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Postdoctoral Fellowship: Behaviour Change Communication Training for Healthcare Professionals (MOTIVATOR Program)

Project summary:

This fellowship will be directly attached to a pan-Canadian CIHR-funded study designed to develop and test behaviour change communication training programs targeting physicians, nurses and allied healthcare providers working in the area of chronic disease management. Using a variety of methodological techniques, the study will develop an optimised training intervention (MOTIVATOR Program) and then test various doses and instructional methods of this core intervention. Though the project is national in scope, the position will be based at the Montreal Behavioural Medicine Centre (https://mbmc-cmcm.ca), which is a collaborative centre between the CIUSSS-NIM Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montreal, UQAM and Concordia University.

Position summary:

The individual who is selected for this position will be expected to help the study PI’s, Drs. Kim Lavoie (https://mbmc-cmcm.ca/member/kim-lavoie-2/) and Simon Bacon (https://mbmc-cmcm.ca/member/simon-bacon/), with the national coordination of the study. They will also have the opportunity to work with the national investigative team consisting of experts in: behaviour change communication training programs; behavioural intervention and digital intervention development; the application of motivation and behaviour change theories to intervention design (including digital); behavioural trial methodology; and integrated knowledge translation/patient-oriented research.

In addition to aspects of coordination, the fellow will be able to work on a variety of research-related aspects of the study including:

  • Behavioural intervention development and design (including digital)
  • Delivery and assessment of behaviour change communication skills and training programs
  • Behavioural trial methods and reporting
  • Participating in stakeholder engagement activities
  • Qualitative and quantitative methods and analyses (including validation studies)
  • Systematic reviews, meta-analyses and reporting

Required Qualifications

  • PhD in an applied clinical discipline (e.g., Psychology, Kinesiology, Nursing, Medicine, Public Health, etc.)
  • Demonstrated experience conducting research in at least one of the following areas
    • Chronic disease prevention (primary, secondary, or tertiary)
    • Behavioural intervention development
    • Healthcare communication / behaviour change counselling / motivational communication
    • Questionnaire or assessment tool validation studies
  • Effective oral and written communication skills
  • Excellent interpersonal skills
  • Demonstrated research productivity (peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations)
  • Ability to work autonomously and take a lead role on projects under supervision of principal investigators

Preference will be given to candidates with:

  • Experience using integrated stakeholder engagement strategies
  • Experience with student mentoring and supervision
  • Experience with statistical methods and ability to work with analytic software
  • Ability to communicate (orally) in both English and French

Start date, Duration, Stipend, and Location

The start date is flexible but not later than January 2025; funding has already been received.

The position is full time for one year and is renewable for a further 2 years. The funding package consists of a stipend (consistent with FRQS funding levels) plus conference / training funding.

The successful candidate could be registered at Concordia University (www.concordia.ca) or UQAM (www.uqam.ca); the actual work would be conducted at the CIUSSS-NIM, Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montreal (https://rechercheciusssnim.ca/).

To apply, please forward the following:

  • A complete curriculum vitae, including summary of GPA’s, a full publication list (including hyperlinks where possible) and email contact details for two referees
  • A letter of motivation and statement of research accomplishments and future research goals
  • 2-3 research publications that best demonstrate your fit for the position

How to apply:

  • The complete application package must be emailed to: apply@mbmc-cmcm.ca.
  • Please include “Fellowship MOTIVATOR” in the subject line.
  • Queries about the application should be sent to either Dr. Lavoie (kim@uqam.ca) or Dr. Bacon (simon.bacon@concordia.ca).
  • The closing date for receipt of applications is November 29, 2024, 5pm ET. However, please note that we will review applications as they are received.