Job Title Research Associate Agency Texas A&M University Health Science Center Department Epidemiology & Biostatistics Proposed Minimum Salary Commensurate Job Location College Station, Texas Job Type Staff Job Description Our Commitment Texas A&M University is committed to enriching the learning and working environment by promoting a culture that respects all pers p ectives, talents & lived experience s . Embracing varying opinions and perspectives strengthens our corevalues which are: Respect, Excellence, Leadership, Loyalty, Integrity, and Selfless Service . Who we are As one of the fastest-growing academic health centers in the nation, Texas A&M Health encompasses five colleges and numerous centers and institutes working together to improve health through transformative education, innovative research and team-based health care delivery. What we want The Research Associate is responsible for assisting the Principal Investigators in the Laboratory for Emerging & Tropical Diseases Research (LEATDR) with epidemiologic & laboratory research on emerging and epidemic diseases. This position will aid in preparations, logistics, and study conduct at the College Station campus and at research field sites. The Research Associate will participate in study design for field and laboratory studies, as well as data collection, analysis, interpretation, and presentation. What you need to know Salary: Compensation will be commensurate to the selected hire’s experience. Cover Letter/Resume: A cover letter and resume are strongly recommended . Schedule: This position may require work beyond normal office hours and/or work on weekends. Travel: This position may require up to 30% or more travel. Persons in this position should have the ability to travel independently to other and/or remote locations. Must be able to take field study trips up to ~2 weeks in duration. Substantial travel, including international travel or to tropical areas may be required. Please Note: This position is grant funded; future employment may be contingent upon future funding. Required Education and Experience + Bachelor’s degree in a biomedical sciences, biological sciences, microbiology, molecular biology, virology, bacteriology, parasitology, clinical laboratory sciences, medical sciences, epidemiology or an equivalent combination of education and experience + Two years of related experience in a specialized and relevant field of research Required Licenses and Certifications + IATA shipping training documentation, within 1 week of employment + Human subjects research training documentation (e.g., CITI), within 1 week of employment + Bloodborne pathogens training documentation, within 1 week of employment + Biosafety Level 2 compliance training documentation, within 1 week of employment Preferred Qualifications + A Class “C” vehicle operator’s license or ability to obtain within 30 days of employment. + Master’s degree from accredited college of university in a relevant field (biomedical sciences, biological sciences, microbiology, molecular biology, virology, bacteriology, parasitology, clinical laboratory sciences, medical sciences, epidemiology) + Coursework in global health, international health, or tropical medicine + Coursework or training in field epidemiology or field operations + Coursework or training in laboratory epidemiology or operations + Experience with epidemiologic study design, procedures & protocol development, data analysis, interpretation, and presentation; international fieldwork; and/or tropical medicine + Experience with laboratory study design, procedures & protocol development, data analysis, interpretation, and presentation + Experience conducting field-based research activities. + Working knowledge of epidemiologic study design & conduct + Working knowledge of common statistical approaches and analyses + Experience and proficiency with data analysis, including standard software (e.g. Stata, R, SAS, SPSS) + Ability to analyze and interpret data (e.g., epidemiologic, clinical, laboratory) + Proficiency with Microsoft Excel, Word + Proficiency with a reference manager (e.g. RefWorks, Mendeley) + Experience collecting, collating, and/or analyzing epidemiologic data + Experience preparing written and oral reports for scientific audience (e.g., presentation in a scientific meeting or publication in a scientific journal) + Experience with human subjects research + Phlebotomy license + Spanish language fluency + Prior work-related experience with epidemiologic study design, procedures & protocol development, data analysis, interpretation, and presentation; international fieldwork; and/or tropical medicine + Must be able to work independently in the laboratory, with correct and appropriate procedures, techniques + Prior experience with molecular and serological techniques for detecting and diagnosing Influenza infection, exposure, and vaccination in humans or animals + Demonstrated proficiency analyzing influenza infection/exposure in the laboratory, including hemagglutination inhibition assessments in various species and with various hemagglutinin antigens + Demonstrated proficiency in collecting specimens for influenza-specific analyses + Proficiency with safe and accurate pipetting techniques + Proficiency maintaining laboratory inventory & records in