Careers

Description:

Research Assistant/Research Specialist

Seattle Epidemiologic Research and Information Center (ERIC)

Are you interested in helping to improve the healthcare of our United States Veterans through meaningful work in a collaborative environment? The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Cooperative Studies Program (CSP) is a nationally renowned program of epidemiology and clinical trial research centers that produce innovative and effective solutions to Veteran and national healthcare problems through high quality multi-site research studies.

The Seattle Epidemiologic Research and Information Center is a CSP research center currently hiring multiple full-time Research Assistants/Research Specialists who want to be part of our research team. The ERIC is part of the VA Puget Sound Health Care System and works to improve the health outcomes of Veterans through epidemiologic research. Applicants will be considered for all open positions.

Key Duties for all positions:

• Assist with the development and maintenance of study databases, including data entry and data management
• Assist with the development, implementation, and maintenance of standard operating procedures and study materials
• Assist with the preparation and tracking of IRB submissions and other regulatory documents
• Schedule and prepare for local and national research meetings, assist with the development of scientific presentations and meeting materials

Qualifications for all positions:

• BA/BS in a scientific- or health-related field required
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office programs (e.g., Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook) required
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills and the ability to collaborate with a diverse group of researchers and staff
• Strong attention to detail and organizational skills
• Problem-solving and critical thinking
• Excellent time management
• Ability to adapt to changing priorities and timelines
• Experience with data management systems (e.g., REDCap, Microsoft Access) preferred
• Experience in clinical, epidemiological, or health services research preferred

Study Descriptions and Study-specific Key Duties

Each of the following study teams are looking to hire a Research Assistant/Research Specialist

CSP #595: SHADE Study

The CSP #595: Service and Health Among Deployed Veterans Study (SHADE Study) is a multi-site observational study. The aim of the study is to characterize the impact of deployment-related pollution exposures during Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), and Operation New Dawn (OND) on current respiratory health.

CSP #595 Key Duties:

• Serve as a liaison with investigators, site personnel, consultants, and contractors
• Monitor subject recruitment and data collection activities and prepare reports and presentations
• Conduct quality assurance/quality control procedures, including consent form audits and data reconciliation
• Track progress and productivity of studies and projects

Core Team

The ERIC Core team supports day-to-day research activities for the Center. Members of the Core team also support studies coordinated at our Center and work on national CSP initiatives. Experience with customer service, particularly by telephone and e-mail, is preferred for a position on this team.

Core Key Duties:

• Coordinate and conduct research communications with study participants, including calling research participants and performing study mailings
• Assist with the development of Program- and Center-wide research operational documents and procedures
• Assist with research staff onboarding efforts in support of study teams
• Provide research support to Center PIs, researchers, and study teams as needed

Support Center- and Program-wide research quality control and safety efforts through proper documentation tracking and maintenance

CSP #256 & CSP #2007: Vietnam-Era Registries (VER) Team

The VER Team supports the CSP #256: Vietnam-Era Twin (VET) Registry and the CSP #2007: National Vietnam Veterans Longitudinal Study (NVVLS) Registry. The VET Registry contains data from over 14,000 Vietnam-Era Veteran twins and more than 3,400 of their family members. The NVVLS Registry contains data from over 2,300 Vietnam-Era Veterans. Experience with customer service, particularly by telephone, is preferred for a position on this team.

VER Key Duties:

• Working with the Vietnam-Era Registries team to support day-to-day operational activities
• Engaging with Registry members and maintaining the infrastructure of the Registries
• Conducting recruitment activities for NIH-funded studies and CSP-initiated projects
  • Conducting initial recruitment telephone calls to enroll subjects in research
  • Assembling informational and initial recruitment mailing packets to research subjects
• Serving as a liaison between the Vietnam-Era Registries and key stakeholders
  • Working closely with the Vietnam-Era Registries team, other ERIC teams, lab personnel, oversight bodies, and external researchers and study site staff to ensure effective collaboration and to meet study objectives
  • Engaging with researchers and study participants requesting information on the repositories

CSP #2028: EPIC3 Study

The CSP #2028: Epidemiology, Immunology, and Clinical Characteristics of COVID-19 (EPIC33) Study is a multi-site observational study. The aim of the study is to gather longitudinal data on the epidemiology, virology, and clinical characteristics of the COVID-19 disease and SARS-CoV-2 infections among Veterans in order to answer key research questions about their natural history and clinical outcomes, and to better anticipate and manage pandemics in the future. 

CSP #2028 Key Duties:

• Serve as a liaison with investigators, site personnel, consultants, and contractors
• Ensure compliance with study protocol, including informed consent, safety, and data security requirements
• Work closely with the EPIC3 coordinating team and study sites to ensure effective collaboration and maintain accurate data capture
• Monitor data collection activities at sites and take corrective action when required
• Track study progress at sites, identify deficiencies, and recommend solutions
• Track inventory and distribution of study supplies to sites

Learn more about the ERIC and CSP at:

• Seattle ERIC website: https://www.seattle.eric.research.va.gov/ 
• VA CSP website: https://www.vacsp.research.va.gov/

Application Information

All positions are based in Seattle, WA and all candidates must be U.S. citizens. Top candidates’ education and experience will be evaluated by Human Resources to determine if they meet the criteria for the targeted range of GS-5-GS-7. The General Schedule (GS) salary table for Seattle can be found on the Office of Personnel Managemen