Clinical/HC Research Associate Job Opening

Clinical/HC Research Associate

The University of Iowa

• Iowa City, Iowa
$49,031.00 a year
Category: Health Unit Coordinator
Classification Title: Clinical/HC Research Associate ( PRA2)
Department: Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center
Pay Grade: https://hr.uiowa.edu/pay/plans ( 5A)
Salary: $49,031 - Commensurate
Percent of Time: 100%
Staff Type: Professional & Scientific
Type of Position: Regular
Drivers License required: No

About the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics:
University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics—recognized as one of the best hospitals in the United States—is Iowa's only comprehensive academic medical center and a regional referral center. Each day more than 12,000 employees, students, and volunteers work together to provide safe, quality health care and excellent service for our patients. Simply stated, our mission is: Changing Medicine. Changing Lives.®

About the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center:
Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center is Iowa’s only NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center. The NCI designation recognized our cancer center, and its research scientist, physicians, and other health care professionals, for their roles in advancing cancer research that impacts on our ability to prevent, detect and treat our patients with cancer. Not just a floor, or a building, or even confined to a single college. Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center coordinates all cancer-related research, education, and patient care by faculty from 41 departments and six colleges, as well as UI Hospitals and Clinics and UI Children’s Hospital.
Position Summary:
To coordinate clinical study activities of the Clinical Research Services (CRS); participate in the design, execution and control of clinical research trials; coordinate the processing and analysis of clinical oncology data; coordinate clinical trial protocols and procedures; and develop new and/or revised research methodologies currently being conducted within the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center (HCCC).

Position Responsibilities:
  • Functions as a member of the Clinical Research Services team to plan, deliver, and evaluate the health care provided to research protocol patients.
  • Assists in the design, development, execution and administration for protocols and clinical studies.
  • Oversees operations of clinical research studies including the recruitment, coordination and scheduling of subject participation and procedures as required by protocol.
  • Follows study participants; manages collection of data including maintaining records of patient visits/interviews.
  • Assists physicians in determining eligibility of patients for cancer research protocols; assists in or directs other in obtaining patient consent to enter protocols and counsels patients and families regarding investigational therapy.
  • Coordinates services/referrals as appropriate with the Departments of Radiology, Pathology, Pharmacy, Nursing, Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, Clinical Research Unit and/or other departments participating in the clinical research.
  • Enters patients on protocol, ensuring that all prerequisites have been completed and are within the required parameters.
  • Coordinates patient care needs and obtains follow-up information from local physicians, hospice, home care agencies, and local laboratories.
  • Monitors compliance gathers and maintains data for pharmaceutical sponsored research trials, in-house trials and cooperative group studies; creates worksheets, treatment flow sheets and assorted tools to provide source documentation of protocol treatment procedures; triages telephone calls from patients and families to facilitate clinic visits for medical care/emergent care needs; assists in obtaining prescription medications; provides follow-up for treatment related complications.
  • Serves as liaison to local physicians/hospitals to facilitate care of protocol patients when hospitalized at outside institutions; obtains documentation of the hospitalizations; provides notification to the Principal Investigator, Study Sponsor, and FDA as required per protocol.
  • Serves as liaison to Study Sponsors for review of potential studies; initiates, monitors, audits and terminates studies; participates in teleconferences and investigator meetings.
  • Assists patients with problems related to their protocol therapy such as the need to return for emergency evaluation in the case of side effects, assisting with emotional problems in handling the diagnosis of cancer, or other related issues.
  • Maintains records of services provided; assists in developing and monitoring study budgets, adheres to individual protocol budgets; serves as liaison to the Clinical Trials Office and the Division of Sponsored programs to facilitate contract approval.
  • Serves as a liaison to the University Business Office to identify patient tests and procedures paid for by study sponsors; assists patients with questions related to billing for protocol treatment procedures.
  • Assists in judging validity of data; makes recommendations; performs and interprets complex statistical analysis of data; prepares data for computer analysis; uses evaluation data to revise and implement change.
  • Assists in the preparation of reports to IRB-01, Protocol Review and Monitoring Committee and other review committees for multiple clinical research studies; compiles accrual data; reviews and summarizes information for principal investigators and University Institutional Review Board (IRB-01); Assists in maintaining documentation of protocols and relevant data, follow-up correspondence, and summaries.
  • Assists in the preparation of research papers and manuscripts for publication and presentation at conferences and workshops; compiles summary data for inclusion in various reports for analysis and for submission to study sponsors; prepares project reports, writes articles and obtains other documents for submission to study sponsors.
  • Performs critical analysis of literature relevant to the clinical trials.
  • Educates faculty, staff and others about clinical research and methods employed in research studies; prepares educational materials for patients and other staff as needed to carry out protocol therapy.
  • Selects, applies and tests standard methodologies, techniques and tools such as manuals, forms and questionnaires.
  • Participates in the development of general goals for the Clinical Research Services.
  • Processes and ships diagnostic specimens.
  • Attends protocol meetings and other UIHC and Study Sponsor meetings; participates on committees as appropriate.

**Please attach a cover letter and resume as part of the application process. Job openings are posted for a minimum of 14 calendar days. This job may be removed from posting and filled any time after the minimum posting period has ended. For questions or additional information, please contact [email protected]

Successful candidates will be subject to a criminal background check. Five professional references will be requested at a later step in the recruitment process.


Education Required
  • A Master’s degree in Nursing or an equivalent combination of education and experience. An equivalent combination option must include a BSN plus professional nursing experience.
Experience Requirements
  • Minimum 1-3 years of experience in clinical oncology and/or clinical research.
  • Current valid Iowa Registered Nurse license.
  • Demonstrated job-related experience with and/or commitment to diversity in the workplace.
  • Excellent interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills.
  • Excellent organizational skills.
Desirable Qualifications
  • Certification as Clinical Research Coordinator.
  • Knowledge of University of Iowa policies and procedures.
  • Knowledge of regulatory guidelines and procedures.