The Subject Matter Research Consultants (SMRC) are part-time FSU employees who provide consultation on research study development, implementation and relevant social media trends.
SMRC projects vary by research study, and some areas of expertise include:
Study Design & Implementation
- Reviewing and providing feedback on study design
- Reviewing and providing feedback on study materials, including surveys, instructional documents, health information, or other tools
- Assisting with internal testing and monitoring intervention apps for bugs and issues
Content Creation
- Providing enhancement ideas for interventions utilizing apps
- Creating audio, visual, and written content for app interventions
- Guiding strategy for recruitment of study participants, including how to leverage social media platforms to reach the intended audience as well as the development of language and imagery for advertisements
Data Analysis & Dissemination
- Reviewing and helping design qualitative interview guides
- Assisting with data analysis such as coding qualitative interviews
- Supporting dissemination efforts of research findings by serving as co-authors on publications and as graphic designers and videographers creating content for lay audience
Why are SMRCs employees instead of a community advisory board?
The formation of this group is unique in that many, if any, research institutions have yet to progress in utilizing this approach. The Institute on Digital Health and Innovation actively hires young professionals who reflect the prioritized demographics of our studies. This, in turn, enhances the projects and cultivates a reciprocal working relationship with people from the communities that IDHI’s research serves.
Centralizing youth engagement through employment allows IDHI to create and maintain a sustainable group of consultants capable of supporting multiple research projects without the need to recruit new advisory boards for each study. This employment model provides youth with access to resources, professional development, and prestigious university affiliations, enabling SMRCs to list their university roles on resumés and CVs. As of December 2024, IDHI introduced the Senior SMRC role within the SMRC structure, marking a step toward long-term development and upward mobility in our youth engagement program.
Connect with the SMRC
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SMRC History
In 2021, when the Behavior & Technology Lab (BATLab) existed at UNC-Chapel Hill prior to its move to FSU to become IDHI, the BATLab’s Youth Advisory Board and Youth Advisory Council merged, rebranded, and redefined mutually endorsed guidelines and goals. We recognized the need to create a sustainable structure to engage youth through all parts of research and as such all members were formally hired as part-time employees. This conglomerate represents communities that IDHI’s research serves through SMRCs’ varied professional and lived experiences.
Acknowledgements
We would like to acknowledge the former staff members who led and facilitated the Youth Advisory Board (YAB) and Youth Advisory Council (YAC) at various points from 2016-2021 before the merge. Thank you to Karina Soni, Drew McGee, Afua Osei, and Skye Wilson. We sincerely thank them and all of our youth alumni for their exemplary service.
