Postdoctoral Research Fellow

University of British Columbia · Vancouver · CA$60,000–CA$75,000 (stated in the posting)

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Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the Posting End Date.

Please note this is a one (1) year term position. However, there is a possibility of extension. The expected pay range for this position is $60,000 - $75,000 per year.

At UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning for all faculty, staff and students. Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness, brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace, and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career.

The full-time Postdoctoral Research Fellow will work under Dr. Evan Wood’s supervision. Dr. Wood is a Principal Investigator with the Canadian Research Initiative in Substance Matters (CRISM) (https://www.bccsu.ca/about-crism-bc/). CRISM is a national research network dedicated to generating, translating, and mobilizing evidence to improve the health and well-being of people who use substances and to strengthen substance use policy, prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and health systems in Canada.

One to two positions are available depending on the calibre of applicants. The successful candidate(s) will join a highly collaborative, interdisciplinary research environment involving researchers, clinicians, health-system partners, community organizations, policymakers, and people with lived and living experience of substance use. The Fellow(s) will contribute to research that addresses priority questions in substance use and substance use-related health, with a particular focus on evaluating clinical and community-based interventions and translating research evidence into clinical practice, guidelines, and guidance documents.

The research program encompasses both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies. Depending on the Fellow's expertise and the needs of the research program, projects may involve epidemiological and population health research, clinical research, health services and health systems research, intervention evaluation, implementation science, qualitative and mixed-methods research, evidence synthesis, and knowledge translation. Experience with systematic review activities and/or guideline activities is an asset.

The Fellow will have opportunities to contribute to the development, implementation, evaluation, and interpretation of research designed to understand what interventions work, for whom, under what circumstances, and how interventions can be effectively implemented in real-world clinical and community settings. Research findings will be used to inform evidence-based clinical practice, policy, clinical guidelines, practice recommendations, and guidance documents for health professionals, health systems, community organizations, and people with lived and living experience of substance use.

The Postdoctoral Research Fellow will support critical research objectives, including:

• Designing, conducting, and analyzing quantitative, qualitative, and/or mixed-methods research addressing priority questions in substance use and substance use-related health
• Evaluating the effectiveness, implementation, acceptability, feasibility, equity, and sustainability of clinical and community-based interventions
• Integrating findings from quantitative and qualitative research to develop a comprehensive understanding of intervention outcomes and implementation
• Translating research findings into evidence summaries, clinical recommendations, guidelines, guidance documents, policy products, and other knowledge translation outputs
• Developing and leading peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations, reports, and other research products
• Contributing to evidence reviews, evidence syntheses, and the development and updating of clinical guidance
• Supporting the development of research proposals, grant applications, and funding strategies
• Working collaboratively with clinicians, researchers, health-system partners, community organizations, policymakers, and people with lived and living experience of substance use

Position Responsibilities

The Postdoctoral Research Fellow will contribute to a portfolio of interdisciplinary research projects and may be responsible for:

• Developing research questions and study protocols related to substance use, clinical care, harm reduction, treatment, prevention, and health services
• Designing and conducting quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods research
• Developing and applying appropriate quantitative analytical approaches, including epidemiological, biostatistical, longitudinal, and/or causal methods
• Designing, conducting, and analyzing qualitative research, including interviews, focus groups, observations, document analysis, and other qualitative approaches, as appropriate
• Integrating quantitative and qualitative findings to evaluate interventions and inform clinical and health-system decision-making
• Evaluating clinical and community-based interventions, including their effectiveness, safety, acceptability, feasibility, reach, equity, implementation, and sustainability
• Working with clinical and health-system partners to identify research questions and ensure that research findings address important real-world clinical and service-delivery needs
• Conducting literature reviews, systematic reviews, rapid reviews, evidence syntheses, and other forms of evidence assessment as appropriate
• Assessing the quality, strength, applicability, and limitations of available evidence to support clinical and policy recommendations
• Contributing to the development, review, and updating of clinical guidelines, practice recommendations, and guidance documents
• Translating complex research findings into accessible and actionable recommendations for clinicians, health-system leaders, policymakers, community organizations, and people with lived and living experience
• Leading or co-leading peer-reviewed manuscripts and conference presentations
• Preparing research reports, evidence summaries, policy briefs, clinical guidance materials, and knowledge translation products
• Contributing to grant applications and research funding proposals
• Participating in research team meetings, seminars, conferences, working groups, and other scholarly activities
• Developing and maintaining collaborative relationships with researchers, clinicians, community organizations, health-system partners, policymakers, and people with lived and living experience
• Mentoring and supervising research assistants, graduate students, and other trainees, as appropriate
• Supporting knowledge mobilization activities and dissemination of research findings to academic and non-academic audiences
• Contributing to the development and maintenance of CRISM's national and regional research collaborations
• Supporting other research activities required by the program

Research Environment

CRISM provides a unique interdisciplinary and collaborative environment for conducting research that bridges research, clinical practice, community-based care, health systems, and policy. The successful candidate will have opportunities to work across disciplines and settings and to engage with investigators and partners working in areas such as substance use treatment, harm reduction, mental health, infectious diseases, pain, overdose prevention, health services, public health, Indigenous health, implementation science, and health policy.

