Research Assistant

This position is a part of the Non-Academic Staff Association (NASA).

The department is looking to hire 2 full-time Research Assistants from this competition.

These positions have a term length of 1 year plus 1 day and offer a comprehensive benefits package which can be viewed on our Benefits Overview page .

Location - This role is hybrid with a mix of remote and in-person work at North Campus Edmonton.

Working for the University of Alberta

The University of Alberta acknowledges that we are located on Treaty 6 territory, and respects the histories, languages and cultures of First Nations, Métis, Inuit and all First Peoples of Canada, whose presence continues to enrich our vibrant community.

The University of Alberta is teeming with change makers, community builders, and world shapers who lead with purpose each and every day. We are home to more than 40,000 students in 200+ undergraduate and 500+ graduate programs, over 13,000 faculty and staff, 260,000 alumni worldwide and have been recognized as one of Canada’s Greenest Employers for over a decade.

Your work will have a meaningful influence on a fascinating cross section of people—from our students and stakeholders, to our renowned researchers and innovators who are quite literally curing diseases, making discoveries and generating solutions that make the world healthier, safer, stronger, and more just.

Working for the Indigenous and Global Health Research Group (IGHRG)

The Indigenous and Global Health Research Group (IGHRG) is a multi-disciplinary research group of 20+ staff, with approximately $22 million in funded projects brought to the University of Alberta since 2010. The team has experience working with over 22 populations in various countries worldwide. The team is focused on COVID-19, cancer and diabetes, community-based participatory research, epidemiology, health promotion, seniors' health, maternal and youth research and program development, community-based interventions, and dietary assessment methodologies for Indigenous and ethnic minority populations. At present, the IGHRG is undertaking nine large projects that include looking at the anticipated and unanticipated consequences of COVID-19, COVID-19 prevention strategies, pandemic preparedness, barriers to and experience with healthcare access, confidence in HPV vaccination, and COVID-19 vaccination and immunity with Arctic Indigenous communities.  

Position 

This position is part of Dr. Sangita Sharma’s research team and will work independently with supervision on a variety of projects. In consultation with the Principal Investigator (PI) and Executive Director (Dr. Fariba Kolahdooz), the Research Assistant will engage directly in research activities supporting the group’s multiple projects and, specifically, the recent work related to COVID-19. This position is a key component to the growth of the research group through the effective planning, preparation and submission of peer-reviewed grant proposals and applications and planning, implementation, operation, and evaluation of projects and programs. Travel to multiple communities in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut is expected. The overall and effective support of this dynamic research group is vital to its continued growth and success. Research Assistants are a foundational position required to achieve this goal.

Duties 

• Participate directly in research projects and undertake tasks to support productivity across the research team
• Develops various education and training materials and presents to participants and/or team members, virtually or in-person, and assists in the creation of PowerPoint presentations and posters for workshops and conferences
• Conducts data collection by tracking and monitoring of questionnaires and evaluations with participants, following up with either participants or community members as required
• Regular travel to participating communities and populations to cultivate working relationships with participants and community members, with possible evening and weekend work required
• In collaboration with the research team, programs questionnaires into REDCAP; organizes and assists in the data transcription, entry, cleaning, tracking, reporting, organization, compilation, and preparation for analysis
• Maintains and protects confidential research data, adhering to ethical conduct and privacy requirements at all times, including learning about and adhering to OCAP principles throughout all research project activities, maintaining security of all hardware and software to prevent possibilities of data loss or confidentiality breaches
• Assists with the preparation of knowledge translation dissemination products as directed including research posters, PowerPoint presentations, abstracts, and research reports
• Conducts literature searches on databases to provide research team members with background information on research projects and advancements in the project relevant fields

Minimum Qualifications

• Minimum high school diploma
• Experience working in a health research environment
• Ability to work independently with limited supervision
• Ability to travel frequently to multiple northern communities
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with a variety of groups of people including youth and Indigenous populations
• Eagerness to gain further understanding of relevant cultural, geographic, and community-specific aspects of community-based research projects
• Highly developed organizational skills and attention to detail
• Valid driver's licence

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in public health, social sciences or health-related field and/or experience in a related field is preferred
• Familiarity with Indigenous culture in the North and experience working with Indigenous populations and knowledge of cultural protocol
• Experience working with or living in northern remote and isolated communities 

At the University of Alberta, we are committed to creating an inclusive and accessible hiring process for all candidates. If you require accommodations to participate in the interview process, please let us know at the time of booking your interview and we will make every effort to accommodate your needs.

Note: Online applications are accepted until midnight Mountain Standard Time of the closing date.

We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those individuals selected for an interview will be contacted.