Rsch Pro -Research Coordinator

Position: Rsch Pro 1-Research Coordinator
About the Job

This position supports research conducted at the Cognition and Neurodevelopmental Studies (CNS) Lab at the University of Minnesota. The CNS lab is a multiple PI-led research lab with a significant grant funding portfolio across multiple departments (Pediatrics, ICD) housed at the Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain. Drs. Meghan Swanson and Jed Elison are co-Directors, and Casey Burrows is the Director of Clinical Training.

The lab focuses on understanding brain and behavioral development of infants and young children. More specifically, our research examines the critical period of brain development in the first two years of life, which represents a time interval of dynamic development, plasticity, and potential vulnerability. Our research participants include typically developing children as well as children with agenesis of the corpus callosum, congenital cytomegalovirus infection, Down syndrome, and autism.

We are hiring up to two research coordinators with laboratory/clinical research and early childhood experience to assist with this research project. Responsibilities for these research coordinator positions include research study coordination, participant recruitment, consent, and data acquisition, training and supervision, and laboratory support. We are seeking candidates with knowledge of child development theory and research who have sufficient experience to ethically recruit, acquire informed consent, schedule appointments, conduct assessments (e.g., semi-structured parent interviews, behavioral testing with children), and acquire MRI data (learn to safely operate the scanner console) with child participants.

This position will also perform quality control / quality assurance procedures on behavioral and MRI data, purchase materials as needed, supervise undergraduate research assistants, enter and manage data. There is the option to participate in generating scientific products (e.g., professional presentations, empirical publications).

This is a full-time position (40 hours per week), prefers a minimum 2-year commitment, and will continue upon availability of funds and performance. Work will primarily be conducted in person at the Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain, engaging directly with families, participants, and a large team of staff members. Some tasks may be completed remotely when applicable. This position offers an excellent opportunity for professional growth and training in developmental and behavioral assessment and brain imaging with MRI within a collaborative research environment.

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. Your application will not be considered until all components are complete. Review of applications is ongoing, and the position(s) will remain open until the posting is removed.

The target start date for this position is June 1, 2026. This research coordinator position will report directly to Shanna Mliner, Program Director.

Job Responsibilities

Research Study Coordination (40%)

* Responsible for research coordination of the research study from conception to completion, assisting the managers, director, and PIs to ensure timely progress and high-quality outcomes

* Adhere to the established research protocol and study procedures

* Coordinate the day-to-day research operations

* Communicate problems and assist in identifying solutions to fulfill research objectives

* Provide regular recruitment/enrollment reports

* Assist with storage and management of study data

* Acquire front-end functional familiarity with LORIS database, including tasks such as entering data, performing queries, examining quality control metrics, and extracting data for analyses

* Perform preliminary data analyses using statistics software (Excel, SPSS, R, SAS)

Participant Recruitment/Scheduling/Consent/Data Acquisition (40%)

* Complete trainings to ethically recruit and acquire informed consent from participants

* Schedule assessment and MRI scan research appointments with participants

* Reliably administer participant assessments (e.g., structured parent interviews, behavioral, neurocognitive, language, developmental testing with children)

* Learn the CNS Lab developmental neuroimaging standard operating procedures

* Complete Center for Magnetic Resonance Research (CMRR) safety training to be able to operate the 3T & 7T scanner consoles

* Assist with the collection of MRI data, which will require occasional night (7-11pm) or weekend daytime session hours

* Adhere to all approved ethics and protocol procedures relating to participant privacy/confidentiality and data integrity

Training and Supervision (10%)

* Supervise, train, and direct work of undergraduate research assistants

Laboratory Support & Professional Development (10%)

* Attend lab and/or project meetings

* Support the…