Research Technician

Job Summary

The REINVENT-PT lab (REhabilitation INnoV*ations & Emerging Novel Technologies in Physical T*herapy, Principal Investigator (PI): Dr. Sudha Srinivasan) within the Physical Therapy program in the Department of Kinesiology at the University of Connecticut (UConn) is seeking a Research Specialist to be part time (20 hours per week) or full-time (40 hours per week) to manage operations and coordinate scientific as well as administrative efforts relating to several research projects in the Lab. The candidate recruited for this position will be expected to work in-person and report to the Principal Investigator, Dr. Srinivasan, at the REINVENT-PT Lab located in the Kinesiology building on the Storrs campus.

The REINVENT-PT lab is interested in understanding developmental trajectories of individuals with neuro-developmental disabilities such as Cerebral Palsy, Autism, Down Syndrome, and Intellectual Disability across the lifespan. We are interested in studying how infants and children with developmental disabilities explore their physical and social environment compared to typically developing peers, as well as the cascading effects of motor difficulties on a child’s social communication and cognitive development. Based on our understanding of the developmental trajectories of individuals with disabilities, our goal is to develop multisystem, engaging, evidence-based, behavioral interventions and assistive technologies to empower the lives of people with disabilities. We are interested in developing motivating interventions that harness an individual’s intrinsic interests / preferences in positive ways to bring about sustained behavior change.

Duties and responsibilities

Duties and responsibilities include, but may not be limited, to:

· Organizing and managing daily Lab operations;

· Participant recruitment (via phone calls, emails, outreach efforts), participant screening, and scheduling testing / training sessions;

· Data collection with participants in the Lab and outside the Lab (in and around CT);

· Data entry, record keeping for research data, and assisting with data analysis, data visualization, and data interpretation;

· Working / collaborating with research assistants (undergraduate and graduate students) and assisting in research tasks, including analysis and coding of collected data and data dissemination;

· Overseeing and checking the work of student researchers; assisting students with their work; maintaining progress records of students on a weekly basis and updating the PI during weekly meetings; maintaining communication with student researchers;

· Assisting the PI on preparing and editing/proof-reading reports relating to ongoing projects, including helping with Institutional Review Board (IRB) protocol renewals and amendments; compiling data for progress reports on ongoing grants; compiling data for submission of records to clinicaltrials.gov, compiling data for presentations, etc.;

· Ordering and maintaining Lab supplies; maintaining inventory of Lab equipment and supplies;

· Managing Lab communications (phone, email, website, social media platforms);

· Providing support as needed in the Lab’s operations;

· Contributing intellectually to the Lab’s research efforts and participating in exchanges of ideas to help advance the Lab’s research agenda;

· Assisting and supporting the PI with research-related tasks on projects as required.

Minimum qualifications

1. Bachelor’s degree or Master’s degree in any of the following fields: psychology, allied health, biology, exercise science, physiology and neurobiology, education, cognitive science, communication sciences, and nursing. Students with clinical doctoral degrees e.g., doctor of physical therapy (DPT) or doctor of occupational therapy (DOT) are strongly encouraged to apply. Students with degrees in any other field may be considered provided they have relevant experience in the fields of pediatrics, healthcare, or developmental disabilities;

2. At least 6 months experience working with individuals (infants, children, youth, or adults) with developmental disabilities in a clinical or research setting;

3. Prior experience and knowledge of different aspects of research, including designing a study, obtaining approval for human subjects research, recruitment of participants, data collection, data analyses, data management, and data dissemination (e.g., writing abstracts, reports, papers, etc.);

4. Ability and willingness to work hard and learn new concepts, with great attention to detail;

5. High levels of motivation, passion for research, and academic curiosity to excel;

6. Willingness to take the initiative in designing and solving research-related problems;

7. Ability to devise creative solutions to research-related problems and work independently (without constant supervision) on research-related tasks;

8. Excellent interpersonal and time management skills and ability to work as part of an inter-disciplinary team;

9. Strong written and oral communication skills and leadership qualities to work with research staff and students in the Lab;

10. Ability to handle multiple priorities/responsibilities, work under pressure, and meet deadlines;

11. Proficiency in using MS-Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint); summarizing data using tables and charts; creating reports to summarize key findings from the data;

12. Ability to complete CITI training (related to research ethics, compliance, and safety) for human-subjects research (details will be provided by the PI prior to start of the appointment).

Preferred qualifications

1. Experience in the use of statistical and analytical software packages such as SPSS/ STATA/ SAS and MATLAB®;

2. Proven experience in working / collaborating within teams and ability to respond to a wide range of inquiries from student researchers;

3. Experience working in a clinical setting;

4. Knowledge of motion tracking systems and their use for measuring upper and lower extremity kinematics;

5. Experience with content creation (for social media, Lab website).

Appointment terms

This appointment can be a part-time or full-time, temporary position for an initial period of 6 months starting in Summer 2024. There is the possibility of renewal dependent upon Lab needs and available funding. Wage will be commensurate with experience and will likely be $17-$25 per hour.

This position requires available transportation and the willingness and ability for the successful candidates to drive their own car to travel within 1.5 hour driving distance from UConn for data collections.

This position also requires the ability to work occasionally on weekends (for data collection when families come to the Lab for testing / training sessions); note that the PI will provide a week’s advance notice in case of data collection scheduled over the weekends.

To apply

Please submit a curriculum vitae (describing educational qualifications, trainings / certifications, and relevant work / research / professional experience), cover letter (describing why and how your interests align with our work), and contact information for three professional references to: sudha.srinivasan@uconn.edu. Please use the following subject line for your application: “Research Specialist Position in REINVENT-PT Lab.”

Review of applications will continue until the position is filled. Successful candidates will be contacted for scheduling an interview.

Employment of the successful candidate is contingent upon the successful completion of a pre- employment criminal background check.

All employees are subject to adherence to the State Code of Ethics which may be found at http://www.ct.gov/ethics/site/default.asp.

The University of Connecticut is committed to building and supporting a multicultural and diverse community of students, faculty, and staff. The diversity of students, faculty and staff continues to increase, as does the number of honors students, valedictorians and salutatorians who consistently make UConn their top choice. More than 100 research centers and institutes serve the University’s teaching, research, diversity, and outreach missions, leading to UConn’s ranking as one of the nation’s top research universities. UConn’s faculty and staff are the critical link to fostering and expanding our vibrant, multicultural, and diverse University community. As an Affirmative Action/Equal Employment Opportunity employer, UConn encourages applications from women, veterans, people with disabilities and members of traditionally underrepresented populations.

Job Types: Full-time, Part-time

Pay: $17.00 - $25.00 per hour

Work Location: In person