Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for University Research Coordinator

🎯 Role Definition

The University Research Coordinator organizes, executes, and monitors academic and clinical research activities across departments or labs. This role supports principal investigators (PIs) by managing day-to-day operations of research projects—handling grant and contract administration, regulatory submissions (IRB/ethics), participant recruitment and retention, data collection and management (REDCap/SQL/SPSS/R), budget oversight, vendor and subcontractor coordination, and reporting to sponsors and institutional leadership. The ideal candidate is detail-oriented, experienced with research compliance and human subjects protections, proficient in project and budget management, and skilled at communicating with internal and external stakeholders to ensure projects meet scientific, regulatory, and financial milestones.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Research Assistant / Research Technician
Administrative Coordinator in Academic or Clinical Settings
Graduate Research Assistant (MA/MS, MPH)

Advancement To:

Senior Research Coordinator / Project Manager
Research Program Manager / Grants Manager
Clinical Research Manager or Operations Director
Research Compliance Officer or Sponsored Programs Officer

Lateral Moves:

Clinical Research Coordinator
Grant Development Specialist
Data Manager / Biostatistician

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Coordinate all operational aspects of assigned research projects, including study start-up, enrollment, protocol implementation, scheduling, and closeout to ensure adherence to timelines and deliverables.
Prepare, submit, and manage Institutional Review Board (IRB) applications, amendments, continuing reviews, and all required documentation to ensure regulatory compliance and protection of human subjects.
Assist PIs with the preparation and submission of grant proposals and contract packages (federal, state, foundation), including budgets, budget justifications, biosketches, and sponsor-specific forms.
Develop and maintain project budgets, track expenditures vs. budget, process requisitions and purchase orders, reconcile accounts, and work with sponsored programs to ensure appropriate billing and financial compliance.
Serve as the primary liaison between investigators, study sponsors, institutional offices (grants & contracts, compliance, procurement), clinical sites, and community partners to facilitate communication and project milestones.
Recruit, screen, consent, and enroll study participants following approved protocols, maintain enrollment logs, and implement retention strategies to meet enrollment targets.
Design, implement, and manage data collection systems (e.g., REDCap, Excel, electronic data capture systems), ensure data quality through validation checks, and prepare datasets for analysis.
Develop and maintain comprehensive regulatory binders, study files, and documentation (eTMF), ensuring all required documents are current, accurate, and audit-ready.
Coordinate specimen collection, processing, storage, shipping, and tracking in accordance with biospecimen SOPs and applicable biosafety and shipping regulations.
Train, supervise, and mentor research staff, student workers, and volunteers on study procedures, data entry, informed consent, and participant interactions to maintain consistent, high-quality operations.
Monitor study conduct and participant safety, report adverse events and deviations to PIs and IRB, and implement corrective actions as needed to maintain compliance with GCP and institutional policies.
Draft and submit progress, technical, and financial reports to sponsors and funding agencies on schedule, summarizing enrollment, milestones, expenditures, and any protocol changes.
Coordinate multi-site and collaborative research activities, including site initiation visits, monitoring visits, communication of protocol updates, and harmonization of procedures across sites.
Manage contracts and subawards with external vendors and collaborators; coordinate scope of work, deliverables, invoicing, and compliance reviews.
Maintain and update standard operating procedures (SOPs), study manuals, and participant-facing materials to ensure clarity, regulatory compliance, and consistent implementation.
Conduct routine quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) checks of data collection, lab procedures, and documentation to identify and remediate discrepancies proactively.
Facilitate investigator meetings, steering committee calls, study team meetings, and community engagement events, preparing agendas, minutes, and action item tracking.
Oversee participant scheduling, visit coordination, reimbursement or stipend distribution, and travel logistics while ensuring privacy and confidentiality (HIPAA) protections.
Support statistical and analytic efforts by preparing analysis-ready data, writing data dictionaries, and coordinating with biostatisticians and data analysts to ensure reproducible research outputs.
Manage electronic systems for study registration and transparency (e.g., ClinicalTrials.gov), ensuring trial registration, updates, and results reporting conform to sponsor and regulatory requirements.
Implement recruitment and outreach strategies (community partnerships, social media, clinic referrals) and monitor recruitment metrics to adjust tactics for improved enrollment.
Provide logistical support for publications and presentations, including preparing figures, tables, manuscript drafts, author coordination, and submission processes.
Track key performance indicators (KPIs), create dashboards and visualizations to report project status to stakeholders, and use metrics to drive operational improvements.
Participate in audits and sponsor monitoring visits, prepare responses to findings, and implement corrective and preventive action plans (CAPAs) as required.
Maintain inventory of study supplies, equipment, and maintenance contracts; coordinate procurement, vendor relationships, and calibration or certification of equipment as needed.
Ensure data security and confidentiality through adherence to institutional IT policies, secure data transfer protocols, and controlled access to sensitive datasets.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis to help investigators generate preliminary findings and inform grant submissions.
Contribute to the organization's research strategy by identifying operational efficiencies, resource needs, and opportunities for new funding or collaborations.
Collaborate with institutional offices to translate research needs into procurement, IT, and compliance requirements and participate in cross-functional project planning.
Participate in project management activities including sprint planning, task tracking, and retrospectives when research teams follow agile or iterative workflows.
Assist with training development for onboarding new research staff and preparing continuing education materials on compliance, data management, and participant engagement.
Support community engagement and dissemination efforts by preparing outreach materials, coordinating events, and maintaining stakeholder contact lists.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Research administration and grant submission expertise (federal and foundation deadlines, NIH/NSF knowledge)
IRB and human subjects protection experience; ability to prepare IRB submissions, informed consent forms, and continuing review reports
Budget development and financial reconciliation for sponsored projects; familiarity with university financial systems
Electronic data capture and database management (REDCap experience highly preferred)
Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel—pivot tables, VLOOKUP, PowerPoint) and project management tools (Asana, Jira, Basecamp)
Experience with data management and basic analysis tools (SPSS, Stata, R, or Python) and data cleaning best practices
Knowledge of GCP, HIPAA, biosafety, and clinical trial registration requirements (ClinicalTrials.gov)
Experience managing multi-site studies, subawards, and vendor contracts
Familiarity with electronic trial master file (eTMF), SOP creation, and document version control
Competence in participant recruitment platforms, scheduling software, and electronic consent systems (eConsent)
Experience with sample processing, cold chain logistics, and biospecimen tracking preferred

