Clinical Research Assistant

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At VCU, we are UNCOMMON and UNLIKE any other university. A premier, urban, public research university nationally recognized as one of the best employers in Virginia. We know that the unique backgrounds and life experiences of the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) community are what drive the university forward. Together, we’re forging a future that is built by us. Here, artists and engineers, doctors and designers come together to re-imagine the human experience and tackle the problems of tomorrow.

VCU is a great place to work. It’s a place of opportunity where your success is supported and your career can thrive. VCU offers employees a generous leave package, career paths for advancement, competitive pay, and an opportunity to do mission-driven work.

VCU's Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation and its Institute for Drug and Alcohol Studies (IDAS) invite all interested candidates to apply for our Clinical Research Assistant position! IDAS advances multidisciplinary research and training on the neuroscience of addictions and related neurobehavioral disorders.

Our impact is measured one student and patient at a time. VCU’s unequaled combination of excellence, research and creativity makes success possible for every one of our 300,000+ “RAMily” members. And that makes us one of the most innovative universities in the country.

All full-time staff are eligible for our generous benefits package that includes choices for health, vision, and dental coverage, life-insurance, short and long-term disability coverage, retirement planning, tax-deferred annuity and cash match programs, flexible spending accounts, tuition benefits, significant paid-time off,12 paid holidays, and more. Explore our benefits further here: https://hr.vcu.edu/current-employees/benefits/

Position Primary Purpose and General Duties

The VCU Institute for Drug and Alcohol Studies (IDAS) advances multidisciplinary research and training on the neuroscience of addictions and related neurobehavioral disorders. Research Assistants perform a variety of routine, non-technical duties in assisting technical and professional personnel in a research laboratory setting. The Research Assistant will be expected to perform most components of data collection from human-subject volunteers required for a biomedical behavioral research study.

• Participant/research subject recruitment, including placement of IRB approved materials and media advertisements about research studies being conducted at IDAS, as well as collection and computer entry of responses and information furnished by potential research volunteers contacting the lab by phone, web or other means in order to identify possible participants
• Collection of informed consent from research volunteers, including describing the study to research participant candidates in simple language, and overseeing the signing of consent and assent forms.
• Biological data collection, including collection and testing of urine drug samples using test kits as well as administration of breathalyzer assessment of alcohol intoxication; Psychometric data collection, including administration, collection and scoring of paper-and-pencil or computer-driven questionnaires, as well as administration and recording of computer-driven cognitive performance tasks
• Accurate and secure transmission and storage of study data, including to centralized databases or to physically-secured case report forms for industry sponsored clinical trials
• Accurate calculation of subject compensation; Coordinate a busy study visit for the subjects, including escorting research volunteers to and from the different tasks and testing rooms and waiting rooms of the research facility
• Other duties assigned by supervisor or Principal Investigator such as managing and supporting the PI’s student researchers