Research Assistant, Indigenous Health & Wellness, College of Medicine

Research Assistant, Indigenous Health & Wellness, College of Medicine

Primary Purpose: To provide research and administrative support to Mitewekan, an undertaking of Pewaseskwan (the Indigenous Wellness Research Group). Mitewekan consists of Indigenous Elders, Knowledge Holders, people with lived/living experience of health conditions and Indigenous and allied health leaders from across Canada. It will guide various existing and new research collaborations across Canada on the contextualization and adaptation needed for culturally safe and responsive healthcare and research.

Nature of Work: The Research Assistant will report to the Principal Investigators, with day-to-day direction from the Executive Director and work closely with the Pewaseskwan team, which includes research assistants, community research assistants, community partners, students, faculty and others. The responsibilities require knowledge and skills around academic and community-engaged research and research administration. The role is best suited for someone who can work independently and collaboratively, has strong organizational and analytical skills, and can effectively balance priorities and deadlines. Our team uses a hybrid work model, balanced between on-campus, remote and community-based work.

Typical Duties & Responsibilities:

• Assist in overseeing the project deliverables and perform various project duties, including scheduling, documentation, resource management and project reporting
• Coordinate, participate in and contribute to Mitewekan and internal team meetings
• Collaborate with the project team, including the project lead, research assistants, post-doctoral fellows and community-based project assistants on project activities
• Act as one of the project representatives and liaise with various stakeholders, including the Mitewekan members, partnering communities and community-based organizations
• Develop and maintain good community engagement and relationship-building
• Assist with project communications, including reporting and identifying and carrying out knowledge translation opportunities and activities with academic and community partners
• Assist in the preparation of reports, manuscripts, posters and presentations
• Assist with researching or investigating additional funding source opportunities
• Assist in developing funding applications and ensure all funding applications are complete and submitted appropriately, seeking information and clarification as required
• Assist in the delivery of a wide range of projects within the mandate of Mitewekan
• Work with the project team in managing timelines to ensure projects are completed on time
• Assist with monitoring the scope of work so proper support to the project team can be provided

Additional Tasks May Include:

• Schedule and coordinate data collection sessions (individual interviews and sharing circles), track participants, and ensure necessary records are kept updated and in good order
• Enact data collection protocols (interviews, sharing circles, questionnaires) in adherence to approved ethics protocols
• Facilitate secure transfer and storage of research recordings and raw data (demographics, questionnaires) per ethics protocols
• Use SPSS, NVivo or other research data management software to input/import and organize quantitative and qualitative data.

Qualifications

Education: Applicants will have completed a post-secondary degree in a social or health science field with significant research-based courses and hands-on project implementation and research experience.

Experience:

Applicants should be able to demonstrate the following:

• A working knowledge of project implementation and research processes and experience conducting research with human participants with strong adherence to ethical standards
• Experience facilitating research data collection (interviews, focus groups, sharing circles, etc.). Experience with or knowledge of arts-, land- and cultural-based research activities (, photovoice, Indigenous body mapping, research through land and cultural activities) is a vital asset
• Familiarity with administrative duties necessary for research with human participants (, scheduling data collection activities, research-related record keeping, admin support for research meetings, etc.).
• Experience with written and oral communications of research processes and outcomes for academic and lay/community audiences (, reports, manuscripts, presentations)
• Competency with available software, including Microsoft Office Suite, is Competency using NVivo for qualitative research data management, analysis and interpretation is an asset
• Experience conducting environmental scans, research summaries and reviews of academic and grey literature, including working with academic databases and web-based searches, is an

Skills:

The successful candidate will be someone who:

• Takes initiative and is self-directed in independent work but can also effectively collaborate and communicate with teammates from diverse backgrounds and education/experiences
• Can take direction and feedback/guidance from others (, supervisors, academics, team members and community partners)
• Demonstrates a high standard of professionalism with the ability to maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive matters diplomatically and discreetly
• Can carry out duties efficiently and accurately with minimal supervision/oversight
• Can ensure compliance with ethical, community and institutional processes, practices and policies (, TCPS2, HIPA, OCAP)
• Demonstrates strong attention to detail, with strong problem-solving
• Has practical verbal and written communication skills and can communicate clearly with people from different backgrounds and education levels
• Has a proven ability to navigate multiple responsibilities with competing demands and deadlines
• Is flexible and can adapt to changing priorities

In Addition:

• Preference will be given to applicants with knowledge of and experience in Indigenous health research, including ethical considerations and Indigenous principles and approaches to research
• Preference will be given to applicants with experience working with Indigenous communities, including knowledge of community protocols and Indigenous ways of knowing
• Experience with the policies and processes of the University of Saskatchewan is an asset but not a necessity