Soft Skills

Strong oral and written communication; ability to prepare clear reports, protocols, and stakeholder updates
Excellent organizational skills with demonstrated attention to detail and ability to manage multiple competing priorities
Problem-solving and critical thinking to resolve operational and compliance issues independently
Interpersonal skills and cultural sensitivity for working with diverse populations, community partners, and multidisciplinary teams
Project management and time management skills, including milestone-driven planning and follow-through
Leadership and mentoring experience to supervise student staff and research assistants effectively
Customer-service orientation with a collaborative, facilitative approach to supporting investigators and participants
Adaptability and resilience in fast-paced academic research environments
Ethical judgment and integrity in handling confidential participant information and sensitive data
Analytical mindset for monitoring KPIs, interpreting operational metrics, and driving process improvements

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's degree in Public Health, Life Sciences, Social Sciences, Nursing, Healthcare Administration, or related field.

Preferred Education:

Master's degree (MPH, MS, MSc, MA) or advanced degree in a relevant discipline; or equivalent combination of education and experience in research administration.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Public Health
Biology, Biomedical Sciences, or Nursing
Sociology, Psychology, or Social Sciences
Clinical Research, Health Services Research
Health Administration, Project Management

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 2–5 years of progressive experience coordinating academic or clinical research projects, including IRB submissions, data management, and participant recruitment.

Preferred: 3–5+ years of experience in university or clinical research settings with demonstrated experience in grant administration, regulatory compliance (IRB/GCP), budget management for sponsored projects, and multi-site study coordination. Prior supervisory experience and familiarity with REDCap and ClinicalTrials.gov strongly preferred.