Research Specialist - APC Lab

Research Professional 2
The Research Professional 2 (8352SM) in the Auditory Perception and Cognition laboratory in the Psychology Department of the University of Minnesota.

Position Description:

The Research Professional 2-Social Science Multidiscipline (8352SM) position involves assistance in conducting research on auditory and speech perception in people with normal and impaired hearing with and without mild cognitive impairment. The candidate will contribute to refining the experimental protocols, increasing effectiveness of participant recruitment by more efficiently utilizing the available recruitment sources and searching for new ones, recruiting participants with focus on special populations (with hearing impairment and mild cognitive impairment), testing research participants, training support staff (student researchers) in completing consent process and data collection. The candidate will perform audiologic evaluation and cognitive testing of recruited participants to ensure that the recruitment criteria are met. The candidate will also perform electroencephalographic (EEG) recordings, and use specialized software to pre-process the data, for further analyses. Under the guidance of the PIs, the candidate will perform statistical analyses, prepare and deliver conference presentations and contribute to manuscript preparation. The pay range for this position is $50-60K.

Major Responsibilities
Participant recruitment (15%)
Recruit research participants and manage their progression through the research protocols, including those with diagnosed mild cognitive impairment (MCI)
Reach out to community to expand recruitment of individuals with hearing impairment
Perform clinic visits to share study information with study-eligible patients with MCI
Explain what types of tests the research protocols involve and what the risks and benefits are from participation in accordance with IRB protocols
Obtain informed consent from participants, including assessment of the ability to consent in participants with MCI using the UCSD Brief Assessment of Capacity to Consent (UBACC) form
In MCI participants without capacity to provide consent, obtain consent from legally authorized representative (LAR) and obtain assent from the MCI participant
Schedule participants by contacting them via email or phone call
Arrange parking for participants with mobility issues and MCI
Understand the specific goals and significance of the studies and communicate these goals with clarity in ways that will be understood by prospective and recruited participants
Monitor data and participant safety to ensure that any potential problems are immediately reported to the PI who will take an action according to the IRB protocol.
Develop and distribute fliers, recruitment cards, social media outreach messaging

Participant screening (15%)
Perform full audiogram and tympanometry to determine that the type of hearing impairment meets the criteria of the research protocol
Perform Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA) test and interpret its results
Run screening tests to evaluate participants' ability to follow the instructions and use the information in the test stimuli to perform the experimental tasks

Data collection (40%)
Check up the equipment to ensure its proper function before participants' arrival
Calibrate the equipment to ensure that sounds are played to the desired intensities, bucket testing to ensure proper functioning of electrode ribbons to be used
Prepare participants for data collection: EEG cap selection and placement, insertion of electrodes, checking the scalp-electrode connectivity
Provide clear instructions to participants regarding the tasks they are expected to perform. Ensure the instructions are fully understood
Explain what participants should do if they need to stop the testing for any reason
Monitor the quality of EEG recordings during testing for any signs of unusual artifacts, events related to electrode malfunctions, or noise due to participant's excessive movement, etc.)
Clean up the EEG cap, electrodes, the testing station
Maintain the log of electrodes usage, battery status
Ensure all data files are saved in the proper folders
Maintain the log of participants' recruitment source when needed (e.g., Study Finder)

Data analyses (15%)
Use EEG and MATLAB software to pre-process EEG recordings
Flag data files with disrupted or unusually noisy recordings
Perform de-noising of recorded waveforms and removal of artifactual components from the recorded waveforms
Prepare plots with individual outcome measures and summary plots for group comparisons
Perform statistical tests and write a data summary report

Administrative responsibilities (15%)
Update study personnel in IRB protocols
Train student researchers on the protocol for participants' consent, REDcap intake forms, recording the IRB protocols and funding grants related to specific research projects
Train students on providing task instructions to study participants
Oversee data collection and monitoring data quality for student projects
Facilitate communications between collaborating researchers and research staff
Participate in regular lab meetings. CLA is committed to increasing enrollment of underrepresented and under-resourced students, diversifying our faculty across all disciplines, recruiting, and retaining a diverse staff, and promoting the expression and exploration of diverse perspectives and viewpoints-so that we all gain the background knowledge and analytical skills we need to understand and respect differences.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in CLA

Working in CLA

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Psychology or related field, plus at least two years of relevant experience to include training on auditory system health, or a combination of education and relevant experience to equal at least six years
• Certificate of audiology training for hearing testing
• At least one year of experience in research on the auditory system
• Experience with research participant recruitment
• Experience with electroencephalographic (EEG) measurements
• Experience with specialized EEG analysis software, EEGLab and/or FieldTrip
• Experience with administering MOCA to screen for cognitive impairment
• Experience with R, JASP, or SPSS statistical software
• Excellent verbal communication skills
• Excellent organizational skills
  

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience running experiments in a MATLAB environment
• Knowledge of and experience in using Redcap for participant database
• Experience with using the UBACC form to assess capacity to consent in participants with MCI
• Experience with PowerPoint, Google Slides, or other presentation tools

About the Department of Psychology
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 46 core faculty, 70+ staff, 140 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 $40 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. For additional information, please go to our website: http://www.psych.umn.edu/.
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. That foundational commitment begins in our CLA Constitution

Pay Range: $24.04 - $28.84; depending on education/qualifications/experience

Time Appointment Category: 75%-100% Appointment (If job description above does not specify appointment or expected weekly hours, assume a 100% appointment.)

Position Type: Civil-Service & Non-Faculty Labor Represented Staff

Please visit the Office of Human Resources website for more information regarding benefit eligibility.

The University offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes:

• Competitive wages, paid holidays, and generous time off
• Continuous learning opportunities through professional training and degree-seeking programs supported by the Regents Tuition Benefit Program
• Low-cost medical, dental, and pharmacy plans
• Healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts
• University HSA contributions
• Disability and employer-paid life insurance
• Employee wellbeing program
• Excellent retirement plans with employer contribution
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) opportunity
• Financial counseling services
• Employee Assistance Program with eight sessions of counseling at no cost
• Employee Transit Pass with free or reduced rates in the Twin Cities metro area

Applications must be submitted online. To be considered for this position, please click the Apply button and follow the instructions. You will be given the opportunity to complete an online application for the position and attach a cover letter and resume.

Additional documents may be attached after application by accessing your "My Job Applications" page and uploading documents in the "My Cover Letters and Attachments" section.

To request an accommodation during the application process, please e-mail employ@umn.edu or call (612) 624-8647.

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. To learn more about diversity at the U: http://diversity.umn.edu

Any offer of employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check. Our presumption is that prospective employees are eligible to work here. Criminal convictions do not automatically disqualify finalists from employment.

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (UMTC)

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (UMTC), is among the largest public research universities in the country, offering undergraduate, graduate, and professional students a multitude of opportunities for study and research. Located at the heart of one of the nation's most vibrant, diverse metropolitan communities, students on the campuses in Minneapolis and St. Paul benefit from extensive partnerships with world-renowned health centers, international corporations, government agencies, and arts, nonprofit, and public service organizations.

At the University of Minnesota, we are proud to be recognized by the Star Tribune as a Top Workplace for 2021, as well as by Forbes as Best Employers for Women and one of America's Best Employers (2015, 2018, 2019, 2023), Best Employer for Diversity (2019, 2020), Best Employer for New Grads (2018, 2019), and Best Employer by State (2019, 2022).