Job Description

Position Description

Area: Health services research, patient and community engagement and education

Duration: 1-year

Start Date: September 1, 2023

Salary: 45,000 to 50,000 $CAD per year, plus Alberta Blue Cross health insurance benefits

The Department of Paediatrics at the Cumming School of Medicine at the University of Calgary is accepting applications for a Postdoctoral Scholar in Health services research, patient and community engagement and education. This is a full-time, fixed term position for approximately one year. The period of employment may be extended depending on satisfactory performance and available funds.

The PDS will advance the science of patient engagement, through patient engagement research projects, including supporting the co-development of a curriculum for youth with living chronic condition to become patient partners in health research. This work will have an important role in developing capacity among children living with chronic conditions, supporting patient-oriented research (POR) at the national level. PDS supervision will be provided by Dr. Maria Santana, Cumming School of Medicine, Provincial Lead, Patient Engagement Team AbSPORU. This fellowship is embedded in a research program with extensive connections to local community partners and national research networks.

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We are seeking a motivated and hard-working postdoctoral scholar to lead an interdisciplinary research project to develop training course for youth to be engaged in health services research and work on patient engagement in health services research agenda. The successful candidate will work directly with researchers in the University of Calgary, Cumming School of Medicine, Alberta SPORU SUPPORT Patient Engagement team and Continuing Education PaCER operations team.

Reporting to the Primary Investigators (PI), Dr. Maria J Santana (Department of Paediatrics). The position requires independent analysis and research, within a team approach in a fast moving and changing environment, often involving multiple stakeholders. The PDS will contribute to refining the research questions and methods and will have the opportunity to lead a multi-pronged program of research to assess and development curriculum for patient research partners. Quantitative skills will apply statistical approaches to survey data analysis, and qualitative skills will draw focus groups and interview approaches. Research outcomes will inform the science of patient-oriented research (POR) and the development of a curriculum for youth living with chronic conditions to support them in becoming patient research partners.
In addition, the PDS will mentor junior students working on the project. The principal investigators will regularly review work to ensure quality and completeness and to advise on complex matters and to provide feedback.

Qualifications:

• Recent* PhD in health sciences, health services research, education, or a related field, completed within the last 5 years (or will be complete upon PDS start date)
• High level of effective organizational, time management and personal initiative skills
• Proven ability to design and complete research studies of complex issues
• Experience with research software (STATA preferred, NVivo preferred) as well as Microsoft Office programs (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint)
• Strong team player
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, especially in scientific writing
• Proven ability to deliver high quality publications and presentations
• Understanding of experimental design and scientific process and evaluative and qualitative methodologies.
• Strong track record of scholarly activities including publication of research findings in reputable peer-reviewed journals and conference presentations
• Experience in applying for external grants and awards
• Previous experience in the development of curriculum materials would be an asset
• Previous experience in patient or community engagement would be an asset
• Previous experience in working with measurement and evaluation and mixed methods approaches would be an asset
• Must be able to work in a team environment and interact with diverse stakeholders
• Strong communication skills (both written and verbal), including strong listening skills
• Strong organizational, time management and problem-solving skills, while maintaining accuracy and attention to detail
• Must be highly goal-driven and exhibit the ability to interact effectively with internal and external stakeholders at all levels of the organization
• Able to work within a collaborative setting with others to set clear priorities while managing multiple timelines and objectives

Application Details:

This position is located in Calgary, Alberta. The successful candidate is expected to relocate if necessary, to begin work as soon as possible. The review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.

For full consideration, please submit your application on or before September 30, 2023, 11:59 PM MDT via email to and .

Please submit your application as a single PDF file with the subject line: Postdoctoral application - [Your name]. All applications must include:

• a brief cover letter including date of availability, suitability and motivation for the role, including your interest in this project, qualifications or related experience, general research/goals statement;
• detailed curriculum vitae (CV);
• official or unofficial copy of diploma(s)/university certificate(s); and
• contact information including email addresses for three (3) references to support the application.

Please review the for more information prior to applying for this position.

Only those applicants selected for interviews will be contacted further. In accordance with Canadian Immigration requirements, priority will be given to Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada, although others are encouraged to apply.

Additional Information

To learn more about postdoctoral scholar opportunities at the University of Calgary and all we have to offer, view our . For more information visit .

The University strongly recommends all faculty and staff are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

About the University of Calgary

The University of Calgary is Canada\'s leading next-generation university - a living, growing and youthful institution that embraces change and opportunity with a can-do attitude. Located in the nation\'s most enterprising city, the university is making tremendous progress on its Eyes High journey to be recognized as one of Canada\'s top five research universities, grounded in innovative learning and teaching and fully integrated with the community it both serves and leads. The University of Calgary inspires and supports discovery, creativity and innovation across all disciplines. For more information, visit .

To succeed as one of Canada\'s top universities, where new ideas are created, tested and applied through first-class teaching and research, the University of Calgary needs more of the best minds in our classrooms and labs. We\'re increasing our scholarly capacity by investing in people who want to change the world, bringing the best and brightest to Calgary to form a global intellectual hub and achieve advances that matter to everyone. For more information visit .

About Calgary, Alberta

Calgary is one of the world\'s cleanest cities and has been named one of the world\'s most livable cities for years. Calgary is a city of leaders - in business, community, philanthropy and volunteerism. Calgarians benefit from the strongest economy in the nation and enjoy more days of sunshine per year than any other major Canadian city. Calgary is less than an hour\'s drive from the Rocky Mountains and boasts the most extensive urban pathway and bikeway network in North America.

The University of Calgary has launched an institution-wide in line with the foundational goals of , committing to creating a rich, vibrant, and culturally competent campus that welcomes and supports Indigenous Peoples, encourages Indigenous community partnerships, is inclusive of Indigenous perspectives in all that we do.

As an equitable and inclusive employer, the University of Calgary recognizes that a diverse staff/faculty benefits and enriches the work, learning and research experiences of the entire campus and greater community. We are committed to removing barriers that have been historically encountered by some people in our society. We strive to recruit individuals who will further enhance our diversity and will support their academic and professional success while they are here. In particular, we encourage members of the designated groups (women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, members of visible/racialized minorities, and diverse sexual orientation and gender identities) to apply. To ensure a fair and equitable assessment, we offer accommodation at any stage during the recruitment process to applicants with disabilities. Questions regarding [diversity] EDI at UCalgary can be sent to the ( ) and requests for accommodations can be sent to Human Resources ( ).

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