Research Associate

McMaster University; Hamilton; On-site; CAD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

McMaster University seeks an experienced Research Associate I to manage NCCMT’s Rapid Evidence Synthesis portfolio across multiple sites and disciplines. You will supervise staff and students, design search strategies, screen literature, extract data, and write syntheses for dissemination and funding proposals.

Responsibilities include developing collaborations with research user groups, sustaining partnerships, and contributing to grant applications and manuscripts.

Qualifications

• Doctoral degree in a relevant field; seven years of relevant experience; experience leading public health syntheses (quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods).
• Experience with grant writing and funding proposals; ability to supervise multi-site research teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead NCCMT’s Rapid Evidence Synthesis portfolio and oversee synthesis projects.
• Supervise contributing staff and students; develop search strategies; oversee screening, data extraction and data analysis; write syntheses.
• Contribute to grant applications related to public health workforce development, evidence-informed decision making, and synthesis methods.
• Plan and coordinate a large, multi-site research program and develop collaborations with research user groups.
• Develop budgets and manage program finances; produce presentations and manuscripts.

Skills

Research Methods

Mentorship with Leadership

Partnership Development

Knowledge Translation

Public Health

Evidence Informed Decision Making

Systematic reviews

GRADE familiarity

EndNote

DistillerSR

Project management

Data analysis

Fundraising/Grants

Manuscript writing

Education

Doctoral degree in relevant field

Tools

DistillerSR

EndNote

Job description

Education Level Doctoral degree in relevant field of study

Career Level Experienced

Job Description

The National Collaborating Centre for Methods and Tools (NCCMT) encourages and scales evidence-informed decision making in public health organizations in Canada. We achieve this by providing high-quality resources, real-world training and practical mentorship that evolves with, and responds to, the ever-changing needs of public health. We are one of six National Collaborating Centres funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada.

The Research Associate (I) will manage and contribute to the NCCMT’s Rapid Evidence Synthesis portfolio (oversee synthesis projects; supervise contributing staff and students; develop search strategies; oversee title and abstract screening; conduct data extraction and data analysis; write syntheses). Additionally the Research Associate (I) will contribute to grant applications in collaboration with NCCMT Co-Scientific Directors related to public health workforce development, Evidence-Informed Decision Making, and advancing Evidence Synthesis methods, as well as writing manuscripts, presenting at conferences, and contributing to knowledge mobilization tools and products.

Job Summary:

Responsible for planning, managing, and overseeing a large, multi-site, multi-disciplinary research program, with the potential to compose, lead, and conduct research as an independent investigator or as a co-investigator within a faculty member's program. Develops collaborations and partnerships with research user groups to help shape research directions and ensure effective research transfer.

Purpose and Key Functions:

• Initiate, design, and lead a research program.
• Formulate research questions and generate and test hypotheses.
• Make significant contributions to the design of a research program to answer questions and solve complex research problems.
• Publish results as first author in scientific peer-reviewed journals.
• Author scientific papers, funding proposals, and abstracts.
• Write research proposals, submit proposals to external funding agencies, and secure funding to conduct research through grants and contracts.
• Plan and coordinate all aspects of a major research program across multiple sites.
• Develop inter-disciplinary, inter-institutional, and inter-sectoral research collaborations.
• Negotiate research agreements and subcontracts to meet site and coordinating centre requirements.
• Develop budget for a research program.
• Implement and maintain a research program budget. Create financial projections and make adjustments to a research program budget throughout the fiscal year.
• Troubleshoot problems at all stages of program development and implementation and modify protocol or program procedures to address challenges.
• Participate with a team in the development and authoring of research protocols.
• Design a promotional strategy and related materials to encourage participation and support for a research program.
• Conduct quantitative and qualitative program participant interviews.
• Facilitate focus group sessions with program participants.
• Coordinate and manage the collection, delivery, entry, verification, analysis, and reporting of data.
• Oversee the design of data management systems.
• Apply specialized knowledge and scientific principles to review, critically appraise and interpret published literature.
• Develop estimates of time and resources for a research program.
• Use statistical software to analyze complex data and interpret results.
• Liaise between the program centre and remote program sites and personnel.
• Develop presentations and present at meetings, seminars, and conferences.
• Conduct literature searches.

Supervision:

• Provide lead hand supervision and is responsible for the quality and quantity of work of others.
• Ongoing responsibility for supervising up to 9 casual employees at any one time.

Requirements:

• Doctoral degree in a relevant field of study.
• Requires 7 years of relevant experience.

Assets:

Relevant doctoral areas of foci and work experience include but are not limited to:

• Research Methods
• Mentorship with Leadership
• Partnership Development
• Knowledge Translation
• Public Health
• Experience leading public health relevant (quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods) evidence syntheses (question development, search strategy, critical appraisal, data extraction, synthesis of findings)
• Familiarity with GRADE
• High-level understanding of scientific research (language, appraisal tools, indexing systems)
• Experience using systematic review software (e.g., DistillerSR)
• Experience using reference management software (e.g., EndNote)
• Experiencing cultivating and sustaining sustain collaborations, partnerships and networks
• Experience in managing large-scale, multi-jurisdictional qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods research projects

Employment Equity Statement

McMaster University is located on the traditional territories of the Haudenosaunee and Mississauga Nations and within the lands protected by the “Dish With One Spoon” wampum agreement.

The diversity of our workforce is at the core of our innovation and creativity and strengthens our research and teaching excellence. In keeping with its Statement on Building an Inclusive Community with a Shared Purpose, McMaster University strives to embody the values of respect, collaboration and diversity, and has a strong commitment to employment equity.

The University seeks qualified candidates who share our commitment to equity and inclusion, who will contribute to the diversification of ideas and perspectives, and especially welcomes applications from indigenous (First Nations, Métis or Inuit) peoples, members of racialized communities, persons with disabilities, women, and persons who identify as 2SLGBTQ+.

As part of McMaster’s commitment, all applicants are invited to complete a confidential Applicant Diversity Survey through the online application submission process. The Survey questionnaire requests voluntary self-identification in relation to equity-seeking groups that have historically faced and continue to face barriers in employment. Please refer to the Applicant Diversity Survey - Statement of Collection for additional information.

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Hybrid Work Language

To ensure an ongoing and vibrant University community that meets the needs of our students, staff and faculty and supports the University mission, ability to work on-site continues to be a requirement for most University positions. The University is supportive of exploring flexible work arrangements that effectively balance operational needs and employee interests.

Interview Experience

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