Research Assistant in Vancouver

The Canadian Research Initiative in Substance Matters (CRISM) invites applications for two Research Assistants to join the CRISM British Columbia Team. CRISM is a national research network dedicated to generating, translating, and mobilizing evidence to improve the health and well-being of people who use substances and to strengthen substance use policy, prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and health systems in Canada.

The successful candidate will support a portfolio of systematic review activities addressing priority questions related to substance use, clinical care, treatment, harm reduction, prevention, public health, and health services. The work will involve the identification, screening, appraisal, extraction, organization, and synthesis of evidence from published research studies.

The position will involve working closely with CRISM investigators and research team members to support systematic reviews conducted using established methodological approaches. Depending on the project, the successful candidate may contribute to reviews intended to inform clinical practice, clinical guidelines, practice recommendations, and other evidence-based guidance documents.

The successful candidate will be expected to work carefully and systematically, apply established review protocols and eligibility criteria, maintain accurate documentation, and communicate effectively with members of the research team. The position may involve working across multiple systematic review projects and research questions.

Work Performed

• Conducting and supporting literature searches to identify published research relevant to systematic review questions
• Screening titles and abstracts and reviewing full-text articles against established eligibility criteria
• Documenting inclusion and exclusion decisions and identifying studies requiring further discussion or adjudication
• Extracting data from published research studies using standardized extraction forms and protocols
• Supporting quality appraisal and risk-of-bias assessment using established methodological tools
• Supporting the organization, management, and quality assurance of systematic review data
• Identifying and documenting discrepancies or issues in published research that may affect interpretation of findings
• Supporting the assessment and documentation of potential spin or misleading reporting in published research
• Supporting the development and refinement of systematic review protocols and related documentation
• Supporting registration of systematic review protocols on registries such as PROSPERO
• Supporting the synthesis and presentation of findings, including preparation of evidence tables and summaries of study characteristics and results
• Contributing to the preparation of manuscripts and other scholarly outputs arising from systematic review activities
• Summarizing relevant author conflict-of-interest disclosures, funding sources, committee involvement, and other study or guideline characteristics
• Participating in research team meetings and discussions related to systematic review methodology and findings
• Communicating progress, methodological questions, discrepancies, and challenges to the project lead
• Performing other systematic review and evidence-synthesis activities as required by the research program

Research Environment

The successful candidate will work within an interdisciplinary research environment involving CRISM investigators and collaborators with expertise in substance use, clinical research, public health, epidemiology, health services research, evidence synthesis, guideline development, and knowledge translation.

This position exercises professional judgment and initiative in the conduct of systematic review activities. Errors made could influence the ability of researchers to interpret data correctly, delay the timely completion of work, and thus compromise the results of research projects.

Minimum Qualifications

• High school graduation, some additional training in a related field and a minimum two years of related experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one's own.
• Demonstrated experience or aptitude for conducting literature searches and/or screening published research.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to consistently and accurately apply established protocols and procedures.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills.
• Ability to work independently and meet established timelines.
• Strong written communication skills and ability to accurately summarize research findings.
• Ability to work collaboratively with researchers and other members of a multidisciplinary research team.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in systematic reviews, scoping reviews, rapid reviews, or other forms of evidence synthesis.
• Critical appraisal and risk-of-bias assessment.
• Quantitative or qualitative research methods.
• Clinical research or evaluation of clinical interventions.
• Substance use, mental health, public health, health services, or related research.
• Evidence synthesis related to clinical practice or health-system decision-making.
• Preparation of evidence tables and evidence summaries.
• Manuscript preparation and scientific writing.

Questions about this position may be directed to Shirley Wong (CRISM BC Senior Project Manager, Shirley.C.Wong@ubc.ca). UBC is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, and equitable environment and encourages applications from members of groups that have been marginalized on any grounds enumerated under the BC Human Rights Code.