A particular strength of the research environment is the opportunity to move research findings beyond academic publication and into clinical and health-system practice. Fellows will have opportunities to contribute to projects in which evidence is generated through clinical and population research, synthesized and critically appraised, and ultimately translated into recommendations intended to support clinical decision-making and improve care.

The position therefore provides an opportunity for a researcher interested not only in generating evidence, but also in understanding how evidence can be evaluated, synthesized, interpreted, and translated into meaningful changes in clinical practice and health-system delivery.

The Fellow will be supervised by Evan Wood and will be based within the British Columbia Centre on Substance Use in Vancouver, BC, on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) peoples.

The successful candidate will work closely with CRISM investigators and collaborators across Canada and will have opportunities to contribute to multidisciplinary research projects, develop an independent research program, publish in peer-reviewed journals, present findings at scientific and community forums, contribute to clinical guidance and guideline development, and develop skills in research leadership, knowledge mobilization, and research funding.

Required Qualifications

• A PhD in epidemiology, public health, health services research, medicine, nursing, psychology, social sciences, population health, or a related discipline
• Demonstrated research experience in substance use, mental health, public health, clinical research, health services, health policy, or a related field
• Demonstrated experience designing, conducting, and analyzing research studies
• Demonstrated experience with quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-methods research
• Experience conducting or contributing to clinical research and/or evaluation of clinical interventions
• Demonstrated ability to independently develop research questions, conduct analyses, interpret research findings, and communicate results
• A strong record of peer-reviewed publication appropriate to career stage
• Strong scientific writing and oral communication skills
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and collaboratively in an interdisciplinary research environment

Preferred Qualifications

Preference may be given to candidates with experience in one or more of the following areas:

• Substance use research, including research involving people with lived and living experience of substance use
• Clinical trials, pragmatic trials, observational studies, or other forms of clinical research
• Evaluation of clinical, health-system, community-based, or public health interventions
• Epidemiology, biostatistics, longitudinal analysis, causal inference, or other quantitative methods
• Qualitative research methods, including interviews, focus groups, ethnography, thematic analysis, or qualitative evidence synthesis
• Mixed-methods research
• Implementation science and evaluation
• Health services and health systems research
• Systematic reviews, rapid reviews, evidence synthesis, or guideline development
• Development or evaluation of clinical practice guidelines, clinical guidance, or practice recommendations
• Knowledge translation or knowledge mobilization
• Experience translating research findings into recommendations for clinicians, health systems, policymakers, or community organizations
• Experience with large, longitudinal, administrative, clinical, or survey datasets
• Proficiency with relevant analytical software such as R, Stata, SAS, SPSS, Python, NVivo, or equivalent tools
• Experience developing grant applications and research funding proposals
• Community-engaged, patient-oriented, participatory, or Indigenous research approaches
• Experience working collaboratively with clinicians, health-system partners, policymakers, community organizations, and/or people with lived and living experience

Communications and Collaboration

• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English and proven ability to work within an interdisciplinary team.
• Ability to synthesize and critically interpret evidence from diverse research methodologies with an emphasis on critical appraisal and systematic review
• Ability to translate scientific findings into clear, clinically relevant recommendations and knowledge products
• Excellent organizational and project-management skills
• Demonstrated ability to work independently while contributing effectively to multidisciplinary teams
• Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain productive relationships with clinical, academic, community, and policy partners
• Commitment to respectful, inclusive, equity-oriented, and meaningful engagement with people with lived and living experience of substance use

Career Development and Training Opportunities

This position will provide the successful candidate with opportunities to develop expertise across the full research-to-practice continuum, including:

• Clinical and health services research
• Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods research
• Intervention evaluation and implementation science
• Evidence synthesis and critical appraisal
• Clinical guideline and guidance development
• Research partnership development
• Scientific writing and publication
• Grant development and research funding
• Mentorship and development of an independent research program

The Fellow will be encouraged to develop a research portfolio that supports progression toward an independent research career in substance use, clinical research, health services, public health, or a related field. Applying to the Micheal Smith Foundation, the Canadian Institutes for Health Research or other peer-reviewed post-doctoral funders is encouraged.

Candidates are encouraged to describe their experience with clinical research, intervention evaluation, quantitative and/or qualitative methods, evidence synthesis, clinical guideline development, knowledge translation, and collaborative research. Questions about this position may be directed to Shirley Wong (CRISM BC Senior Project Manager, Shirley.C.Wong@ubc.ca).

UBC is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, and equitable environment and encourages applications from members of groups that have been marginalized on any grounds enumerated under the BC Human Rights Code, including sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, racialization, disability, political belief, religion, marital or family status, age, and/or status as a First Nation, Métis, Inuit, or Indigenous person. Candidates of any nationality are encouraged to apply.

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