"Research Assistant"

About the Team

The Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry is one of the world's top academic health science centres. With 21 departments, multiple research institutes and centres, and a focus on excellence in education, research, and clinical care, the faculty trains outstanding medical and dental professionals and drives global health innovation in collaboration with partners across sectors.

Description

This competition is open to all applicants however; internal candidates and applicants who were former employees of the University of Alberta will be given priority consideration before external candidates. Please log in to verify your internal candidate status.

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

This position has a term length of 1 year plus 1 day and offers a comprehensive benefits package.

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

The Research Assistant leads a mixed-methods research and program-building agenda on safe rural surgical task sharing and enhanced surgical skills for family physicians, with a strong equity focus on Indigenous and remote communities. Responsibilities span study design and operations, site coordination across rural hospitals, community and Indigenous engagement, data management and analysis, grant and manuscript development, and translation of findings into ESS curriculum and policy-relevant outputs.

The Research Assistant also supports the Office of Global Surgery (OGS) in advancing research and program development within the Rural Surgical & Obstetrical Networks of Alberta (RSONA) initiative and related OGS projects. The incumbent will coordinate research activities, contribute to program evaluation, and assist in knowledge translation to improve surgical and obstetrical care in rural Alberta. They will play an integral role in supporting the Rural Surgical Coaching Program and in strengthening OGS's academic and operational research functions.

Responsibilities

Research and Evaluation (30%)

• Design and implement mixed-methods protocols (qualitative and quantitative)

Community Partner Engagement (15%)

• Coordinate with rural site leadership, the Rural Surgical and Obstetrical Networks of Alberta (RSONA), Office of Global Surgery (OGS), Indigenous partners, and patient groups to support culturally safe approaches and community advisory processes.
• Plan and execute site visits, workflows, and readiness assessments for rural surgical and obstetrical services.

Grants, Manuscripts, and Knowledge Mobilization (20%)

• Support prospecting and preparation of external grants; coordinate timelines and compliance.
• Draft manuscripts for peer-reviewed journals; prepare briefing notes and practice tools for providers and policy audiences.
• Present findings to academic, clinical, and community stakeholders.

Program Operations (10%)

• Track milestones, budgets, and reporting; coordinate trainees/assistants; maintain shared documentation aligned with FoMD standards.

Coaching Program and Network Evaluation Support (25%)

• Provide research and logistical support for the Rural Surgical Coaching Program, including data collection, evaluation, and documentation of outcomes.
• Support tracking and analysis of coaching program, learning outcomes, and competency development based on the coaching framework.
• Assist in coordinating evaluations related to coach training modules, learner engagement, and CME accreditation processes.
• Contribute to the development of evaluation tools and feedback systems that measure the impact of programs on rural surgical capacity and provider well-being.
• Liaise with participating coaches, rural physicians, and program partners to ensure timely data collection and knowledge sharing.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Sciences, Health, Business, Public Health, Social Sciences, or a related field.
• At least 5 years of relevant experience in rural community or low-to-mid-income countries with research coordination or health-services projects (e.g., data collection, participant engagement, basic quantitative/qualitative methods).
• Advanced proficiency with standard productivity tools (Google Workspace/Microsoft Office) and statistical analysis software (STATA, GraphPad Prism); ability to learn platforms such as REDCap, SPSS/Excel.
• Strong written and verbal communication; organization, attention to detail, and the ability to work independently, in groups, and as part of a cross-functional team.
• Ability to travel to rural and remote sites; valid driver’s license and ability to meet site onboarding requirements.
• Grant writing and awards experience is considered an asset (Tri-Agency, foundations, or philanthropic).
• Prior experience with writing and has published manuscripts.
• Prior experience with rural healthcare delivery or rural/remote program coordination considered an asset; familiarity with Alberta’s rural ecosystem preferred.
• Current understanding of the collaborative effort between the Faculty of Medicine and RSONA to address unmet surgical needs in rural communities. Experience engaging with Indigenous communities and applying culturally safe, community based approaches.
• Mixed-methods research execution (REB, SOPs, qualitative interviewing, data analysis, REDCap) and contributions to abstracts/manuscripts.
• Stakeholder coordination across hospitals, universities, and community partners; experience in global surgery, rural obstetrics, or endoscopy pathways.

Application Instructions

Click "Apply Now" to submit the following documents:

• Resume
• Cover letter
• List of publications