Technical Research Personnel
Overall Role/Responsibility
This role includes, but is not limited to, the following: students, research technologists, lab managers, IT developers, research analysts, study coordinators and senior researchers in departments, centers, and institutes.
Provide support for Principal Investigator (PI) by performing research activities while ensuring adherence to all applicable regulations and policies. Duties may include participation in design, execution and management of research activities.
The following roles and responsibilities will depend on the organizational structure of the individual labs and departments.
Proposals and Awards
If your position involves proposal submission or post-award activities, please refer to Administrative Research Personnel Roles and Responsibilities
Research Conduct
Human Research Participants
- Protect the rights and welfare of human research participants
- Complete and maintain current Human Research Protections Training
- Assist PI to prepare Institutional Review Board (IRB) submissions
- Assist PI to ensure data security of consents and other research records
- Assist PI to ensure the research records, including IRB submissions, regulatory records, study data, and consent forms are updated contemporaneously
- Assist the PI to respond to compliance issues, including participating in post-approval monitoring
- Assist PI to promptly submit Reportable New Information (RNIs) to the IRB
Clinical Trials
- Ensure clinical trials are conducted in accordance with Good Clinical Practice (GCP)
- Assist PI with preparation and submission of clinical trial forms and reports
Animal Subjects
- Participate in all required training and Occupational Health clearance prior to working with animals
- Adhere to approved animal study protocols when working with animals
- Ensure the highest standards of animal welfare and care for all research procedures
- Follow all relevant policies, guidelines and SOPs related to the care and use of animal in research
- Assist PI maintain all research records including animal health records
- Assist PI with compliance investigation inquiries
- Participate in Post-Approval Monitoring (PAM) visits
Research Safety
- Routinely dispose of hazardous materials
- Wear personal protective equipment, as required, and keep work areas clean/organized
- Mentor students in relation to safety issues
- Complete required training
- Never work alone with hazardous materials or processes
Research Integrity
- Support research in an ethical and compliant manner
- Adhere to good recordkeeping and data management and retention practices
- Identify and attend required training courses
- Assist PI when communicating and ensuring Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research (RECR) training requirements for NSF supported undergraduate students, graduate students, and post-doctoral fellows as well as all trainees, participants, and scholars supported through applicable NIH awards
Conflict of Interest (COI)
- Understand research related COI policies and processes
- Complete COI training and disclosure requirements, when appropriate
Patents and Inventions
- Assist PI to promptly disclose all inventions to the Innovation and New Ventures Office (INVO)
Export Controls & International Compliance
- Adhere to Northwestern’s Export Control Compliance Policy and federal laws and policies
- Identify other potential export control issues and refer them to the Export Controls & International Compliance (ECIC) team (e.g., international shipments, technical equipment purchases with “end-user export controls”)
- Elevate export controls or malign foreign talent program concerns to PI and the ECIC
- Elevate concerns to PI