Research Assistant III Non-Lab (Research Project and Data Assistant)

About the role

The Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies (HCPDS) is a university-wide initiative dedicated to interdisciplinary research focused primarily on the quantitative social science of population change, socioeconomic development, and public health. Our goal is to produce population-based evidence that will better inform policies needed to create healthy and resilient societies.

Responsibilities

• Process (e.g., receiving electronically collected data), organize (e.g., merging and creating analytic datasets), summarize (e.g., generating summary statistics using Stata or similar software), and analyze data (e.g., conducting basic regression analyses using Stata or similar software)
• Support tracking of HAALSA and HAALSA-HCAP project fieldwork progress, helping to ensure benchmarks are met and timelines are followed
• Aid in the setup and maintenance of logistical aspects of the projects (e.g., study protocol training, document management, and data collection systems)
• Support training of the field-based study team, including preparing training materials, organizing study binders, and assisting with evaluation of field staff prior to fieldwork
• Follow and help implement standard operating procedure (SOP) documents to ensure protocols are adhered to
• Aid in the standardization and streamlining of data collection and reporting, ensuring data quality and adherence to ethical standards
• Support with the preparation of HAALSA and HAALSA-HCAP datasets and codebooks for public release
• Aid in the scoring of neuropsychological tests to evaluate reliability and create summary measures
• Organize and track processes related to the translation of study surveys and tools
• Oversee licensing requests for cognitive assessment tools
• Help coordinate remote dementia diagnostic consensus meetings
• Assist in the preparation of slides and presentations
• Collate, organize, draft, and/or edit materials for research papers, manuscripts, progress reports, articles, and other documents for publication or presentation, with the opportunity for co-authorship
• Communicate and collaborate with affiliated research personnel at other institutions, including the field team in South Africa
• Support coordination with South African counterparts to track study progress and monitor participant recruitment and compliance
• Support collaboration with HAALSI project investigators and the study team on scientific analyses
• Learn and apply new research methods or software as project needs evolve
• Perform other duties as assigned

Qualifications

• Basic Qualifications: 3+ years of related experience is required; a combination of education and experience may be considered
• Experience with statistical software such as STATA (strongly preferred), R, SAS, and/or other statistical software is required
• Additional Qualifications and Skills: Master’s degree in global public health, biostatistics, epidemiology, psychology or related field strongly preferred
• Prior experience with clinical trials, observational studies; experience working on NIH studies; Institutional Review Board ethics protocol preparation; prior management and/or capacity building experience
• Experience in working with complex longitudinal data sets such as HRS, SHARE, and related international sister studies, etc.
• Demonstrable interest in research related to aging, learning and memory, or cognitive neuroscience
• Previous experience with cognitive testing
• International work or travel experience
• Demonstrated experience with research project management
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Culturally sensitive with excellent interpersonal skills to facilitate team-based work and interaction with research participants
• Excellent organizational and time management skills
• Experience working well independently as well as cooperatively within a team while also being able to take initiative
• Experience with STATA (strongly preferred), R, or SAS
• Experience using MS Excel, Word, Outlook, SharePoint, OneDrive, and Dropbox