Research Associate (SRI) - Evaluative Clinical Sciences - Regular Full-time 2026-16123

One of Canada's Top 10 Research Hospitals, Sunnybrook Research Institute is developing innovations in care for the more than 1.3 million patients the hospital cares for annually.

Sunnybrook Research Institute is the research enterprise of Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, a teaching hospital fully affiliated with the University of Toronto. Research spans three Toronto-based campuses, eight programs and three scientific platforms. Our main aims are to understand and prevent disease, and to develop treatments that enhance and extend life. Our vision is to invent the future of health care. Each year, we conduct about $100 million in research across 500,000 square feet, including in the world’s first Centre for Research in Image-Guided Therapeutics.

Family Navigation Project

The Family Navigation Project (FNP) at Sunnybrook is a non-profit program designed to provide expert navigation of the mental health and addiction service system for youth and their families residing in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). FNP is a free service offered through phone and email that uses a combination of clinical and lived experience to support youth and their families on their care pathway. FNP is strongly committed to equitable hiring practices and building a team that reflects the full spectrum of diverse communities we partner with. Sunnybrook Research Institute is strongly committed to inclusion and diversity within our community and we welcome and encourage applications from Black, Indigenous and people of colour, 2SLGBTQIA+ persons, people with disabilities, and those who live at the intersection of equity-deserving communities.

Role Summary:

Sunnybrook Research Institute is seeking an experienced Research Associate to provide research leadership across FNP’s Equity-Deserving Communities (EDC) portfolio and related applied mental health research initiatives.

Reporting to the Scientist, and working closely with FNP program leadership, the Research Associate will manage day-to-day research operations, support multi-phase studies, and ensure that equity-informed, community-engaged, participatory, and implementation-focused research principles are embedded across projects.

This role is well-suited for a highly-skilled researcher who thrives in applied, real-world research settings and can bridge academic rigor with program implementation, community partnership, and knowledge mobilization.

Position Responsibilities:

The Research Associate will conduct key tasks including, but not limited to:

• Liaise with research collaborators, research team members, Research Ethics Board staff, funding agencies, research operations staff, and/or regulatory bodies.
• Draft, review, and complete research-related documentation, such as Research Ethics Board submissions, consent forms, interview instruments, and other data collection tools.
• Plan and coordinate the initiation and conduct of existing research study protocol(s), and establish operating policies and procedures.
• Develop and execute research project plans, ensuring timelines and deliverables are met within budget, and aligned with operational program implementation (in collaboration with operational and community-facing teams).
• Develop and implement community-based workshops, consultations, and engagement activities for the purposes of co-design, trust-building, knowledge exchange, and relationship development, particularly with equity-deserving communities.
• Apply equity-informed, community-engaged, and participatory research approaches across all phases of the research lifecycle, including study design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, and knowledge mobilization.
• Engage stakeholders (e.g., Family Navigation Project staff, Community Advisory Councils, Sunnybrook staff, and equity-deserving and other communities) to ensure research activities are relevant, informed, and aligned with implementation and program learning objectives.
• Ensure the perspectives of youth, families, and individuals with lived experience are meaningfully integrated across all stages of the research process, including study design, data interpretation, and knowledge mobilization.
• Co-supervise and support research staff and trainees as they establish and coordinate logistical arrangements for research participants and recruitment activities, with attention to culturally responsive and accessible practices
• Help create, organize, and maintain study logs, research documentation, and secure data systems.
• Monitor recruitment and coordination of research participants, as appropriate to study objectives; perform or provide assistance in recruitment and data collection as required.
• Conduct qualitative and quantitative analyses and provide methodological guidance and mentorship to staff and trainees
• Ensure the smooth and efficient day-to-day operation of research and data collection activities; act as a point of contact for internal research staff and as a liaison for partner organizations, funding agencies, and regulatory bodies.
• Organize and facilitate meetings, conferences, community sessions, and other events associated with research activities, as required.
• Create, maintain, and implement literature search strategies for published and grey literature using various bibliographic databases and reference management software.
• Coordinate, edit, and assist in drafting a variety of documents (e.g., grant applications, abstracts, manuscripts, presentations, journal articles, letters of support, reports, research protocols, and knowledge mobilization products) for a variety of audiences.
• Create and support the dissemination of knowledge translation and share-back materials, ensuring outputs are relevant, accessible, and meaningful for academic, community, and service-delivery audiences.
• Record and monitor financial transactions against established research budget
• Support other program initiatives as necessary

Qualifications/Skills:

• PhD in health, rehabilitation, life sciences, social sciences, or another relevant discipline, and at least 2 years of relevant post-PhD experience.
• Strong qualitative research skills (e.g., grounded theory, phenomenology, ethnography, thematic analysis).
• Strong quantitative research skills (e.g., surveys, experimental or pragmatic designs, randomized or quasi-experimental approaches).
• Demonstrated knowledge of, and experience working with, equity-deserving communities, including but not limited to Black, Indigenous, racialized communities, 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, people with disabilities, individuals living in poverty, and those at the intersection of multiple identities.
• Experience integrating the perspectives of youth, families, and individuals with lived experience into research design, data collection, analysis, and knowledge mobilization.
• Ability to work independently with a high level of initiative and self-direction, while collaborating effectively with multidisciplinary teams and community partners.
• Experience using equity-oriented, participatory, culturally responsive, or community-engaged research approaches is a strong asset.
• Strong organizational and time-management abilities
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Strong data management and analytical skills, with demonstrated proficiency in qualitative and quantitative analysis software (e.g., SPSS, R, NVivo, MAXQDA, or related applications).
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access).

Qualified Applicants please submit a Cover Letter along with your Resume/CV

We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre is committed to providing accessible employment practices that are in compliance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). If you require accommodation for disability during any stage of the recruitment process, please indicate this in your cover letter.

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre is strongly committed to inclusion and diversity within its community and welcomes all applicants including but not limited to: visible minorities, all religions and ethnicities, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ persons, and all others who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas.