This Research Assistant position is located at the Cincinnati VA Medical Center and will assist the Research Coordinator (when applicable) and Principal Investigator (PI) in all day-to-day operations of their study to include collecting data and completing all required tasks, both clinical and administrative.

Duties

This is a bargaining unit position. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm Compressed/Flexible: Not Available Telework: Not Available Duty Station Status: Will work from a VA owned or leased space Position Description/PD#: Research Assistant/PD914220 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required The incumbent is responsible for complying with scientific methods and following laboratory instruction, maintain written and electronic laboratory logs and other activities. The incumbent may assist with and maintain a broad range of equipment, reagent and procedures for carrying out research experiments. The incumbent must possess adequate interpersonal skills to collaborate with other researchers. Must be able to work well with others to include interns, graduate students, research assistants, research coordinators, Ph.D.'s, MD's and other professionals from varying fields. They must also be able to cooperate with diverse populations of individuals. Project and Data Management 70 % Assist Coordinator and/or Investigator with managing the routine, day-to-day activities of program, including conducting structured interviews, collecting data, and maintaining records, documents, and data. Collect and ship specimens, per study protocol specifications. Complete and maintain all program-related records for each participant, including consent forms, data management system, and source documentation worksheets as required. Develop appropriate processes for updating and maintaining records as needed. Independently responds to general inquiries from program participants, staff and other stakeholders. Independently drafts correspondence and general communications regarding the program, including memorandums and reports as request by the PI. Assists with scheduling meetings, including arranging for space, notifying participants, preparing the agenda and minutes and following-up on all commitments to ensure that necessary arrangements have been made. Prepare documents and research matters for the staff, including documents of a confidential and/or technical nature. Incumbent secures, assembles, and summarizes information form files, documents in the office, or other available sources for use by the staff. Organizes the information, develops reports, and highlights the most important portions for the staff. Responsible to input data into several electronic databases which might include Microsoft Outlook, Excel, WORD, PowerPoint, Access, LIMBS, IFCAO, and other databases. Extract data to prepare reports, sort and summarize data elements, manipulate the data by performing statistical queries that are pre-programmed or are built within the Microsoft or VA software. May relieve the coordinator of administrative details based on knowledge of program responsibility and the management requirements of the supervisor. Plan and perform other related administrative follow-up duties independently and on own initiative. Handle various administrative details with other office heads. Maintains Equipment/Supplies/Facilities 15 % Maintain the research laboratory facilities, equipment and controls supplies as required; maintain such equipment as centrifuges, refrigerators, freezers, spectrophotometers, PCR machines, western blotting machines, biosafety hoods, and analytical balances. Monitor research specimens, equipment, and the environment. Assists in the purchase, inventory, and distribution of various research laboratory supplies or commercial media. Obtain pricing quotes for purchases through communication with vendor personnel. Processes requisitions, receives, and stores shipments, noting damage, contamination, shortage or other errors in shipment. Reconcile shipments with original orders, and packages products for pick up or shipment. Follow safety guidelines for required research procedures and equipment operation. Works with other labs, the research administration, and other departments to solve common and uncommon issues that arise in a timely manner. Clinical Test Management 15% Manage implementation, control and reporting on clinical tests when required. Maintain records and prepare project administrative and statistical reports as needed. Draft and maintain all documentation required for clinical portion of participation. Perform routine clinical tests as required studies, including drawing blood, monitoring vital signs, and measuring lung function, body composition and grip strength when required. Perform other duties as required.

Requirements

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job.
• Selectees are subject to a background/suitability investigation.
• Selectees may be required to serve a probationary period.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• A complete application package, i.e., Resume, Transcripts, etc., as required by job announcement.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
• Participation in the Seasonal Influenza Prevention Program for VHA Health Care Personnel (HCP) is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs HCP.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• Pre-employment physical examination/evaluation may be required.
• Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 11/02/2023. Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. Provide a copy of your last or most recent SF-50, "Notification of Personnel Action" to indicate your current federal status. You must also submit additional SF-50(s) to clearly demonstrate one year time-in-grade as required in the announcement. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate that you possess one year time-in-grade. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one year time-in-grade. Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. AND You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Basic Requirements: Qualified Applicants must meet the basic education requirement for Research Assistant position, as described below: Degree: Bachelor's or graduate/higher level degree: major study in an academic field related to the medical field, health sciences or allied sciences appropriate to the work of the position. May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria). AND Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-7 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: experience in the principles, concepts, practice, and procedures and techniques in the scientific arena to support the organization's research program, and to develop policies, procedures, and criteria for the administration of the research program in a Health Care System. NOTE: Must be demonstrated in your resume. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have two (2) years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree that provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. NOTE: Transcripts required. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. Combined experience is determined as 6 months of specialized experience equivalent to GS-7 and beyond 1 year of graduate level education. NOTE: Transcripts required Per Office of Personnel Management General Schedule Qualification Policies, federal employees are assumed to have gained experience by performing duties and responsibilities appropriate for their official series and grade level as described in their position description. Experience that would not normally be part of the employee's position is creditable when documented by satisfactory evidence (e.g., a memorandum from the manager, human resources director, or official documentation such as SF-52, SF-50 documenting an official detail/assignments, or other comparable documentation). The documentation must indicate whether the employee performed the duties full time or, if part-time, the percentage of times the employee performed the additional duties. To receive credit for experience in your resume that is not within the official series and grade level of your position, you must provide official documentation of such experience as indicated above. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit OPM's web site at http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/standards/indexes/alph-ndx.asp.

Education

Individual Occupation Requirement: You must have successfully completed a bachelor's or graduate/higher level degree, major study in an academic field related to the medical field, health sciences or allied sciences appropriate to the work of the position. This degree must be from an educational program from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education at the time the degree was obtained. Note: Transcript(s) MUST be submitted with your application.

GS-09 Education Substitution: Two (2) years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree. Note: Transcript(s) MUST be submitted with your application.

PLEASE NOTE: Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications (particularly positions with a positive education requirement). Therefore, applicants must report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following website: http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html. All education claimed by applicants will be verified by the appointing agency accordingly. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education.

Contacts

• Address Cincinnati ORD VISN 10 3200 Vine Street Cincinnatti, OH 45220 US
• Name: VHA National Recruitment Center
• Phone: (844)456-5208
• Email: [email protected]