INTRODUCTION

The Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health at KCMC University, in collaboration with the University of North Carolina (UNC, USA), is planning to conduct a study in Dar es Salaam, Dodoma, Kilimanjaro, and Mbeya Regions titled “Family Psychoeducation for Adults with Psychotic Disorders in Tanzania” and branded in Swahili as KUPAA (KUwezeshana KuPAta UzimA). The study aims to reduce disability, improve quality of life, and reduce hospitalizations among adults living with schizophrenia, and to reduce the family burden for caregivers.

Jobs

Job Title: Research Assistants

Number of Posts: Four (4)

Status of Employment Contract: Full-time for 6 months, Renewable

Start Date: September 2026

Employee Reports to: Principal Investigator(s) and/or Study Coordinator

Employment Location: KCMC University, Tanzania

The Research Assistant (RA) will support participant recruitment for both qualitative and quantitative data collection for the KUPAA study at designated hospital psychiatry clinics. RAs will work closely with psychiatry clinic staff, clinicians, patients, and caregivers to ensure ethical, accurate, and participant-centered study procedures.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Screen potential participants against protocol-specific inclusion and exclusion criteria before enrollment and document eligibility decisions and enrolled participants on the appropriate register, safeguarding sensitive information, per protocol.
• Conduct the in-person informed consent process, answering questions, allowing adequate time to review and confer with others as needed, and obtaining signatures and dates in the appropriate places as per Standard Operating Procedures.
• Conduct in-depth interviews and administer surveys to patients and caregivers in accordance with the study protocol.
• Develop and maintain thorough familiarity with the KUPAA study protocol, including procedures, timelines, participant eligibility criteria, confidentiality, and privacy protections, and ensure all recruitment, consenting, and data collection activities/procedures comply with confidentiality.
• Complete and maintain all required research training and certifications (human subjects protection, good clinical practice, and other requirements as per Tanzania and US regulations, KCMC University, UNC, and sponsor policies).
• Attend study-related training, team meetings, and weekly Zoom study team meetings.
• Promote ethical research conduct and report any suspected misconduct in good faith.
• Coordinate scheduling of the clinician-rated PANSS scale with qualified clinical staff (psychiatrist with MMed and clinical psychologist with MSc), ideally within the same week as other assessments.
• Prepare, complete, and maintain accurate study materials and documentation, including consent forms, brochures, case report forms, registers, and adverse event logs; cross-check documents for timely completion; and keep the regulatory binder and source documents organized.
• Assist with qualitative codebook development, establishing level of agreement between coders, refining the codebook, coding, and data analysis.
• Contribute to day-to-day study management (teamwork, shared problem-solving, communication, protocol adherence, scheduling) and help prepare IRB submissions, activity plans, and progress reports as required.
• Perform any other duties as may be assigned by the study team.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree in Public Health, Nursing, Counselling Psychology, Social Work, Sociology/Demography, or other relevant field, with 3 or more years of relevant experience.
• Previous experience in quantitative and qualitative data collection. Experience with Redcap software is not required but is an added advantage.
• Excellent communication and active listening skills, with the ability to explain information clearly and sensitively to patients and caregivers.
• Experience with transcription and translation (English/Swahili). Prior involvement in a health-related research program is a plus.
• Comfort and confidence working with individuals who may have cognitive decline or psychotic symptoms.
• Working knowledge of research governance principles and human subjects’ protection, including Good Clinical Practice (GCP).
• Experience working as part of a multidisciplinary team, with a flexible, collaborative attitude balanced with the ability to work and deliver independently.
• Well-organized with high attention to detail and the ability to manage time and prioritize tasks, including a flexible schedule aligned with clinic operating days.
• Basic computer skills (word processing, spreadsheets, presentation slides, email and internet).
• English and Swahili proficiency.

• Screen potential participants against protocol-specific inclusion and exclusion criteria before enrollment and document eligibility decisions and enrolled participants on the appropriate register, safeguarding sensitive information, per protocol.
• Conduct the in-person informed consent process, answering questions, allowing adequate time to review and confer with others as needed, and obtaining signatures and dates in the appropriate places as per Standard Operating Procedures.
• Conduct in-depth interviews and administer surveys to patients and caregivers in accordance with the study protocol.
• Develop and maintain thorough familiarity with the KUPAA study protocol, including procedures, timelines, participant eligibility criteria, confidentiality, and privacy protections, and ensure all recruitment, consenting, and data collection activities/procedures comply with confidentiality.
• Complete and maintain all required research training and certifications (human subjects protection, good clinical practice, and other requirements as per Tanzania and US regulations, KCMC University, UNC, and sponsor policies).
• Attend study-related training, team meetings, and weekly Zoom study team meetings.
• Promote ethical research conduct and report any suspected misconduct in good faith.
• Coordinate scheduling of the clinician-rated PANSS scale with qualified clinical staff (psychiatrist with MMed and clinical psychologist with MSc), ideally within the same week as other assessments.
• Prepare, complete, and maintain accurate study materials and documentation, including consent forms, brochures, case report forms, registers, and adverse event logs; cross-check documents for timely completion; and keep the regulatory binder and source documents organized.
• Assist with qualitative codebook development, establishing level of agreement between coders, refining the codebook, coding, and data analysis.
• Contribute to day-to-day study management (teamwork, shared problem-solving, communication, protocol adherence, scheduling) and help prepare IRB submissions, activity plans, and progress reports as required.
• Perform any other duties as may be assigned by the study team.

• Excellent communication and active listening skills, with the ability to explain information clearly and sensitively to patients and caregivers.
• Experience with transcription and translation (English/Swahili).
• Comfort and confidence working with individuals who may have cognitive decline or psychotic symptoms.
• Working knowledge of research governance principles and human subjects’ protection, including Good Clinical Practice (GCP).
• Experience working as part of a multidisciplinary team, with a flexible, collaborative attitude balanced with the ability to work and deliver independently.
• Well-organized with high attention to detail and the ability to manage time and prioritize tasks, including a flexible schedule aligned with clinic operating days.
• Basic computer skills (word processing, spreadsheets, presentation slides, email and internet).
• English and Swahili proficiency.

• Bachelor’s degree in Public Health, Nursing, Counselling Psychology, Social Work, Sociology/Demography, or other relevant field, with 3 or more years of relevant experience.
• Previous experience in quantitative and qualitative data collection.
• Experience with Redcap software is not required but is an added advantage.
• Prior involvement in a health-related research program is a plus.