Research Assistant II, Hybrid

The Henry M. Jackson Foundation For The Advancement Of Military Medicine - Bethesda, MD

Full-time

Hybrid - Bethesda, MD

Hospitals

About the position

Join the HJF Team as a Research Assistant II, where you will primarily support a randomized controlled study evaluating a relationship enrichment program designed to equip military couples with evidence-informed strategies to cope with stressors as a unified team. This role is crucial in addressing military mental health and suicide prevention, and you will be part of a multidisciplinary team dedicated to solving complex problems in research projects. The position is in support of The Suicide CPR Initiative, which focuses on developing and empirically evaluating novel interventions for suicide risk reduction. The initiative has established partnerships with the Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs, as well as national and international collaborators, making it uniquely positioned to tackle the issue of military suicide. The mission of the Suicide CPR Initiative encompasses three key areas: CARE, which aims to develop effective interventions to reduce suicidal thoughts and behaviors; PREVENTION, which focuses on saving lives through education, intervention, science, and advocacy; and RESEARCH, which seeks to advance suicide intervention science and practice. As a Research Assistant, you will perform various research tasks, including participant recruitment, enrollment, and follow-up, while ensuring compliance with research protocols and maintaining detailed logs of participant communication and study progress. You will also engage in qualitative and quantitative data collection, entry, quality control, and basic analysis as outlined by project protocols. Your role will involve conducting literature reviews and assisting with the preparation of scientific writing for submission to journals and conferences, as well as grant proposals and Institutional Review Board (IRB) protocol preparation. You will participate in regular meetings with lab staff, graduate students, and collaborators, contributing to multiple projects related to suicide prevention and military mental health. This hybrid position requires you to work 2-3 days a week in the office, with the remainder of your time being flexible.

Responsibilities

• Performs research tasks, including participant recruitment, enrollment, and follow-up; maintains compliance with research protocols and standard operating procedures (SOPs); maintains detailed logs and documentation of participant communication and study progress.
• Performs qualitative and quantitative data collection, entry, quality control, and basic analysis as outlined by project protocols; performs qualitative and/or quantitative coding and contributes to the preparation of written summaries and presentations.
• Conducts literature reviews and assists with the preparation and formatting of scientific writing for submission to scientific journals, professional conferences, and funding agencies; assists with grant proposal and Institutional Review Board (IRB) protocol preparation.
• Serves as a member of a multidisciplinary team; provides research support for multiple projects pertaining to suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention (including suicide death reviews), as well as military mental health.
• Participates in regular meetings with other lab staff, graduate students, and collaborators.
• May perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned or directed by the supervisor. This may include attendance of and participation in required training for role.

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree.
• Minimum of 3-5 years experience required.
• Prior research experience is required.
• Experience working with military populations is preferred.
• Attention to detail, strong organizational and multitasking skills, communication and interpersonal skills, ability to work independently as well as part of a team, and the ability to effectively coordinate with collaborators.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a T1/Public Trust background check.

Nice-to-haves

• Experience working with military populations is preferred.