Research Data Coordinator

Job Title: Research Data Coordinator - Lung Cancer Screening Department: General Practice, RCSI Reporting to: Professor Patrick Redmond Location: RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin Contract/Duration: Up to 3 years, subject to funding Remuneration: Up to €42,943 per annum, subject to relevant qualifications and experience Closing Date: 18th March 2025 About PRiCAN PRiCAN (Primary Care Research into Cancer) is a multidisciplinary research team aimed at enhancing early cancer detection, diagnosis, and outcomes in primary care settings. Beyond the immediate project, you will be part of a broader program of research in primary care and cancer, with opportunities to contribute to trials, observational studies, and multidisciplinary initiatives. PRiCAN integrates a wide of research activities, including: Developing and testing digital health interventions to improve patient engagement and access to care. Exploring the integration of non-invasive biomarkers with the aim of conducting clinical trials to evaluate innovative screening strategies. Leveraging data science to assess the utility of general practice data for research and clinical care. Engaging with our public and patient involvement (PPI) group to ensure research is grounded in patient needs and experiences. About the Project This position is funded by a grant to advance lung cancer early detection, treatment and the provision of integrated services to cancer patients through five distinct projects or "pillars." The data coordinator will assist in delivering Pillar 1 and Pillar 4 of the grant. Pillar 1 of the Irish Cancer Society-funded Lung Cancer Research Programme consists of a Lung Cancer Screening Pilot. The aim is to demonstrate feasibility of mobile CT for lung cancer early detection to: Reduce lung cancer mortality and improve one- and five-year survival rates in patients with lung cancer through a 'Lung Health Check' pilot program, delivered in a high-risk population of patients Improve Lung cancer Early Detection uptake in at risk population using community-based screening Reduce cancer incidence and tobacco dependency through smoking cessation and health promotion programs delivered as part of an early detection 'lung health check' in a high-risk catchment area. Identify breath and blood-based biomarkers of lung cancer in a high-risk population Pillar 4 of the programme consists of a "lung cancer in primary care" workstream, comprising four broad work packages: WP1: To evaluate the feasibility and demonstrate the validity of using routine primary care records for lung cancer research WP2: To build a model which predicts lung cancer using primary care data WP3: To describe the epidemiology of the patient cohorts at each step in the lung cancer continuum WP4: To examine the acceptability of personalised lung cancer screening Opportunities for Career Development We are committed to supporting the long-term career progression of our team. Candidates will be encouraged and guided to apply for PhD opportunities to extend their research or the opportunity to progress their career with healthcare providers and industry partners. This role offers a unique opportunity to: Work with leading researchers to gain insights into cancer screening and primary care research. Build your academic publication record through collaborative research targeting high-impact journals. Contribute to PRiCAN's diverse research portfolio while developing skills in data governance, data analysis, and health research data management. Summary of Post The Data Coordinator will oversee the organisation, processing, and quality assurance of data for lung cancer screening and primary care-based research projects. The successful candidate will ensure data integrity, facilitate data access for researchers and support statistical analyses by preparing well-structured datasets. They will also assist in regulatory compliance for projects involving patient data to ensure that data-driven insights inform lung cancer screening policies and interventions. This role requires regular onsite work at both Beaumont Hospital and RCSI St. Stephen's Green campus for follow-up of trial participants and support the clinical and research teams. Specifically, the duties of the post are: Data Management: Develop and maintain data management plans, clean and structure primary care and screening datasets, data collection and management for the Lung Health Check Pilot trial and integrate biomarker and screening data into research-ready formats. Compliance & Data Governance: Ensure all data processes comply with GDPR, health research ethics, and data governance policies; manage secure data handling and access permissions, contribute to data-related ethics applications and regulatory documentation. Data Analysis: Prepare well-structured datasets for analysis, generate descriptive statistics, oversee and deliver on operational data entry, assist in data extraction and dataset linking Database Development: Lead in the development and maintenance of study databases, optimise data storage and retrieval processes, provide technical support for data access and extraction and contribute to improving data infrastructure for ongoing and future research projects. Project Coordination & Data Oversight: Establish and oversee a lung cancer screening multidisciplinary meeting and clinic in collaboration with Cancer Centre operational leads, ensuring effective management of all related data; develop and implement risk management procedures with mitigation plans for RCSI and Beaumont Hospital; track and report on data deliverables, milestones, and performance indicators; proactively communicate with the lung health check team and related staff to support project coordination. Qualifications - (Essential): A master's degree in a relevant field (e.g., Health Informatics, Epidemiology, Data Science, Biostatistics, Public Health, or Computer Science) OR a bachelor's degree with significant research data management experience. Experience handling large health-related datasets, such as primary care records, screening databases, or clinical research data. Strong analytical skills and proficiency in data management and programming tools such as SQL, REDCap, Python or R. Excellent organisational and problem-solving skills with an eye for detail. Qualifications - (Desirable): Experience working with electronic health records or primary care data. Knowledge of predictive modelling or machine learning applications in healthcare research. Experience with lung cancer research or knowledge of the Irish healthcare system. We are all too aware that imposter syndrome and the confidence gap can sometimes stop fantastic candidates putting themselves forward, so please do submit an application - we'd love to hear from you. Application Process Please apply online through the RCSI careers portal before the closing date with your CV and cover letter. Please note, we reserve the right to close this role for applications at any stage should we receive a large number of suitable applications. Informal Enquiries can be directed to . Please note we do not accept CVs directly. Employee benefits At RCSI, we help care for our people so they can focus on our mission to educate, nurture, and discover for the benefit of human health. RCSI make sure you have the resources you need to thrive. We offer a wide range of benefits in areas including time away, finance, community, health, and well-being and insuring your financial future. In addition to our city centre campus and world-class facilities, there are a wide range of excellent benefits available to our employees, including: Onsite gym €10 per month Flexible working arrangements Automatic enrolment to a pension scheme for all employees (Willis Towers Watson, pension documents outlined below) RCSI Investment Guide Pension Scheme Guide Benefits Schedule Life assurance/death in service Long term illness/disability income replacement Free advice on health/motor and home insurance Discounted services, including GP Support for parents and carers Taxsaver commuter tickets BiketoWork Free eye test at the National Optometry centre €12/day for parking for all RSCI staff in the St. Stephens green/RCSI car park RCSI's Learning and Development team facilitate and provide training opportunities for all staff Sports and social club Opportunities to volunteer in the community 26.5 days leave - 20 days annual leave plus 6.5 days Privilege days - In addition to your annual leave entitlements and public holidays, RCSI also grants privilege days to our employees (paid time off during Easter and Christmas periods). We also offer a number of leave options to support the working lives of our employees. Paid maternity leave Paid Paternity leave Parental leave