Research Professional 2-Applied Research

The Department of Family Medicine and Community Health's Program in Health Disparities Research is seeking a highly motivated, detail-oriented, and collaborative Research Professional II (RP2) to support a diverse portfolio of research focused on reducing health disparities and improving population health outcomes.

The successful candidate will work closely with principal investigators, research staff, clinical partners, and community stakeholders to support the coordination and implementation of multiple concurrent research projects. This role requires strong organizational skills, the ability to manage competing priorities with guidance from investigators and senior research staff, and a commitment to high-quality, community-engaged research.

Key responsibilities include supporting day-to-day project operations; assisting with study design and protocol development; preparing and maintaining IRB submissions and regulatory documentation; coordinating participant recruitment and data collection across clinical and community settings; and tracking study timelines, milestones, and deliverables. The RP2 will also assist with data management and analysis, prepare reports and manuscript materials, and contribute to grant development and progress reporting.

This position will support collaboration across multidisciplinary teams, including clinicians, implementation scientists, research staff, and community partners. The ideal candidate will have experience in health services research, implementation science, qualitative research, or community-engaged research and demonstrate strong communication skills, cultural responsiveness, attention to detail, and an ability to work effectively as part of a research team.

This is an excellent opportunity for a candidate seeking to contribute to impactful, equity-focused research while gaining additional experience in research coordination, stakeholder engagement, scholarly dissemination, and the implementation of evidence-based interventions in real-world settings.

Job Responsibilities:

Literature Review and Research Support (25%):

• Conduct literature reviews on specified research topics, including scholarly articles, books, conference papers, and other relevant sources, with guidance from investigators and research team members.
• Summarize and synthesize literature to support identification of knowledge gaps, emerging trends, and research opportunities.
• Maintain organized and well-documented records of literature sources, summaries, and analyses for future reference, reporting, and manuscript development.
• Collaborate with investigators and the research team to incorporate literature review findings into research projects, manuscripts, presentations, and grant development activities.
  

Data Collection, Analysis, and Study Coordination (35%):

• Coordinate and support qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis activities in collaboration with investigators and other research personnel.
• Assist with updating and refining data collection tools, study materials, and research protocols to support data quality and consistency.
• Coordinate participant recruitment activities, including preparing recruitment materials, tracking recruitment progress, and communicating with clinic and community partners.
• Track study progress, recruitment milestones, and project deliverables and communicate updates, challenges, and needs to investigators and research team members.
• Work closely with investigators, research staff, and community partners to support effective project implementation and completion of study activities.

• Assist with data organization, management, coding, and analysis using appropriate qualitative and quantitative research methods.

Regulatory Development and Compliance (20%):

• Support regulatory activities for research studies, including preparing IRB protocols, consent and assent forms, continuing reviews, amendments, and other required documentation in consultation with investigators.
• Maintain accurate and timely study documentation in accordance with institutional, sponsor, and federal research policies and procedures.
• Track regulatory deadlines and requirements and communicate upcoming needs to investigators and research team members.

• Assist with the development and use of standardized research workflows and documentation practices to support study efficiency and regulatory compliance.

Team Collaboration and Scholarly Dissemination (20%):

• Participate in research meetings, prepare meeting agendas and notes, track action items, and support coordination among investigators, staff, and community partners.
• Assist with the orientation and training of student workers and other research personnel on study-specific procedures, as appropriate.
• Contribute to scholarly products, including manuscripts, conference presentations, reports, abstracts, and dissemination materials.
• Assist with manuscript preparation and dissemination activities, with opportunities to take on greater responsibility based on experience, project needs, and investigator guidance.

All required qualifications must be documented on application materials.

Required Qualifications:

• BA/BS plus 2 full-time years of experience, or a combination of related education and work experience to equal six full-time years.
• Ability to work independently and with a team.
• Detail-oriented with excellent interpersonal, organization, and problem-solving skills.
• Experience conducting qualitative research studies or being a project manager/research coordinator on a qualitative study.
• Demonstrated ability to conduct literature reviews, critically analyze academic articles, and synthesize information.
• Strong social sciences research methods skills, particularly with qualitative and quantitative data.
• Strong written and oral communications skills in terms of reporting out results.
• Strong teamwork and collaboration skills.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience working with low-income communities or diverse populations and an interest in health equity research.
• Experience supporting research data collection activities, including participant recruitment, survey development, interviews, or focus groups.
• Experience using analytical or research software programs such as Excel, NVivo, Covidence, Stata, R, or Python.
• Education or coursework in public health, psychology, social sciences, or a related discipline.
• Familiarity with Microsoft Office and common research and internet-based tools.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with diverse individuals, including students, research staff, administrative staff, community partners, and faculty.
• Strong organizational, planning, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to take initiative on assigned tasks while seeking guidance and communicating with investigators and research team members as needed.

The Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at the University of Minnesota was created more than 45 years ago in response to a legislative mandate to train primary care physicians. Since then, we have been leaders in transforming the specialty through education, research and patient care. We are the academic sponsor of eight family medicine residencies - five in the Twin Cities, three in Greater Minnesota. We are involved in medical student education activities across the Medical School's two campuses: Twin Cities and Duluth. We sponsor four fellowship programs - sports medicine, hospice and palliative medicine, behavioral medicine, and human sexuality - and offer continuing medical education opportunities. We are regularly among the top National Institutes of Health-funded family medicine departments. Our faculty are actively researching health disparities, healthcare delivery and population health. More at familymedicine.umn.edu.

Pay Range: $27.41-$31.49 per hour, we anticipate most offers will be around the midpoint of this range, depending on education and experience.

Time Appointment: 75% Appointment (30 hours per week)

Position Type: Civil-Service

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, pharmacy and disability plans
• Healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts
• University HSA contributions
• 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 jobcentr@umn.edu.

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 Forbes as a Best Employer for Company Culture (2026), Best Employer for Women (2023, 2025, 2026), and Best Employer by State (2022-2026). In 2026, we also received Culture Excellence & Industry Awards recognition for employee appreciation and work-life flexibility.