Project Coordinator

Project Coordinator Position

The Luciana Laboratory in the Department of Psychology seeks to hire a project coordinator who will be responsible for executing a newly funded study. The study, which is a collaboration between the Department of Psychology and the Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, involves a behavioral and neuroimaging assessment of adults with chronic pain who do and do not use medical cannabis for treatment. Participants will be recruited from the general community and from area clinics. Participants will complete neuroimaging protocols, neurocognitive assessments, clinical interviews and self-report measures designed to assess eligibility criteria, psychopathology, medical health, social relationships, personality, risk-taking behaviors, and substance use. Participants will also provide blood and urine samples for the quantification of cannabinoid levels. This position requires in person work. A cover letter is required for consideration.

Major areas of responsibility are as follows:

• Participant Recruitment and Scheduling (35%): Responsible for overseeing all participant recruitment. Maintain a secure recruitment database that includes private information. Help ensure compliance, access, and security in accordance with applicable policies and procedures. Contact participants by phone for recruitment; screen study participants using detailed phone scripts. Schedule participants' research study sessions, including coordination among several team members and research centers outside of the department (e.g., UMN Center for Magnetic Resonance Research); arrange logistical support (e.g., payment, parking).
• Data Documentation and Management (30%): Review data to assure quality and accuracy; conduct routine quality control checks. Ensure data files are accurately labeled and stored in their proper locations on the lab's dedicated server to facilitate access and analysis. Process electronic data files from cognitive tasks to extract relevant variables of interest. Create spreadsheets through which data can be entered and/or integrated. Develop and implement data entry protocols and procedures. Supervise data entry by undergraduate research assistants. Ensure data collection and documentation deadlines are met in advance of grant submissions, conference presentations, and publication efforts. Ensure milestones and deadlines are met. Responsible for accurate documentation of study visits, including recording of completion dates, completion checklists, and documentation of any deviations from protocol that occurred; also includes documentation of participant payments Assure that biological specimens are properly handled and stored according to protocol instructions; this involves supervision of team members who will execute this task.
• Data Collection (25%): Administer paper-pencil and computerized neurocognitive assessments to collect behavioral data (i.e., examining aspects of learning, memory, executive functioning and language skills); paper-pencil measures include self-report questionnaires that are completed by the participants. Assist with data collection during MRI sessions.
• Undergraduate Research Assistant Supervision (5%): Hire, onboard, train, and manage performance of undergraduate research assistants. Ensure adherence to study protocols.
• Lab Operations (5%): Assist with ordering lab supplies. Monitoring lab computer systems to assure continued full operation. Printing lab documents, as needed. Attend weekly lab meetings and meet weekly with project directors.

Qualifications Required: BA/BS in psychology or related field, or a combination of related education and work experience to equal 4 years. Prior coursework or work experience in the area of abnormal psychology/psychopathology. Prior research experience in an academic research setting that included interaction with research participants. Ability to maintain a flexible work schedule (some evenings and weekends required for data collection). Proficient with Excel, SPSS and/or R programming. Ability to work onsite at the Center for Magnetic Resonance Research (CMRR) and Elliott Hall.

Preferred Qualifications: It is strongly preferred that the candidate's prior research experience was with human participants and included recruitment, interviewing, and neuropsychological testing of participants. Good social skills; ability to build rapport with participants Prior supervisory experience. Detail-oriented. Ability to work independently. Experience working with substance-using and/or chronic pain populations. Experience working with older adults. Interest in learning how to conduct neuroimaging sessions and collect blood samples. Interest in learning about the brain and how to evaluate MRI brain scans. Excellent verbal and written communication skills. Knowledge of University of Minnesota IT systems. Knowledge of University of Minnesota IRB requirements and Ethos system.

About the Department: The Department of Psychology is one of the largest departments within the College of Liberal Arts and is a highly ranked department nationally. Currently, the department has 50 core faculty, 70+ staff, 130 graduate students, and it supports the largest number of undergraduate majors of any academic program on the UMN Twin Cities campus. Additionally, the department has $50 million or more in active research funding at any given time (the majority from NIH), spread across 70 or more projects. In its 100 plus year history, the Department of Psychology has been marked by distinction and excellence.

About the College of Liberal Arts: Home to the arts, social sciences and humanities disciplines and programs, the College of Liberal Arts is the largest college in the University of Minnesota and comprises 31 academic departments, and over 20 interdisciplinary research centers and administrative/support units. CLA has over 1,300 faculty and staff spanning research, teaching, advising, outreach, and administrative functions. CLA units reside in over twenty buildings on the East Bank and West Bank of the Twin Cities campus. CLA enrolls nearly 13,000 undergraduate students, over 40% of the undergraduate enrollment on the Twin Cities campus, 1,400 graduate students, and has an annual all-funds budget of $290 million. CLA is a destination for curious, compassionate individuals who are committed to making our increasingly interdependent and diverse global community work for everyone.

The University recognizes and values the importance of diversity and inclusion in enriching the employment experience of its employees and in supporting the academic mission. The University is committed to attracting and retaining employees with varying identities and backgrounds. The University of Minnesota provides equal access to and opportunity in its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.