Research Assistant

The Addiction and Mental Health Research Laboratory (AMHRL) investigates psychosocial aspects of addiction and mental health, including: studies of smoking, problem drinking, injection drug use, social policy related to addictions, and continuity of care in mental health service delivery. Lab projects adopt an interdisciplinary population health approach and include prevalence studies, secondary interventions, phenomenological and ethnographic methods, psychometrics, and randomized controlled trials.

We are seeking a Research Assistant to work on 2 of our projects:

The Canadian Harm Reduction Policy Project (CHARPP) is a national assessment of the state of harm reduction policy in Canada. This project aims to build a robust understanding of Canadian harm reduction policy making processes and variability in harm reduction service provision. Your work on this project will involve taking the lead in conducting a systematic search, and subsequent analysis, of randomly selected media articles from each province/territory to characterize dominant frames used in media portrayals of harm reduction services. You will also assist in conducting semi-structured qualitative interviews with key informants in the harm reduction field and qualitative analysis of interview transcripts.

The Canadian Research Initiative in Substance Misuse (CRISM) was designed to (a) to identify and/or develop evidence-based clinical and community-based prevention or treatment interventions for substance misuse (SM); (b) provide evidence to support the enhancement of prevention and treatment services regarding SM to decision makers and service providers; and (c) support improvement in quality of care and quality of life for Canadians living with SM.  Your work on this project will contribute to CRISM web and network development, literature reviews, and clinical studies.  

Duties

• Systematically searches for relevant media and scientific articles
• Analyzes and synthesizes media and other texts
• Prepares written research summaries and documents
• Conducts interviews with key informants
• Analyzes interview transcripts and synthesizing findings
• Collects data for clinical studies
• Contributes to website design and management
• Applies ethical principles and established procedures in response to project implementation issues
• Coordinates work with the CHARPP and CRISM Research Coordinators and other members of the research team

Qualifications

• The ideal candidate will have completed or started a Master’s Degree in health promotion, social sciences, or education, preferably with courses and/or experience in research design, implementation, and methods; equivalent combinations of education and experience will be considered
• Experience in media analysis is an asset
• Training in IT and graphics is an asset
• Experience in conducting quantitative and qualitative research and knowledge of relevant methods is desirable
• Experience in collecting data in clinical settings and conducting qualitative interviews is desirable
• Understanding of the basic principles of conducting social science and clinical research
• Excellent communication (verbal and written) skills
• Ability to follow detailed protocols, with minimal supervision
• Works independently, but in coordination with others
• Ability to manage multiple concurrent tasks and timelines with attention to detail
• Identifies and relates concerns of others and exercises good judgement when resolving difficulties
• Sensitivity to ethical issues, especially privacy and confidentiality

Please send a copy of your curriculum vitae (resume) and a cover letter outlining your qualifications and interest in the position to: Denise Adams; 4-061 Edmonton Clinic Health Academy; University of Alberta.