Job Description

Specialist, Research Compliance

Posting Number: SF02073

Position Type: Professional Staff

Union: PSA/NEA - Professional Staff Assoc

Pay Grade Level: Grade Level: 9

Pay Grade Range: Anticipated Salary Hiring Range: $65,000 - $70,000

Department: Research Office

Campus Location:

Job Description Summary:

About URI:

The University of Rhode Island enrolls approximately 17,000 students across its graduate and undergraduate programs and is the State's flagship public research university, as well as the land grant and sea grant university, for the state of Rhode Island. The main campus is located in the historic village of Kingston, and the Bay Campus is located in Narragansett. Both campuses are near major beaches in a beautiful coastal community. URI is just 30 minutes from Providence, RI and within easy reach of Newport, Boston, and New York City.

POSITION SUMMARY:

Under the supervision of the Director of Research Integrity, provide administrative oversight, guidance, and support relating to all activities of the Institutional Review Board (IRB), the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC), the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), and the Responsible Conduct of Research Program, as well as other Research Compliance committees or areas of responsibility as required. Provide guidance on current regulatory, policy, and procedural requirements to committee members, researchers, and staff. Attend committee meetings and work with and provide support to committee chairs.

Duties and Responsibilities:

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Under the general supervision of the Director of Research Integrity, be responsible for supporting the day-to-day management of all administrative responsibilities relating to the University's research compliance programs.

Assist investigators, graduate students, research staff, and administrators with protocol applications, review, and approval.

Provide support to submissions coordinators for all compliance-related protocols. Assist faculty, staff, and students in the proper use of electronic systems, including developing and revising training materials and facilitating workshops on a regular basis in the use of the university's compliance systems.

Uphold the requirements of AAALAC, USDA, OLAW, HHS, NIH, Federal-Wide Assurance, the Common Rule, and all other relevant federal, state, and University regulations, policies, and procedures.

Assist in conducting advance review of research protocol submissions for accurate and thorough content; work with researchers as needed to revise submissions; determine, as part of the advance review process, whether multiple approvals are required; and coordinate efforts between committees to ensure appropriate approvals are obtained in correct succession.

Review externally funded research protocols in conjunction with the Office of Sponsored Projects as needed to ensure that appropriate compliance approvals are in place prior to grant funds being released.

Coordinate planning, training, and implementation efforts for the Office of Research Integrity's electronic systems.

Support the tracking of IRB Authorization Agreements (IAA) with external research institutions and maintain cooperative IRB relationships and agreements with those institutions through formal contracts and informal networking. Monitor and manage SMART IRB protocols and agreements. Monitor ClinicalTrials.gov records for compliance with applicable standards.

Contribute to the development and implementation of a training program in the Responsible Conduct of Research, delivering training modules in research misconduct, data acquisition and management, responsible authorship, peer review, mentoring and collaborative research. Work with representatives from the Graduate School and Colleges to tailor the program to specific needs of various constituents.

Design and conduct training workshops and coordinate online CITI training and certification programs.

Work with support staff on the evaluation of protocol information to ensure accurate entry of data into the appropriate database; maintain auditable database and paper records.

OTHER DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Develop documents for review by the appropriate committees and coordinate in determining appropriate items for meeting agendas; record highly technical and complex meeting minutes to conform with federal regulatory requirements; inform researchers about committee decisions in a timely manner.

Serve as an information resource to researchers and students in meeting requirements and standards consistent with federal and state regulations and institutional policies and procedures.

Work closely, cooperatively, and professionally with other Research Integrity staff members and coordinate efforts with the Division as a whole, including providing coverage as needed.

Engage in professional development opportunities as available, maintain memberships in professional listservs, and regularly review postings to gain updated information about relevant regulations and best practices and apply them to Research Integrity materials and procedures.

Perform additional duties as required.

LICENSES, TOOLS, AND EQUIPMENT:

Personal computers, printers; word processing, database management, and other computer software as needed; Microsoft Office 365.

Posting Date: 10/06/2025