Senior Research Specialist - CRTEC

Senior Research Specialist - CRTEC

Hiring Department: Cancer Research Training and Education Coordination, UI Cancer Center

Location: Chicago, IL USA

Requisition ID

Posting Close Date: November 13, 2024

About the University of Illinois Chicago

UIC is among the nation's preeminent urban public research universities, a Carnegie RU/VH research institution, and the largest university in Chicago. UIC serves over 34,000 students, comprising one of the most diverse student bodies in the nation and is designated as a Minority Serving Institution (MSI), an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPSI) and a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI). Through its 16 colleges, UIC produces nationally and internationally recognized multidisciplinary academic programs in concert with civic, corporate and community partners worldwide, including a full complement of health sciences colleges. By emphasizing cutting-edge and transformational research along with a commitment to the success of all students, UIC embodies the dynamic, vibrant and engaged urban university. Recent "Best Colleges" rankings published by U.S. News & World Report, found UIC climbed up in its rankings among top public schools in the nation and among all national universities. UIC has over 300,000 alumni, and is one of the largest employers in the city of Chicago.

Description:

The University of Illinois Cancer Center isseeking candidates to fill the position of Senior Research Specialist in the Office of Cancer Research Training and EducationCoordination (CRTEC). CRTEC is responsible for developingand coordinating education, training, and career advancement activities tosupport diverse trainees, from K-12 students to early-career faculty, engaged and mentored in cancer-relatedresearch. Under the guidance of the Director of CRTEC, the dedicated andexperienced Senior Research Specialist will lead and manage cancer researchtraining programs. The role will be responsible for advancing the researchcareers of trainees and guiding them towards independent faculty careers, withan emphasis on diversity and inclusion. The Senior Research Specialist willcollaborate with faculty mentors, research institutions, and UI Cancer CenterCores to ensure that the next generation of cancer researchers have thenecessary skills, mentorship, and resources to succeed. Additionally, this rolewill involve tracking program outcomes and contributing to the development oftrainees and institutional training grants.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Develop and lead activities of the CRTEC early pathway programs, aimed at improving diversity within cancer research for K-12 and undergraduate students, including planning and attending career/recruiting events, including disseminating research training and educational program information to educators and potential trainees.
• Collaborate with research faculty mentors to oversee the development of research projects for summer program trainees, and ensure timely completion of the research deliverables (e.g., presentation slides, posters, and research papers).
• Manage cancer-focused training programs for advanced trainees, including graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, clinical residents/fellows, and Early-Stage Investigators (ESIs) to support their career development and research progress.
• Lead the recruitment, application, interview, selection, and enrollment/onboarding processes for various training programs, including curriculum development, research faculty mentor matching, and stipend payment.
• Simultaneously implement multiple educational and research training programs, ensuring ethical submission with the Institutional Review Board (IRB) and compliance with UIC departments (e.g., Protection of Minor) for the appropriate program(s).
• Plan research immersive and career development activities such as organizing workshops, travel awards, scholarships, research placements, and grant-writing seminars to provide hands-on experience and skill-building for advanced trainees and increase research outputs (e.g., publications, diversity supplements, grant submissions).
• Monitor trainee outcomes, conduct program evaluation, and assess training needs and gaps, through developing training and evaluation metrics and data collection instruments, and distributing, collecting, and analyzing survey data to determine trends of trainees' development and successes.
• Collaborate with CRTEC leadership to identify solutions to address the needs and gaps. Ensure evaluation procedures comply with IRB approval. Use data to continually improve training programs and provide support for institutional cancer-related training grants.
• Support the initiation, development, and submission of institutional training grants (e.g., R25 and T32) and trainee fellowship awards (e.g., F awards and diversity supplements), contributing data and insights to secure funding for the continuation and expansion of training programs and participating in research grant review process.
• Create reports and presentations for leadership, partners, and stakeholders, representing the outcomes and impact of the education and research training programs. Ensure timely reporting in compliance with partners' and funding agencies' requirements including the National Cancer Institute (NCI).
• Contribute material and co-author research manuscripts, such as preparing literature reviews, assisting in manuscripts and conference presentation development, and other documents.
• Manage the Trainee Membership Program activities on UIC, Rockford, and Peoria campuses.
• Manage the financial processes and expenditures related to the CRTEC research training and educational programs.
• Partner with UI Cancer Center's cores and institutional departments to link advanced trainees to resources tailored to their needs.
• Establish, engage, and coordinate working relationships with peers at internal and external partner sites to provide and improve research training and educational opportunities. Attend and conduct presentations at internal and external partner sites' meetings and committees related to educational and training opportunities offered by CRTEC, including serving as a UI Cancer Center liaison.
• Work with UI Cancer Center peers in the offices of Community Engagement and Health Equity (CEHE) and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) to promote diversity strategies in research training and educational efforts.
• Collaborate with the UI Cancer Center Marketing and Communications team to manage regular communication and resources by gathering and developing newsletters, website and social media content, and other communication efforts that highlight accomplishments, disseminate training opportunities, and provide resources to students and trainees. Ensure all communications meet branding and compliance policies.
• Participate in the hiring, training, and supervision of the CRTEC research staff team.
• Create standard operating procedure manuals for research training activities.
• Perform other related duties and participate in special projects as assigned.

Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in social science or related field required. A Master's degree in social science, or science-related field is strongly preferred.
• Minimum of 5 years related research experience.
• Possess and apply advanced knowledge of research principles, concepts, practices, and methods.

Preferred Qualifications

• Minimum of two years of experience working in an educational or healthcare setting or related field.
• Experience in managing academic research or training programs, specifically with a focus on supporting graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, or early-stage investigators.
• Experience in program evaluation, education, measurement, evaluation, statistics, and assessment.
• Specialized knowledge in project/program management, supervising program staff and setting clearly defined professional development goals.
• Experience preparing or supporting institutional training grant submissions
• Demonstrated knowledge of working with a diverse range of stakeholders, including faculty, administrative teams, trainees, and external partners.
• Ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously, be team-oriented, and work closely with various stakeholders.
• Possess analytical, organizational, and critical thinking skills.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills are essential to maintain effective working relationships with peers, employees, students, managers at all levels, and internal and external constituencies (UIC departments, parents, high schools, and other colleges /universities).
• The successful candidate will be a self-starter, adaptive independent thinker with the ability to develop resources, problem-solve, high interpersonal skills, and professionalism.

The University of Illinois System is an equal opportunity employer, including but not limited to disability and/or veteran status, and complies with all applicable state and federal employment mandates. Please visit Required Employment Notices and Posters to view our non-discrimination statement and find additional information about required background checks, sexual harassment/misconduct disclosures, and employment eligibility review through E-Verify.

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