Research Specialist - GC-First Fellowship

GC-FIRST Fellowship Job Positions

The two GC-FIRST fellowships are intended to support the promotion of rigorous genetic counseling research into practice. Participants should be committed to this goal and be prepared for a two-year, part-time research training program that is practical, evidence-based, and tailored to their unique interests and expertise. Participants should be passionate about integrating genetic counseling research into their current role(s) or have an identified type of research role that they are interested in pursuing post-fellowship training. Participants may be employed at large academic institutions, genetic counseling clinics, testing companies, healthcare institutions, insurance companies, or departments of health.

RESEARCH - As part of the GC-FIRST Program, fellows will be responsible for completing structured coursework, twelve research training modules, ten modules from the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity, and practical genetic counseling research experiences. They will volunteer on national committees related to practice guidelines and outcomes and quality research. Fellows will also serve as mentors of MS genetic counseling projects. Upon completion of the fellowship, fellows will write two original research articles and a grant application. They will participate in peer reviews, abstract submissions, a mock job talk, and other presentations. In collaboration with research mentors, fellows will map out their research mentorship needs and create an individual development plan for filling the holes in their professional research and network. Fellows will create a set of resources (toolkit) that can be used in their research work and academic or industry job searches.

TRAVEL - Fellows will be expected to travel to the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities and National Society of Genetic Counseling Annual Conference. Fellows will participate in a five-day in-person meeting during the summer of each year in Minnesota. Fellows will have extended meeting times to jump-start the project in the first year and to critically assess the project's progress in the second year. Fellows will meet with members of the community through lunches and dinners with faculty, committee members, and genetic counseling colleagues. At the Annual Conference, fellows will have the opportunity to meet with faculty, their research network, and collaborators from national committees as well as present their research.

Required Qualifications / Educational Background & Characteristics:
Genetic counselors applying for this grant must have completed a Master's Degree in Genetic Counseling from an Accreditation Council for Genetic Counseling (ACGC) Accredited Training Program and be certified or eligible for certification. Fellowship applicants should be at least two years post-graduation of the MS training program before applying for the fellowship. This term was chosen to allow genetic counselors to gain experience and expertise post-graduation. If a genetic counseling license is required to practice within the state of residence or where they practice, applicants will be required to provide evidence of current licensure which also can take time to accomplish post-graduation.

Successful applicants will be those who have a track record of the following characteristics:
1. Effective Communicator - Due to the potential remote nature of the program, we expect that participants will show a high level of written and oral communication skills. This could be evidenced by the ability to work in a collaborative clinical team environment, experiences in telework, additional communication or counseling skills training, presentation at local / national meetings, and formal or informal writing experiences.
2. Collaborative Approach - We are seeking fellows who have shown that they can effectively work in collaborative settings and leverage expertise from different disciplines or viewpoints to effectively lead the creation of new genetic counseling products (e.g., publications, educational products, genetic testing reports, etc). Other examples may include national or international committee work, volunteer experiences, clinical or industry improvement projects.
3. Ability to Work Independently and be Self-Motivated - The fellows will be working with a research team but will also need to be self-motivated to make progress on their individual research projects as well as other program associated outcomes. To do this, they will need to set monthly goals and work towards them at a pace that continues to make progress throughout the two-year period. They will also be responsible for balancing their fellowship responsibilities with their other work-related roles. Applicants will be expected to show that they have successfully worked independently and produced work that they set the direction and vision for in their genetic counseling role or responsibilities.
4. Curiosity and Creativity - Fellows should have an inquisitive nature and be generally interested in asking questions and furthering the field of genetic counseling with an innovative approach. Examples could include integrating research projects into their current roles, creating a new service model, expanding a clinical practice area, or investigating a new line of research.
5. Leadership and Mentorship - The fellowship is intended for genetic counselors who will be leaders in research and are dedicated to the mentorship of the next generation of genetic counseling researchers.

Guidelines Below for Writing A Personal Statement, and Research Statement

GC-FIRST Application: Personal Statement

In ~2 pages, please answer the following questions in your personal statement:
1. How did you become interested in research in genetic counseling?
2. How do you see this fellowship fitting into your current and/or anticipated career plan? What career trajectory would you like to have once you've completed the fellowship? Please comment specifically on your previous leadership experiences and how that relates to the goals of the fellowship.
3. A central feature of successful research is the ability to work collaboratively. Describe a time you worked on a collaborative project and the ways you managed that collaboration to lead to a successful product. How do you think this will apply to research endeavors?
4. Just as important as collaboration is the ability to balance priorities and monitor progress toward multiple goals. How have you balanced competing priorities in your current work and how do you anticipate this playing out during the fellowship?
5. Well designed research is vitally important to advancing the practice of genetic counseling, but communication of research to a variety of audiences is what determines the long-term impact. Please describe your strengths and growth areas when it comes to communication in general and specifically in relation to research.

GC-FIRST Application: Research Statement

In ~2 pages, please answer the following questions in your research statement:

1. What are your past research experiences and how do they influence your current desire to pursue a research fellowship in genetic counseling?

2. How do you envision using the GC-FIRST fellowship to contribute to the development of the growing genetic counseling field in academic genetic counseling programs, in clinical settings, industry, public or population health settings?

