Research Coordinator Advice

[casualsun]

Hi everyone! This is my first time posting on this board after lurking here for a while.

I graduated with a BA in psychology this May and intend to apply to clinical psych PhD programs for 2022. I am about to start working as a full-time clinical research coordinator at a well-known research hospital. I am really excited to get more research experience and further develop my interest in clinical psychology! However, I am also pretty nervous. I will be working remotely for the foreseeable future, and feel anxious about how to connect with my PI and the other coordinators through a computer screen. I really want to make a great impression and do my best work for the lab, but I'm not sure how.

I was wondering if anyone had advice to share about how to make the most of my research coordinator position. Ideally, I want to advance my research skills, develop a close bond with my PI, and have multiple opportunities to present and publish research. How can I hit the ground running with my new job and make sure this all happens? I've been using my free time to read articles the lab has published and learn all I can about the topic; however, I have gotten through the recent articles and feel like reading more will provide diminishing returns. Also, how long after working at a lab can you start to inquire about working on papers/presentations or an independent project? I want to get involved as much as possible but I don't want to annoy my PI. 

[rainydaychai]

Hi there! I was in the exact same position as you are a year ago (minus the added challenges of the pandemic, of course!). I apologize that I can't speak to the new difficulties being virtual brings but I can share my experience as a newly-graduated full-time research coordinator for the past year. 

Let me just say that I'm certain my coordinator position was the factor that most contributed to receiving more interview invites and eventually my offer at a CPA accredited and funded clinical psych MA/PhD program! I applied in my last year of undergrad and didn't make the cut but applied again during my year as a coordinator with much better results.  When I brought up that I was currently working full time in a lab (and with a PI) with a research focus very complimentary to what I hoped to study, interviewers were always happy. It showed that I was passionate enough about research and my topic of interest to work with it full-time after undergrad! I truly do not know if I would have made it this round if I had just been volunteering with labs part-time still.

I would first reach out and see if there is anything they can suggest for prep work if you haven't already! If they say no, I think you're fine to relax until you begin. Overall, I think the best advice is to speak up and be the squeaky wheel, within reason. When I began my position, I gave myself 2-3 weeks to settle in, learn the ropes and the personalities of others, and get a good handle on the tasks required of me. Then, I did some sleuthing on the typical conferences the lab presents at and how publishing works and learned, in my case, that my PI always wants students to come to her with fully-formed research ideas that she can then build upon with them - if they want to be first author. Since a major conference in my field had a submission deadline at the end of summer, I quickly formed an idea for an independent research question using old lab data, brought it to her, and got the go-ahead to submit! I ended up getting two conference presentations, a paper almost submitted for publication, and third authorship on a book chapter in this way during my year there.

In terms of being the squeaky wheel, I found that in my lab, opportunities weren't just "given" to undergraduates, even the coordinator - you had to speak up to get them. Don't take it too far, of course, but don't be afraid to let your PI know once or twice if you're interested in working on something with them! That's how I was included on the book chapter. I would also advise you to take any mentorship opportunities you can. My lab had some undergraduates working part-time on data collection and although it never came to full fruition, I offered to get them involved in their own research projects under my "junior" supervision. It's a win for everyone: they get a line on their CV, you get one on yours, and your PI can speak to your mentorship capabilities in their eventual letter of reference!

Feel free to DM me if you have any questions and congrats on the new job!  

[casualsun]

5 hours ago, rainydaychai said:

Hi there! I was in the exact same position as you are a year ago (minus the added challenges of the pandemic, of course!). I apologize that I can't speak to the new difficulties being virtual brings but I can share my experience as a newly-graduated full-time research coordinator for the past year. 

Let me just say that I'm certain my coordinator position was the factor that most contributed to receiving more interview invites and eventually my offer at a CPA accredited and funded clinical psych MA/PhD program! I applied in my last year of undergrad and didn't make the cut but applied again during my year as a coordinator with much better results.  When I brought up that I was currently working full time in a lab (and with a PI) with a research focus very complimentary to what I hoped to study, interviewers were always happy. It showed that I was passionate enough about research and my topic of interest to work with it full-time after undergrad! I truly do not know if I would have made it this round if I had just been volunteering with labs part-time still.

I would first reach out and see if there is anything they can suggest for prep work if you haven't already! If they say no, I think you're fine to relax until you begin. Overall, I think the best advice is to speak up and be the squeaky wheel, within reason. When I began my position, I gave myself 2-3 weeks to settle in, learn the ropes and the personalities of others, and get a good handle on the tasks required of me. Then, I did some sleuthing on the typical conferences the lab presents at and how publishing works and learned, in my case, that my PI always wants students to come to her with fully-formed research ideas that she can then build upon with them - if they want to be first author. Since a major conference in my field had a submission deadline at the end of summer, I quickly formed an idea for an independent research question using old lab data, brought it to her, and got the go-ahead to submit! I ended up getting two conference presentations, a paper almost submitted for publication, and third authorship on a book chapter in this way during my year there.

In terms of being the squeaky wheel, I found that in my lab, opportunities weren't just "given" to undergraduates, even the coordinator - you had to speak up to get them. Don't take it too far, of course, but don't be afraid to let your PI know once or twice if you're interested in working on something with them! That's how I was included on the book chapter. I would also advise you to take any mentorship opportunities you can. My lab had some undergraduates working part-time on data collection and although it never came to full fruition, I offered to get them involved in their own research projects under my "junior" supervision. It's a win for everyone: they get a line on their CV, you get one on yours, and your PI can speak to your mentorship capabilities in their eventual letter of reference!

Feel free to DM me if you have any questions and congrats on the new job!  