eLabJournal + Demonstrated proficiency with qPCR, nucleic acid extractions, culture/sensitivity phenotyping, protein purification, and similar Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities + Laboratory proficiency (molecular, microbiology, serologic analyses, and/or microscopy, etc) + Work with biological safety level 2 conditions (BSL-2) + Skilled with aseptic laboratory technique + Ability to multi-task and work cooperatively on interdisciplinary teams, which may include other researchers, faculty, students, trainees, clinicians, health officials, other scientists, etc + Must be able to work independently with high attention to detail and correct technique, including at field sites + Ability to communicate clearly + Ability to manage time effectively + Ability to travel to and work in tropical countries + Ability to present research data and findings (e.g. publication, poster, presentation) + Potential to generate research grant proposal and publication + Ability to write a manual of standard operating procedures for research + Ability to oversee field logistics and operations, including training study teams + Ability to organize and coordinate study teams in the field Responsibilities + Research: Designs, plans, conducts and coordinates experiments in support various research projects. Evaluates, selects, and applies standard techniques of routine research, keeping detailed records of data. Assists in planning and coordinating research projects. Uses computers and laboratory or technical equipment to perform data analysis, statistical analysis, and technical evaluation of research experiments and results. Maintains accurate & legible laboratory records Evaluates and summarizes experiment results. Develops and implements laboratory protocols and standard operating procedures Reviews literature to summarize existing research landscape, maintain current knowledge & practice, and identify gaps in scientific evidence. + Research Publications & Grant Applications: Utilizes summarized results in scientific publications, presentations & communications. Prepares and writes proposals to funding agencies and maintains financial accounts related to research projects. Assist with preparing grant funding proposals. + Training: Trains undergraduate and/or graduate students and other laboratory, technical or field staff involved in research. Supervise undergraduates and/or graduate students in the lab. + Support General Laboratory Operations & Maintenance: Maintains specimen inventory Maintains inventory of supplies, reagents, & materials Manage waste and biohazard Operate & maintain Autoclave. Installs, operates, and/or repairs research equipment. Why Texas A&M University? We are a prestigious university with strong traditions, Core Values, and a community of caring and collaboration.  Amenities associated with a major university, such as sporting and cultural events, state-of-the-art recreation facilities, the Bush Library and Museum, and much more await you.  Experience all that a big city has to offer but with a reasonable cost-of-living and no long commutes.  + Medical, (https://www.tamus.edu/benefits/medical/) prescription drug, dental, (https://www.tamus.edu/benefits/dental/) vision, life and AD&D, (https://www.tamus.edu/benefits/life-add/) flexible spending accounts , and long-term disability insurance (https://www.tamus.edu/benefits/long-term-disability/) with Texas A&M contributing to employee health and basic life premiums + 12-15 days (https://employees.tamu.edu/employee-relations/leave/index.html) of annual paid holidays + Up to eight hours of paid sick leave (https://employees.tamu.edu/employee-relations/leave/paid/sick.html)  and at least  eight hours of paid vacation (https://employees.tamu.edu/employee-relations/leave/paid/vacation.html)  each month + Automatically enrollment in the  Teacher Retirement System of Texas (https://www.trs.texas.gov/Pages/Homepage.aspx) + Health and Wellness: Free exercise programs and release time (https://flourish.tamu.edu/wellness-release-time/) + Professional Development: All employees have access to free   LinkedIn Learning (https://linkedinlearning.tamu.edu/)  training, webinars, and limited financial support to attend conferences, workshops, and more + Educational release time and tuition assistance (https://livingwell.tamu.edu/employee-tuition-assistance)  for completing a degree while a Texas A&M employee + Living Well , (https://livingwell.tamu.edu/) a program at Texas A&M that has been built by employees, for employees Instructions to Applicants: Applications received by Texas A&M University must either have all job application data entered, or a resume attached. Failure to provide all job application data or a complete resume could result in an invalid submission and a rejected application. We encourage all applicants to upload a resume or use a LinkedIn profile to pre-populate the online application. ​ All positions are security-sensitive. Applicants are subject to a criminal history investigation, and employment is contingent upon the institution’s verification of credentials and/or other information required by the institution’s procedures, including the completion of the criminal history check. Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action/Veterans/Disability Employer.