Research Assistant in Biostatistics

Department

Research

Location

OUCRU - HN

Hours of work

Full time Monday – Friday, 37.5 hours per week, extra hours may be required.

Tenure

Initially for 1 year, including a 2-month probation period, with possibility of extension based on annual performance appraisal and research approval.

Reporting to

Vu Thi Lan Huong (Wellcome Post-doc Fellow on AMS program); and

Vu Tien Viet Dung (Senior Data Scientist)

Vacancy reference

JDHAN_1021_014

Background

The Oxford University Clinical Research Unit (OUCRU) is a large-scale clinical and public health research unit, with sites offices in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi in Vietnam, Jakarta in Indonesia and Kathmandu in Nepal. In Vietnam, we are hosted by the Hospital of Tropical Diseases (HTD) in Ho Chi Minh City, and the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases (NHTD) in Hanoi. OUCRU-Nepal is hosted by the Patan Academy of Health Sciences, and in Indonesia we exist in partnership with the Eijkman Institute as the Eijkman-Oxford Clinical Research Programme (EOCRU). As a Wellcome Trust Africa Asia Programme, we have received considerable support from the Wellcome Trust since our establishment in 1991.

OUCRU’s vision is to have local, regional and global impact on health by leading a locally driven research programme on infectious diseases in Southeast Asia. Priority is given to health issues important to the hospitals where we work, and to the countries as a whole where we operate: Vietnam, Indonesia and Nepal.  All work is intended not only to benefit the patients seen daily at our host hospitals, but also to help improve patient care throughout Southeast Asia.

OUCRU employs approximately 320 people across Viet Nam and has an average annual budget of USD 12mil.

OUCRU has separate research groups in biostatistics and mathematical modeling. They support the researchers at OUCRU in the design and statistical analysis of clinical trials as well as of medical and epidemiological studies based on observational data. They also perform research on statistical methods that are relevant for the studies that are performed at OUCRU. In Hanoi, we also has a data science group that provides data management and statistical support for the studies conducted by the Hanoi Unit.

Please see more information on OUCRU website: www.oucru.org

Job summary

The Research Assistant will provide statistical and data science support to clinical and epidemiological hospital-based research studies. These include studies evaluating the disease burden and impact of hospital-based interventions in improving antimicrobial use and tackling the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) challenges locally and internationally.

The Research Assistant will work closely with the OUCRU Hanoi Principal Investigators. They will be personable, organised, enthusiastic, creative and highly motivated.  They will be able to work independently but also be a team player. Strong candidates will be encouraged to contribute to the methodological research in biostatistics at OUCRU and can apply for the unit’s PhD program.

Key responsibilities and tasks

The Research Assistant will be working in a team under the guidance/mentorship of Antimicrobial Stewardship Program Principal Investigators and Senior Data Scientist based in Hanoi, and will also be supported by the biostatistics and mathematical modeling groups based in OUCRU office in Ho Chi Minh city in Viet Nam.  This involves the following:

·       To help develop statistical methods and support in statistical analysis for hospital-based data obtained through various sources like routine hospital data systems, existing data sources, implementation and evaluation studies and observational and longitudinal studies in infectious diseases and AMR.

·       To help developing R functions and Shiny apps that facilitate data cleaning, data management, data anonymization and statistical analysis

·       To perform interim analyses as well as final analyses, using common statistical software programs such as the R statistical program

·       To provide support in the writing of research proposals, protocols (e.g. performing sample size calculations) and statistical analysis plans

·       Draft research papers and presentations;

·       Attend team meetings and training as required;

·       Conduct and support training activities as needed.

Selection criteria

Essential:

-          BSc or MSc in i) mathematics or statistics, ii) health sciences or epidemiology with a strong interest in quantitative methods, or iii) a quantitative discipline with an interest in health care.

-          Knowledge of the principles of statistical analysis

-          Interest and skills in programming

-          Appropriate English language skills (level IELTS 6.5)

-          Communication skills and the ability to explain technical issues to researchers with a different background

-          Analytical problem-solving skills, willingness to learn and develop, self-initiative, attention to detail

-          Ability to work with a high degree of autonomy, and yet be a team player

Desired:

-          Experience in statistical analysis

-          Experience in clinical research

-          Experience in programming in R

-          Experience in handling big datasets and datasets extracted from routine health information systems

-          Ability to contribute to the methodological development of novel approaches for designing and analyzing clinical and epidemiological studies

Benefits

-        Contracted salary:  Negotiate (depending on actual experience and education).

-        Optional insurance: In-patient and out-patient medical coverage; Personal accident insurance coverage

-        Two-month salary for annual bonus and clothes

-        Annual leave 18 days/year for the first year, a maximum of 30 days.

-        Other responsibilities and benefits are based on Viet Nam Labor Law.

How to apply

Interested qualified candidates are invited to send their detailed resume and cover letter in English, including copies of relevant degrees, certificates by email to trangbh@oucru.org

* The cover letter should detail:

- What part of your education, training or employment history has best equipped you for this position and why you would be a good candidate?

- Contacts of two referees who are your latest HR/ line manager and can provide details of relevant work experience and attitude

* We thank all applicants for their interest but only short-listed candidates will be contacted for interview.

Contact person

Ms. Bui Huyen Trang

Deadline for submission

31 October, 2021

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