Job Description

The Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) is a policy research think-tank in the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore.

IPS is looking to hire two Research Associates for the Society & Culture department. The Research Associates will assist senior researchers in the applied policy work that they do. They will also be given the leeway to seek small research grants and conduct independent research projects. The Research Associates will have the opportunity to acquire critical research skills and domain knowledge, develop their individual research capacity and build networks with key stakeholders from the public, private and people sectors.

The Research Associates will be working in a research team which contributes to the Institute\'s research programmes, such as social mobility and inclusion, governance of Singapore as a city-state and managing diversities. The department\'s workstreams include: digital inclusion in various domains (e.g., work, integration and digital literacy) and media policy, impact of new technologies on governance, issues that impact ethnic minorities, and design of and impact of public engagement.

Job Scope

• Assist with research projects from project design/conceptualisation, and prepare data collection instruments (e.g., questionnaires, interview guides and experimental design)
• Assist Principal Investigators (PIs) with different aspects of project administration, such as seeking approvals (e.g., for university research ethics board reviews), procurement, budget tracking, summarising project results and preparing progress reports
• Track research developments in relevant policy domains and scope literature reviews
• Conduct data collection, independently and/or with external partners and vendors
• Analyse primary and secondary data, using different quantitative and qualitative methods
• Collaborate with colleagues and manage stakeholders across different workstreams
• Attend project meetings, briefings, and subject-matter-expertise seminars as necessary
• Report research to stakeholders via research papers, policy briefs, journals, media commentaries and IPS\' online channels
• Undertake administrative duties such as develop and facilitate research conferences, workshops and closed-door discussions

Ad-hoc responsibilities include working with senior researchers to conceptualise and organise outreach associated with research workstreams

Applicant must have..

• Have a Master\'s degree with Honours in a relevant social science discipline
• Exhibit keen interest in research pertaining to social issues and policies
• Able to apply quantitative and qualitative research methods to the department\'s research projects
• Possess strong English communication and analytical skills, with an ability to write in a clear, coherent and engaging manner
• Demonstrates initiative and expertise in information gathering, analysis and review
• Demonstrates strong commitment to meeting deadlines and has a track record of producing work that reflects a maturity of thought
• Be independent, initiated, and attentive to details

The following are optional criteria that will give your application an advantage:

• Has experience in executing some form of research methodology, whether qualitative (e.g., meta reviews, interviews and focus groups discussions), or quantitative (e.g., proficiency in SPSS/R/STATA programming)
• Has experience in a prior research role (e.g., as intern as Research Assistant)

What you can expect from the job...

The Research Associates will have the opportunity to work in a research team committed to ensuring high quality of research. Researchers in the department work on a variety of projects initiated by the Institute, government and the non-profit sector using both qualitative and quantitative methods. In addition, the Research Associates will also benefit from exposure to intellectual exchange and networking with various stakeholders linked to the Institute\'s work. There are also training and development opportunities to build Research Associates\' skills. This job will be good grounding for a graduate with some working experience, who is seeking to develop a career in the fields of public policy or social science research, whether in academia, the public service, or the private sector.

To apply Please submit a statement of interest and an updated CV.

Your statement of interest/CV should include details such as your highest qualifications, last drawn salary, expected salary and reasons for leaving your last/current position. Please also state when you expect to be able to begin work, if this position is offered to you.

(We regret that owing to the volume of applications, only shortlisted candidates will be notified.)

Covid-19 Message

At NUS, the health and safety of our staff and students are one of our utmost priorities, and COVID-vaccination supports our commitment to ensure the safety of our community and to make NUS as safe and welcoming as possible. Many of our roles require a significant amount of physical interactions with students/staff/public members. Even for job roles that may be performed remotely, there will be instances where on-campus presence is required.

Taking into consideration the health and well-being of our staff and students and to better protect everyone in the campus, applicants are strongly encouraged to have themselves fully COVID-19 vaccinated to secure successful employment with NUS.

More Information

Location: Bukit Timah Campus
Organization: Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy
Department : Institute of Policy Studies
Employee Referral Eligible: No
Job requisition ID : 16337

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