Research Associates
Appendix D - Trust/Research Academic Staff Agreement
The source of funding under a trust academic job family shall be university-restricted funds (e.g. grants, fellowships, directed funding, contingent funding, endowments) and fall into one of the following academic job families under this Appendix and Article 6.02:
Research Academic Family: A Research Academic is a full-time or part-time staff member whose duties are to carry out or support high-level, complex, research projects in collaboration with faculty members and other researchers. Duties may include research design, methodology determination, analysis and/or other activities that facilitate the work of the trust unit. Duties may include all phases of data collection and analysis (e.g. clinical trials, test and questionnaire design) and could include such activities as the preparation of proposals for new research activities, the presentation of research findings and/or the preparation of reports and papers. A "Research Scientist" or a "Research Associate" will normally hold a doctoral degree or have equivalent qualifications and experience. A "Trust Professional" shall normally hold a Master's or professional level degree in a required discipline and hold positions such as speech language pathologist, kindergarten teacher, engineer, and statistician.
Research Associates at Level 1 apply extensive knowledge in their field to perform high-level, complex research activities under the direction of the Principal Investigator. They normally hold a doctoral degree or have equivalent qualifications and experience.
Duties of a Research Associate 1 are carried out in consultation with the Principal Investigator and may include, but are not limited to:
- Planning research activities and providing research design for a project and/or program.
- Determining the most appropriate methodology in carrying out identified research goals.
- Designing experiments, data collection protocols, and standards.
- Conducting advanced analysis of research results.
- Overseeing and/or conducting data collection activities.
- Preparing proposals for new research activities, including assisting in the preparation of research grant applications and contract proposals.
- Participating in the writing of research papers, the preparation of presentations and publications.
- Presenting research results in laboratory meetings, seminars, scientific conferences and/or related settings.
- Guiding and coaching students and/or post-doctoral fellows.
- Supervising support staff.
- Fostering communication with off-campus partners.
- Assisting with related administrative duties.
- May be a co-applicant for research funding if stipulated in the appointment letter.
When assessing the level of positions, the following elements are taken into consideration: the work described; the context in which the work is done; the organizational structure; and comparable positions on campus.
- Sample - Research Associate, Inflammatory Diseases (Dept. of MMI, FoMD)
- Sample - Research Associate, Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases (Dept. of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science)
- Sample - Research Associate, Livestock Gentec (Dept. of AFNS, Faculty of Agriculture, Life & Environmental Sciences)
Research Associates at Level 2 apply extensive knowledge in their field to lead high-level, complex research activities under the direction of the Principal Investigator and provide managerial leadership to a research project or program. These positions require greater judgement and input over the research as compared to Research Associates at Level 1. They normally hold a doctoral degree or have equivalent qualifications and experience.
Duties of a Research Associate Level 2 are carried out in consultation with the Principal Investigator and may include, but are not limited to:
- Setting research program objectives (involved in the planning of future research).
- Supervising support staff or Research Associates (Level 1).
- Overseeing the operations in one or more laboratories/locations.
- Overseeing the analysis of research results.
- Conducting quality analysis and quality assurance on research operations, methodology, etc.
- Conducting related administrative duties at a managerial level (including human resource, budgetary, equipment management and/or facility and space planning).
- Planning research activities and provides research design for a project and/or program.
- Determining the most appropriate methodology in carrying-out identified research goals.
- Designing experiments, data collection protocols, and standards.
- Overseeing/supervising data collection activities.
- Preparing proposals for new research activities, including assisting in the preparation of research grant applications and contract proposals.
- Participating in the writing of research papers, preparation of presentations and publications.
- Guiding and coaching students and/or post-doctoral fellows.
- Presenting research results in laboratory meetings, seminars, scientific conferences and/or related settings.
- Liaising and/or negotiating with off-campus partners.
- May be a co-applicant for research funding if stipulated in the appointment letter.
When assessing the level of positions, the following elements are taken into consideration: the work described; the context in which the work is done; the organizational structure; and comparable positions on campus.
- Sample - Research Associate, MARD (Dept. of Family Medicine, FoMD)
- Sample - Associate Director, CIHR Institute of Aboriginal Peoples' Health (VPR)
- Sample - Research Scientist (Dept. of Physics, Faculty of Science)
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