport and relationships with subjects to ensure effective communication and retention; respond to their diverse needs, schedule and perform follow-up interviews with older adults in home, in person, or by phone, and become their intermediary; discuss study outcomes with providers to ensure continuity of care
• Assist PI and biostatisticians with analysis of data and preparation of results to use for presentations at national meetings and for publication in scientific journals. Co-authoring scientific manuscripts, publication coordination, presentation of the research results in graphical, table and in writing
• Create tables and graphs from research data for presentations and publications.
• Perform literature reviews to add substantially to survey designs, and manuscript and grant applications
• Assist with program management duties
• Coordinate, attend, and actively participate in regular team meetings
• Assist with data entry and database management
• Abstract data from clinical charts for chart review studies
• Design and maintain surveys for data collection
• Participate in the review and writing of protocols and related procedures to ensure institutional review board approval within University compliance, maintaining ongoing Human Subjects compliance through multiple agencies and sites (UCSF, SFGH, SFVAMC, and other sites in the US)
• Renew, modify, and submit CHR applications and protocols; ensure that protocol applications are submitted in a timely manner; serve as a liaison between CHR and study Investigators
• Renew, modify and submit applications for data access; ensure that data use applications are submitted in a timely manner; serve as a liaison between data holding organizations and study Investigators
• Maintain regulatory documents; monitor timelines for data submission; document adverse events and submit to appropriate departments
• Ensuring that research publications are in compliance with the NIH via the NIH Manuscript Submission System
• Complete requisition orders and reimbursement requests related to specific research projects
• Oversee participant remuneration processes including: managing a petty cash fund, gift cards or other cash-equivalent disbursements
• Assist with general office and administrative tasks where needed, for example ordering printer paper, managing calendars for shared spaces