Job Title Research Assistant-1 Job Category Non Union Technicians and Research Assistants Job Profile Non Union Salaried - Research Assistant /Technician 2 Job Family Group Staff - Non Union Department Wood Laboratory | BC Centre for Substance Use | Faculty of Medicine Job End Date November 30, 2027 Posting End Date November 29, 2026 Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the Posting End Date. This position is subject to the satisfactory completion of required background checks
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.
Job Summary The Canadian Research Initiative in Substance Matters (CRISM) invites applications for two Research Assistants to join the CRISM British Columbia Team (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. The successful candidate will support a portfolio of systematic review activities addressing priority questions related to substance use, clinical care, treatment, harm reduction, prevention, public health, and health services. The work will involve the identification, screening, appraisal, extraction, organization, and synthesis of evidence from published research studies. The position will involve working closely with CRISM investigators and research team members to support systematic reviews conducted using established methodological approaches. Depending on the project, the successful candidate may contribute to reviews intended to inform clinical practice, clinical guidelines, practice recommendations, and other evidence-based guidance documents. The successful candidate will be expected to work carefully and systematically, apply established review protocols and eligibility criteria, maintain accurate documentation, and communicate effectively with members of the research team. The position may involve working across multiple systematic review projects and research questions.
Work Performed The successful candidate will support systematic review and evidence synthesis activities, including:
Conducting and supporting literature searches to identify published research relevant to systematic review questions
Screening titles and abstracts and reviewing full-text articles against established eligibility criteria
Documenting inclusion and exclusion decisions and identifying studies requiring further discussion or adjudication
Extracting data from published research studies using standardized extraction forms and protocols including study design, populations, interventions or exposures, comparators, outcomes, results, study setting, funding sources, conflicts of interest, and other relevant study characteristics
Supporting quality appraisal and risk-of-bias assessment using established methodological tools appropriate to the research question and study design
Supporting the organization, management, and quality assurance of systematic review data including maintaining study screening records, data-extraction files, evidence tables, and other review documentation
Identifying and documenting discrepancies or issues in published research that may affect interpretation of findings
Supporting the assessment and documentation of potential spin or misleading reporting in published research, where relevant to the systematic review
Supporting the development and refinement of systematic review protocols and related documentation




Supporting registration of systematic review protocols on registries such as PROSPERO, where appropriate
Supporting the synthesis and presentation of findings, including preparation of evidence tables and summaries of study characteristics and results
Contributing to the preparation of manuscripts and other scholarly outputs arising from systematic review activities
Summarizing relevant author conflict-of-interest disclosures, funding sources, committee involvement, and other study or guideline characteristics where required by the review
Participating in research team meetings and discussions related to systematic review methodology and findings
Communicating progress, methodological questions, discrepancies, and challenges to the project lead
Performing other systematic review and evidence-synthesis activities as required by the research program
Research Environment The successful candidate will work within an interdisciplinary research environment involving CRISM investigators and collaborators with expertise in substance use, clinical research, public health, epidemiology, health services research, evidence synthesis, guideline development, and knowledge translation. The position provides an opportunity to contribute to research that moves from identifying and evaluating the available evidence to synthesizing findings that can inform clinical practice and health-system decision-making. Some systematic reviews will focus on evaluating clinical interventions, treatments, models of care, harm reduction approaches, or other interventions relevant to people who use substances. Other reviews may address questions related to prevalence, risk factors, health outcomes, implementation, service delivery, or policy. The successful candidate may therefore contribute to projects using a range of research designs and methodologies, including randomized and non-randomized intervention studies, observational studies, qualitative research, mixed-methods research, and other forms of published evidence. Where systematic reviews are undertaken to support guideline or guidance development, the candidate may also contribute to the preparation and organization of evidence for expert and clinical committees. This may include preparing evidence tables, summarizing the characteristics and findings of included studies, organizing committee materials, and supporting the documentation of the evidence underlying recommendations.
Consequence of Error/Judgement This position exercises professional judgment and initiative in the conduct of systematic review activities. Errors made could influence the ability of researchers to interpret data correctly, delay the timely completion of work, and thus compromise the results of research projects. This would impact the credibility of the PI and other research team investigators.
Supervision Received The Research Assistant will receive primary direction from the Program Manager.
Minimum Qualifications High school graduation, some additional training in a related field and a minimum two years of related experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one’s own
Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one’s own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion
Demonstrated experience or aptitude for conducting literature searches and/or screening published research
Demonstrated experience or aptitude for reviewing abstracts and full-text articles against established eligibility criteria




Demonstrated experience or aptitude for extracting data from published research studies
Strong attention to detail and ability to consistently and accurately apply established protocols and procedures
Strong organizational and time-management skills
Ability to work independently and meet established timelines
Strong written communication skills and ability to accurately summarize research findings
Ability to work collaboratively with researchers and other members of a multidisciplinary research team
Preferred Qualifications Preference may be given to candidates with experience in one or more of the following: Systematic reviews, scoping reviews, rapid reviews, or other forms of evidence synthesis
Critical appraisal and risk-of-bias assessment
Quantitative or qualitative research methods
Clinical research or evaluation of clinical interventions
Substance use, mental health, public health, health services, or related research
Evidence synthesis related to clinical practice or health-system decision-making
Clinical guideline or guidance development
Assessment of reporting bias, selective reporting, or spin in published research
Use of reference-management software such as EndNote or similar platforms
Development or registration of systematic review protocols, including experience with PROSPERO
Preparation of evidence tables and evidence summaries
Manuscript preparation and scientific writing
Knowledge translation or mobilization of research findings to clinical, policy, or community audiences
Communications and Collaboration Excellent attention to detail and commitment to research quality and methodological rigor
Ability to accurately and consistently apply systematic review methods
Solid written and verbal communication skills
Ability to summarize complex research findings clearly and accurately
Ability to identify and communicate methodological questions, uncertainties, and discrepancies to senior research team members
Ability to work independently while contributing effectively to a multidisciplinary research team
Solid organizational skills and ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines
Professional and respectful communication with researchers and research team members
Commitment to transparent, rigorous, and reproducible research practices
Questions about this position may be directed to Shirley Wong (CRISM BC Senior Project Manager, [email protected]).
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. We value each individual and the unique skills and background they bring to our community. We offer a wide variety of career opportunities and encourage you to explore your true potential in an environment that fosters professional and personal growth. Equity and diversity are essential to academic excellence. An open and diverse community fosters the inclusion of voices that have been underrepresented or discouraged. We encourage applications from members of groups that have been marginalized on any grounds enumerated under the B.C. 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, Metis, Inuit, and/or Indigenous person. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.
If you have any accommodation or accessibility needs during the job application process, please contact the Centre for Workplace Accessibility at [email protected].

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📌 Research Assistant-1 (British Columbia)
🏢 UBC The University of British Columbia
📍 British Columbia