Prof. Dedre Gentner, of the Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, is hiring a Research Coordinator to coordinate and conduct research on learning and thinking in children and adults. The position offers an opportunity to participate in planning and conducting cutting-edge research in cognition and development.

Coordinates collection, analysis, processing & reporting of data & assists Principal Investigator (PI) in judging the validity of test data obtained in regard to social-behavioral research study(ies) of limited complexity involving co-investigators, multiple campuses &/or universities. Completes all activities by strictly following Good Clinical Practices (GCP) & all relevant current local, state, & federal laws, regulations, guidance, policy & procedure developed by the NU Institutional Review Board (IRB), Food & Drug Administration (FDA) Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), & the International Conference on Harmonization (ICH).

This is a one year, term position. Opportunity for renewal on this 3-year, NSF (National Science Foundation) funded grant will be based on performance and available funding.

Note: (a) Not all aspects of the job are covered by this job description. (b) This position requires travel to schools within the Evanston/Chicago area to set up and conduct developmental research. Preferred if applicants have their own car or other mode of transportation to/from the schools. (c) Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, but full consideration will be given to applications received by April 30. (d) Please provide a minimum of three references (contact information).

Specific Responsibilities:

Technical

• Participates in the planning & conduct of research studies including participant recruitment and retention.
• Obtains informed consent.
• Administers tests &/or questionnaires following protocols.
• Collects, compiles, tabulates & processes responses.
• Gathers information.

Administration

• Collects, records, reviews & summarizes research data.
• Collates relevant mathematical results & prepares tables, charts & graphs reflecting relationships of multiple tests.
• Prepares reports for investigators and sponsors on recruitment status and other pertinent study data.
• May write portions of grant applications & co-author scientific papers. .

Finance

• May process payments for research participants per study protocol.
• Coordinates reimbursements for expert panel travel, consultant pay, additional gift card orders, etc. & ensures costs remain within allotted grant budget.

Supervision

• May provide work direction &/or train other research staff to interview/test participants.

Miscellaneous

• Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree in a major such as social science or related; OR appropriate combination of education and experience and 2 years' research study or other relevant experience required; OR
• Successful completion of a full course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a master's or higher degree in a major such as social science or related; OR appropriate combination of education and experience.
• Must complete NU's IRB CITI training before interacting with any participants & must re-certify every 3 years.

Minimum Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities.)

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and problem solving skills.
• Knowledge of research design and human subjects research processes
• Proficiency in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint and the ability to learn other computer applications.
• Ability to facilitate open and effective communication, cooperation, and teamwork within and outside one’s own team; respects the needs and contributions of others.
• Ability to maintain accuracy and attention to detail.
• Ability to work effectively in an environment in which the parameters may change and adjust behavior to meet the needs of different people and situations.
• Ability to handle multitasking and to work well with minimal supervision.

Preferred Qualifications:

• One-to-two years’ previous research experience in psychology or related field.
• Experience working with young children.
• Experience working in an academic environment is highly desirable.

Preferred Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities)

• Knowledge of research design.
• Experience with Matlab, Filemaker Pro, or other online research platforms.
• Proficiency in identifying, analyzing, carrying out, and explaining statistical procedures such as multiple regression, analysis of variance.
• Proficiency in SPSS, R, or other data analysis software.
• Experience in constructing and maintaining a web page.
• Some knowledge of science, especially ecology and biology, is desirable.

Benefits:
At Northwestern, we are proud to provide meaningful, competitive, high-quality health care plans, retirement benefits, tuition discounts and more! Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/index.html to learn more.

Work-Life and Wellness:
Northwestern offers comprehensive programs and services to help you and your family navigate life’s challenges and opportunities, and adopt and maintain healthy lifestyles.
We support flexible work arrangements where possible and programs to help you locate and pay for quality, affordable childcare and senior/adult care. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/work-life/index.html to learn more.

Professional Growth & Development:
Northwestern supports employee career development in all circumstances whether your workspace is on campus or at home. If you’re interested in developing your professional potential or continuing your formal education, we offer a variety of tools and resources. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/learning/index.html to learn more.

Northwestern strongly recommends COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters for people who can obtain them as a critical tool for minimizing severe illness. More information can be found on the COVID-19 and Campus Updates webpage.

The Northwestern campus sits on the traditional homelands of the people of the Council of Three Fires, the Ojibwe, Potawatomi, and Odawa as well as the Menominee, Miami and Ho-Chunk nations. We acknowledge and honor the original people of the land upon which Northwestern University stands, and the Native people who remain on this land today.