Research Scientist, Health Research Data

**Research Scientist, Health Research Data Platform-Saskatchewan (HRDP-SK)**:
The Saskatchewan Centre for Patient-Oriented Research (SCPOR) vision is working together for a healthier Saskatchewan through patient-oriented research (POR). POR brings patients and those around them (family, friends, and community) together as partners in research, along with health professionals, administrators and researchers. SCPOR is a group of partners that includes patients, academic institutions, government agencies and health organizations. Together, SCPOR will work on the Learning Health System (LHS), with the goal of improving the health and wellbeing of patients and families and ensuring healthcare services are helping people. Patient Partners bring their knowledge and lived experiences to this research. SCPOR’s most significant impact will be to support the health system in its approaches to collecting and learning from health-related information to achieve system improvement.

Funded by the Saskatchewan Centre for Patient-Oriented Research (SCPOR) and Health Data Research Network (HDRN) Canada, the Health Research Data Platform-Saskatchewan (HRDP-SK) is the first platform in Saskatchewan to integrate health data from multiple agencies. The platform provides researchers timely access to health data and supports them to conduct research which informs health and health care.

**Position purpose**: Under the supervision and direction of the HRDP-SK Director, the successful incumbent will oversee daily tasks performed by the HRDP-SK teams as well as provide mentorship/coaching to employees, researchers and students/trainees.

**Nature of Work**: This position contributes to the creation and oversight of services that support researchers and data analysts to access data via HRDP-SK. The position is expected to mentor staff and will need to be aware of the resources of the unit to make recommendations to the Director for assignment of resources and skills needed to ensure success of current projects.

The position may be asked to lead research projects, including large, complex research projects, to achieve objectives in accordance with the organization’s strategic and operational objectives as determined and delegated by SCPOR/ HRDP-SK’s leadership team. The incumbent will not have the opportunity to drive their own research agenda or conduct independent research but may work on research projects in alignment with HRDP-SK priorities.

This position exercises collaborative decision-making: establishes and maintains the level of professional relationships that support exceptional collaboration and problem solving; and builds working relationships with various stakeholders within and external to the university.

**Accountabilities**:

- Provide advanced level coaching to HRDP-SK researchers and users as they lead the conception, design, conduct and reporting of research projects
- Participate in HRDP-SK data access request and approvals process.
- Develop content and training programming to support the learning and development of HRDP-SK staff and users.
- Collaborate with HRDP-SK partners to advance capacity of data users in Saskatchewan.
- Collaborate with HRDP-SK and HDRN colleagues to advance improvements to data dictionaries, concept dictionaries and phenotype libraries.
- Supports the use of the HDRN Algorithms and Harmonization Inventory and similar tools.
- Participate in HRDP-SK Data Quality & Standardization committee thereby advancing continuous improvement in data quality, validity, completeness and accuracy.
- Provide researchers and other relevant staff or student/trainees with structured and unstructured coaching, mentorship, and training to improve research skills and abilities that strengthen research done using HRDP-SK.
- Monitor the health research environment for best practices in data-driven research and identify gaps to inform learning and development requirements for HRDP-SK users and staff
- Develop and maintain effective external relationships with relevant researchers, as well as with research-related working groups and committees, to strengthen HRDP-SK’s research partnerships that support organizational strategic and operational objectives.
- Develop and maintain a current and expert knowledge of data access centers in Canadian and international research environments/ Utilize this knowledge to drive advancement and growth of the HRDP-SK in alignment with national and international best practices. Participate in the development of funding proposals to secure sustainable funding for HRDP-SK.
- Develop and improve HRDP-SK processes to ensure data access is conducted appropriately, efficiently, and effectively.

**Standards: Technical/professional**:

- Consistently applies advanced proficiency in mixed methods study design (e.g., quantitative, qualitative) to develop and implement projects aligned with organizational research priorities.
- Demonstrates basic proficiency with SAS programming, R