Thank you so much for the advice, rainydaychai (and congrats on your acceptance to a PhD program)! This is exactly what I was looking for. In some of my undergraduate research experiences, I was afraid to assert myself and pursue independent projects; I'm going to try really hard to do it this time. Mentoring others is also a really great idea that I hadn't thought of. Hopefully I can connect with some undergrad research assistants through Zoom!

One thing I am worried about is that my lab's focus isn't the same as my own research focus. There is definitely some overlap, but I want to research something else when/if I get to grad school. I know ideally I should be in a lab that fits exactly with my research interests, but it's a pretty niche area, and covid has made finding research assistant jobs a lot harder. Do you think this is a major problem? I was thinking of just trying to do some independent projects in my lab that integrate my research interests; I'm hoping that will be enough. 

[BnTAcT]

Hello, 

I have been working as a Clinical Research Coordinator since June 2019, and I would make sure to read as many papers written by the PI as possible prior to starting. Make sure you have all of your Citi training done or moved to the new institution (which they will probably talk to you about before you start). It is always a good idea to speak to the project managers and whomever will be training you prior to starting. 

I am not sure what your new lab format will be, but if you're working remotely, make sure you already have an area set up that you'll be able to be productive and once you start work, make a time table of what you are working on and for how long to keep yourself accountable.

Once you start, it's a good idea to speak to the other coordinators and PMs to see what different opportunities there are for publishing and conferences since there could be a hierarchy in the lab and you don't want to step on any toes. I wouldn't do this right away- give yourself some time to get settled in the lab. 

I know my PI set up a meeting with me when I first started where we discussed my ideas for my future and what I am interested in. I think this is really smart because it gives the PI the opportunity to get to know you a bit better and form an idea of what you are interested in and they will start to think of ways to help you get there. If you can get a meeting with your PI, make sure to have a solid plan about what you are thinking in terms of grad school or future accomplishments. Obviously this can always change, but it is good to have a baseline. 

In general, it is really smart to keep a working list of items to add to your resume/CV (different procedures, events, conferences, related volunteer work, public outreach etc.), and even if you don't end up adding every detail to your resume/CV, you have a whole list of things to talk about in interviews or personal statements.  

[rainydaychai]

On 8/24/2020 at 5:53 AM, casualsun said:

One thing I am worried about is that my lab's focus isn't the same as my own research focus. There is definitely some overlap, but I want to research something else when/if I get to grad school. I know ideally I should be in a lab that fits exactly with my research interests, but it's a pretty niche area, and covid has made finding research assistant jobs a lot harder. Do you think this is a major problem? I was thinking of just trying to do some independent projects in my lab that integrate my research interests; I'm hoping that will be enough. 

That's totally fine! My own area of interest is in forensics and I was lucky enough to get a very forensic-oriented lab coordinator position, I would have been happy working in any lab that studied major mental illness of any kind. I think that your plan of doing independent projects more related to your area of interest is great, as it allows you to gain experience in that area while simultaneously demonstrating your passion for the topic! I did something very similar within the broader field of forensic psychology - I still had a niche area I was interested in that my supervisor didn't research at all, so I led independent research in it and spoke to it in interviews; interviewers seemed impressed!

[casualsun]

20 hours ago, itsannat said:

Hello, 

I have been working as a Clinical Research Coordinator since June 2019, and I would make sure to read as many papers written by the PI as possible prior to starting. Make sure you have all of your Citi training done or moved to the new institution (which they will probably talk to you about before you start). It is always a good idea to speak to the project managers and whomever will be training you prior to starting. 

I am not sure what your new lab format will be, but if you're working remotely, make sure you already have an area set up that you'll be able to be productive and once you start work, make a time table of what you are working on and for how long to keep yourself accountable.

Once you start, it's a good idea to speak to the other coordinators and PMs to see what different opportunities there are for publishing and conferences since there could be a hierarchy in the lab and you don't want to step on any toes. I wouldn't do this right away- give yourself some time to get settled in the lab. 

I know my PI set up a meeting with me when I first started where we discussed my ideas for my future and what I am interested in. I think this is really smart because it gives the PI the opportunity to get to know you a bit better and form an idea of what you are interested in and they will start to think of ways to help you get there. If you can get a meeting with your PI, make sure to have a solid plan about what you are thinking in terms of grad school or future accomplishments. Obviously this can always change, but it is good to have a baseline. 

In general, it is really smart to keep a working list of items to add to your resume/CV (different procedures, events, conferences, related volunteer work, public outreach etc.), and even if you don't end up adding every detail to your resume/CV, you have a whole list of things to talk about in interviews or personal statements.  

Thank you so much for your advice! I'll probably give myself a month to get settled and then start asking other coordinators  about opportunities for publishing and conferences. I know some labs don't really like RCs to work on publications, so I really hope that isn't the case with my lab lol. I'll also make sure to keep a working list of skills/items to add to my resume; I try to do this now but am pretty lazy about it, so I'll get more serious. Thanks again for your advice!

 

17 hours ago, rainydaychai said:

That's totally fine! My own area of interest is in forensics and I was lucky enough to get a very forensic-oriented lab coordinator position, I would have been happy working in any lab that studied major mental illness of any kind. I think that your plan of doing independent projects more related to your area of interest is great, as it allows you to gain experience in that area while simultaneously demonstrating your passion for the topic! I did something very similar within the broader field of forensic psychology - I still had a niche area I was interested in that my supervisor didn't research at all, so I led independent research in it and spoke to it in interviews; interviewers seemed impressed!

I'm glad you think this is okay -- that eases my anxiety a lot, haha. Now to hope that my PI will be receptive to independent projects. ?