About the position
The University of Maryland School of Medicine’s Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (ICTR) is recruiting a Research Project Specialist to coordinate the day-to-day operations of research studies. This role is part of the 'My Healthy Maryland Precision Medicine Research' project, a long-term study aiming to create a diverse resource for health-related research, from understanding genetic and molecular bases of conditions to improving healthcare efficiency.
Responsibilities
• Perform as a single specialist in a clinical setting, providing technical expertise to research programs and projects, and overseeing clinical research activities.
• Develop, recommend, modify, and implement policies and procedures for clinical research, including protocol manuals and data collection instruments.
• Coordinate the preparation of Institutional Review Board (IRB) and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) protocol development and ensure compliance of research operations.
• Manage interaction with subject participants, including eligibility screening, recruitment, enrollment, and ensuring informed consent.
• Obtain tissue and blood samples as necessary and collect information through interviews, questionnaires, test results, and charts.
• Plan, organize, and implement in-person participant recruitment and engagement efforts at various UMMS locations, other hospital systems, and community locations within Maryland.
• Establish and maintain database files and reports using computer applications like Microsoft Excel/Access, performing data checks, audits, and data cleaning.
• Perform clinical research activities, including data analysis using statistical software (SAS, SPSS, R), data management, and data interpretation.
• Maintain communication with participants and colleagues regarding protocol-specific information and research orders.
• Serve as a liaison to other departments (e.g., IRB, CCT), outside organizations, government agencies, and product representatives.
• Oversee and coordinate daily clinical research operations, study initiation, execution, and completion.
• Assist in the design and provide expert recommendations regarding research studies.
• Provide working coordination and feedback to others.
• Perform day-to-day operational duties such as ensuring quality control and safety compliance, submitting invoicing, developing policies and procedures, and ordering supplies.
• Search relevant literature, develop conclusions on research findings, write reports, prepare and deliver presentations, and recommend appropriate actions.
• Conduct library research and contribute to the preparation and writing of research findings for publication and grant proposals.
• Provide training to less experienced researchers.
• Assist in developing and submitting grants, papers, abstracts, and manuscripts.
• Participate in field visits, respond to requests and questions from individuals, institutions, government agencies, and funding agencies.
• Participate in the design of research studies.
• Perform other duties as assigned.
Requirements
• Bachelor's degree in a scientific field of study related to the research of the clinical setting.
• Three (3) years of clinical research experience.
• Two (2) years of experience in the relevant research specialization.
Benefits
• Retirement program (pension or optional retirement plan/ORP)
• Over 4 weeks of vacation accrued each year
• 15 paid holidays
• 3 personal leave days
• Unlimited accrual of sick time
• Comprehensive health insurance
• Professional learning and development programs
• Tuition remission for employees and their dependents at any University System of Maryland school
• Flexible work schedules
• Teleworking options (if applicable per job)