Research Assistant - Vaccine Safety

This competition is restricted to internal applicants of the University of Alberta. Please log in to verify your internal candidate status.

This position has a term length of 1 year plus 1 day.

Location - This role is hybrid with a mix of remote and in-person work at North Campus, Edmonton.

The Department of Pediatrics at the University of Alberta is a leading centre for pediatric education and research in Canada. In partnership with the Stollery Children’s Hospital and community pediatrics across Northern Alberta, we provide exceptional care for children, youth, and families. Guided by our values of compassion, growth, and health equity, our team advances pediatric care through innovative research, accredited training programs, and unique learning opportunities led by dedicated faculty.

The Research Assistant will work under the supervision of the Program or Project Manager to provide essential support for the operational, administrative, and scientific activities of Dr. Karina Top’s research program in vaccine safety, vaccine-preventable diseases, and vaccination in immunocompromised populations at the University of Alberta. This role is critical in ensuring smooth coordination of research activities, communication, and compliance with project timelines and funder requirements.

The Research Assistant will assist in managing day-to-day project tasks, grant proposals, administrative and compliance tasks, support reporting, and liaise with internal and external stakeholders to advance network objectives.

• Support coordination of sites in multi-centre research studies, including communication with site coordinators and researchers to facilitate research activities, and adherence to Standard Operating Procedures.
• Assist the program manager with finding and tracking various funding opportunities.
• Assist with preparing grant and funding proposal support materials.
• Support grant proposal preparation and assist with funding agreement change requests, budget tracking, and financial reporting as needed.
• Assist with scientific writing, including drafting, editing, and formatting academic manuscripts, reports, scientific summaries, lay summaries, briefs for leadership and funders, and related documents.
• Help organize and prepare materials for project meetings, including agendas, minutes, presentations, and action items for both internal and external stakeholders.
• Support the project and program managers through the development and dissemination of internal and external communication materials, including newsletters and LinkedIn posts.
• Assist in preparing and submitting documentation for research ethics boards and institutional approvals.
• Assist in compiling and formatting scientific reports for funders and governance committees.
• Assist with tracking deadlines for ethics approvals, contract renewals, reporting submissions, and grant deliverables to ensure timely compliance.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in health sciences, public health, life sciences, or related field.
• 1+ years of experience in research project support, preferably in vaccine safety research or within academic, hospital, or health research environments.
• Experience with research processes and procedures at the University of Alberta, including compliance, ethics, data quality, and reporting requirements.
• Strong organizational skills, strong attention to detail, and ability to manage competing priorities.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneDrive), referencing software (EndNote), Google Workspace, and Smartsheet.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's degree in health sciences, public health, life sciences, or related field. 
• Ability to work collaboratively with diverse teams and adapt to changing priorities.
• Demonstrated problem-solving skills and initiative.
• Comfortable working under supervision and escalating issues as appropriate.
• Proven ability to work independently and drive projects to completion.

Application Instructions

Click "Apply Now" to submit your resume and cover letter.

This position is subject to all applicable terms and conditions of the collective agreement between the Governors of the University of Alberta and the Non-Academic Staff Association (NASA).

This position offers a comprehensive benefits package.