What does an associate research specialist do?
Associate research specialist responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real associate research specialist resumes:
- Attain and practice medical insurance information rapidly and correctly; including main carriers and Medicaid.
- Develop an interactive mapping system which utilizes a SAS programming platform and geospatial technology.
- Participate in a summer research intensive that provide hands-on training in interdisciplinary biomedical laboratory techniques with an emphasis in advance instrumentation.
- Develop and implement clinical and community-base research and evaluation projects in HIV prevention, smoking interventions, and domestic violence
Associate research specialist skills and personality traits
We calculated that 13% of Associate Research Specialists are proficient in Research Projects, Informed Consent, and Data Collection. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Detail oriented, and Communication skills.
We break down the percentage of Associate Research Specialists that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Research Projects, 13%
Participate in research projects initiated by Principle Investigators.
- Informed Consent, 9%
Obtain informed consent, conduct patient follow-ups, and maintain research participant study files.
- Data Collection, 9%
Administered all study-related tasks and handled all data collection and processing.
- Laboratory Analysis, 7%
Managed team schedules, performed remote field work, maintained laboratory, repaired equipment, and completed laboratory analysis.
- IRB, 7%
Managed study documentation throughout study life cycle including IRB annual renewals, modifications, patient study charts and regulatory binder.
- Chemistry, 5%
Conduct and analyze research in chemistry and pharmacology for anticancer treatments.
"research projects," "informed consent," and "data collection" are among the most common skills that associate research specialists use at work. You can find even more associate research specialist responsibilities below, including:
Analytical skills. One of the key soft skills for an associate research specialist to have is analytical skills. You can see how this relates to what associate research specialists do because "market research analysts must evaluate large amounts of data and information related to market conditions." Additionally, an associate research specialist resume shows how associate research specialists use analytical skills: "sequenced genomic dna (abi 3730), analyzed results using mutation surveyor software. "
Detail oriented. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling associate research specialist duties is detail oriented. The role rewards competence in this skill because "market research analysts must pay attention to minutiae to evaluate data." According to an associate research specialist resume, here's how associate research specialists can utilize detail oriented in their job responsibilities: "performed statistical analysis of large data sets according to detailed research plan. "
Communication skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of associate research specialists is communication skills. This skill is critical to many everyday associate research specialist duties, as "market research analysts must be able to clearly convey information when gathering material, interpreting data, and presenting results to clients." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "managed institutional review board documents and communications. "
The three companies that hire the most associate research specialists are:
- LA State University Continuing6 associate research specialists jobs
- Sanford Health5 associate research specialists jobs
- Children's Hospital Los Angeles2 associate research specialists jobs
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Associate research specialist vs. Marketing coordinator
A marketing coordinator supports the marketing department on deciding strategies and business efforts to develop the brand image and boost customer satisfaction. Marketing coordinators' duties include assisting in advertising campaigns, scheduling promotional events, monitoring sales status, researching current market trends, maintaining a record of existing and potential clients, and contributing ideas to improve the brand's profitability. A marketing coordinator must have excellent critical thinking and writing skills to help with the creation of social media advertisements and marketing content. It also requires impressive time-management and multi-tasking skills, especially on meeting deadlines and making adjustments on the initial plans as needed.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of an associate research specialist are more likely to require skills like "research projects," "informed consent," "data collection," and "laboratory analysis." On the other hand, a job as a marketing coordinator requires skills like "digital marketing," "customer service," "marketing campaigns," and "powerpoint." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Marketing coordinators earn the highest salaries when working in the technology industry, with an average yearly salary of $53,831. On the other hand, associate research specialists are paid more in the finance industry with an average salary of $54,679.marketing coordinators tend to reach lower levels of education than associate research specialists. In fact, marketing coordinators are 9.8% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 4.3% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Associate research specialist vs. Marketing internship
Marketing interns are usually marketing students or fresh graduates who are interested in getting actual work experiences before taking on a full-time job. They usually have an interest or academic background related to marketing. They assist marketing teams in most of their daily activities, sit in their meetings, record minutes of these meetings, take note of action plans, and attend other events related to marketing. They also assist in preparing collateral and other marketing materials, join brainstorming sessions, or any other activity that will help enrich their experience.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, associate research specialist responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "research projects," "informed consent," "data collection," and "laboratory analysis." Meanwhile, a marketing internship has duties that require skills in areas such as "digital marketing," "powerpoint," "facebook," and "marketing campaigns." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
On average, marketing interns earn a lower salary than associate research specialists. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, marketing interns earn the most pay in the technology industry with an average salary of $33,333. Whereas associate research specialists have higher pay in the finance industry, with an average salary of $54,679.marketing interns earn lower levels of education than associate research specialists in general. They're 10.7% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 4.3% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Associate research specialist vs. Marketing associate
A marketing associate's responsibility is to perform comprehensive market research to identify the latest trends that would provide opportunities to improve the business' marketing strategies. A marketing associate's duties also include creating sales reports and advertising materials, coordinating with the sales team for promotional events, assists with the planning and execution of marketing strategies, evaluating customer satisfaction, and handling administrative tasks as needed. Marketing associates must also have excellent communication skills to help in managing client inquiries and resolve complaints immediately.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from associate research specialist resumes include skills like "research projects," "informed consent," "data collection," and "laboratory analysis," whereas a marketing associate is more likely to list skills in "customer service," "powerpoint," "digital marketing," and "marketing campaigns. "
Marketing associates make a very good living in the finance industry with an average annual salary of $56,474. On the other hand, associate research specialists are paid the highest salary in the finance industry, with average annual pay of $54,679.When it comes to education, marketing associates tend to earn lower degree levels compared to associate research specialists. In fact, they're 8.8% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 4.2% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Associate research specialist vs. Research associate
A research associate is responsible for assisting the research team, organizing and interpreting findings, and verifying information before presenting the study to the board. Research associates duties also include gathering and comparing data from multiple sources, analyzing the current industry trends, creating draft outlines for reports, collecting individual contacts for interview purposes, and helping with the development of research procedures. A research associate must have excellent time-management skills and ability to multi-task, especially on meeting strict deadlines and conducting studies.
Types of associate research specialist
Updated January 8, 2025