3. Review the list of research topics and rank your top three with 1-2 sentences to describe why you believe the topics are important to you and create an example of a primary question that you would like to address over the course of the fellowship.

Genetic Counseling Processes Result in Outcomes (GC-PRO)

In over 50 years since the genetic counseling profession began, a systematic study of GC communication skills and patient-reported outcomes in actual sessions across multiple clinical specialties has never been conducted. To optimize GC quality and improve efficiency of care, the field must first be able to comprehensively measure GC skills and determine which skills are most critical to achieving positive patient experiences and outcomes. The GC-PRO study aims to characterize GC communication skills and link variations in communication skills to patient-reported outcomes. It also has a community-engagement and provider-engagement approach which develops recommendations for quality, culturally informed GC care. Research on audio-recordings/transcript from ~400 sessions and corresponding interviews from ~100 patients are available for analysis. We will also be starting an intervention and controlled trial that fellows could help with implementation, data collection, and analysis.

Clinical Genetics and Genetic Counseling Research with Participants from Community Advisory Boards - Significant disparities exist in genetics services delivery. Through collaboration with four community advisory boards including a Somali, Latino, and Black/African American health care organization as well as Hmong group, community driven approaches are used in the Genetic Counseling Processes Result in Outcomes (GC-PRO) study. . This research has demonstrated important contributions of the community on the entirety of the research from research question to dissemination. Continued efforts are needed to better understand the perspectives of individuals coming from these CABsGiven the research community's interest in creating better access to clinical genetic counseling and testing, this is an area where fellows would workwith the CABs on specific projects that they have outlined for further research.

Genetic Counseling Skills Checklist (GCC) - Dr. D. Cragun and her team created the GCSC, a novel process measure, using findings from existing patient communication checklists, the FOCUS framework, communication/counseling theories, research findings on patient-centered care, effective patient education, shared decision making, and interviews with genetic counselors to elicit ways they achieve patient goals. The GCSC builds upon work in these previous fields but has been tailored to genetic counseling communication processes that have been described by genetic counselors and theoretically linked to various outcomes using FOCUS. Dr. D. Cragun, Dr. H. Zierhut, and their team are now collaborating on testing the psychometric properties of the GCC and integrating the tool into different research contexts including over 300 audiorecordings and transcripts available through the Genetic Counseling Processes Result in Outcomes (GC-PRO) study. Fellows interested in measurement, communication and process research would be most interested in leading a research project in this area.

Genetic Counseling Research Repository - Drs. H. Zierhut and I. MacFarlane received funding to support the development of a series of simulated genetic counseling sessions intended for educational and research use. Data generated from over 60 audio and video recordings of prenatal , cancer and cardiology genetic counseling simulated sessions will be used for a repository of sessions that can be studied in a variety of ways overtime. Specifically studies on the genetic counseling process including strategies and behaviors used by 18 different genetic counselors and comparisons of the similarities and differences across speciality areas is of most relevance to our research program.The simulated sessions and recordings are available for analysis and for creation of educational resources. Fellows interested in examining the genetic counseling process,health communication research and particularly education of genetic counseling skills could choose to use this repository to create new resources for prospective and genetic counseling students.

Genetic Counseling Practice Research - Over the years, our research mentors have explored a wide-range of topics relevant to the field and practice of genetic counseling. Examples include examination of career paths of males in the genetic counseling profession, an assessment of underutilization of genetic counseling following a referral letter, the role of genetic counselors in telegenetics, communication of reproductive risks in genes reported on cancer panels, public health implications of precision medicine research, and more. We have many ongoing projects focused on topics such as genetic counselors' experience with misattributed paternity, adolescents' healthcare transitions into early adulthood, the impact of verbal and non-verbal communication in genetic counseling sessions, evaluation of genetic counseling development, and social determinants of health that impact access to and follow-up to genetic counseling services. Fellows could expand upon these current projects independently or in collaboration with MS students.

Genetic Counseling Practice Involving Students - A significant portion of genetic counseling service provision is carried out by student trainees under the supervision of certified genetic counselors. The dynamics of these practices (in patient facing and non-patient facing roles) are not well explored in the literature and represent an opportunity to better understand both trainee and professional service delivery. Dr. I. MacFarlane has expertise in the training and supervision of genetic counseling students as well as the professional development of supervisors. He has ongoing projects studying competency assessment in trainees, refining competencies for supervisors, cultural dynamics at play between trainees and supervisors, and the role of anxiety and perfectionism play in shaping interactions. Fellows could expand on these projects or develop new questions connected to this research area.

The Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development comprises faculty from both the Medical School and the College of Biological Sciences. Faculty members are engaged in research in three key disciplines of the department-genetics, cell biology and developmental biology.

Applications must be submitted online. To be considered for this position, please click the Apply button and follow the instructions. You will be given the opportunity to complete an online application for the position and attach a cover letter and resume.

REQUIRED: See Qualifications Section for Writing the Following Statements

1. Personal Statement
2. Research Statement

Additional documents may be attached after application by accessing your "My Job Applications" page and uploading documents in the "My Cover Letters and Attachments" section.

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