Research Assistant/Associate - Centre for Sustainable Medicine

Job Description

Climate change is the defining challenge of this century, and healthcare is both a victim of climate change and a major contributor to it. The Centre for Sustainable Medicine (CoSM) at the National University of Singapore works at the frontier of policy, clinical systems, and global health to accelerate the transition to low-carbon, climate-resilient health systems across Asia and worldwide.

Purpose of the Post

We invite applications from a dynamic, experienced professional to help advance CoSM’s research priorities and to strengthen the real-world uptake of the Centre’s work.

The postholder will work across the Centre’s major workstreams - including health system carbon analytics, clinical transformation, and capacity building - ensuring that research and technical evidence are synthesised, interpreted, and translated into decision-ready outputs for policymakers, health system leaders, clinicians, partners, and other stakeholders.

This is a cross-cutting role at the interface of research, policy, and implementation. The successful candidate will play a leading role in converting evidence into high-impact products, supporting policy feedback cycles, and strengthening lessons from implementation and stakeholder engagement to inform the Centre’s future research.

Key Responsibilities and Roles

1. Research synthesis, analysis, and translation
   • Contribute to the development of research outputs, including reports, peer-reviewed publications, technical analyses, and policy papers.
   • Support the analysis and interpretation of research findings from CoSM projects, including emissions baselines, adaptation and mitigation strategies, health system analytics, and education initiatives.
   • Translate research outputs into clear and actionable products for policy and practice, including policy briefs, executive summaries, technical guidance, and knowledge products.
   • Identify cross-cutting insights from CoSM’s body of work and shape coherent evidence narratives that communicate the Centre’s contribution to global sustainable healthcare transformation.
   • Support the preparation of academic publications, including drafting sections of manuscripts, coordinating co-author inputs, and assisting with reference management and editorial processes.
2. Policy feedback and implementation learning
   • Support the policy feedback cycle by gathering and synthesising insights from governments, delivery partners, clinicians, and other stakeholders on how evidence is being received, interpreted, and applied.
   • Help ensure that lessons from implementation and engagement feed back into research framing, future analysis, and programme development.
   • Facilitate structured dialogue between research teams and policy or practice stakeholders to strengthen the relevance, usability, and timing of CoSM outputs.
   • Support the development and coordination of communities of practice across Asia-Pacific and globally, particularly in areas such as net zero healthcare, climate-resilient health systems, and health system decarbonisation.
3. Knowledge and evidence dissemination
   • Support dissemination of research through regional and global platforms, including technical forums, convenings, policy roundtables, and academic or professional events.
   • Prepare high-quality briefing materials, concept notes, slide decks, summary papers, and dissemination products for international events, multilateral engagements, and senior partner discussions.
   • Develop accessible summaries and tailored synthesis materials for different stakeholder groups, including ministries of health, hospital leaders, clinicians, finance stakeholders, academic audiences, and learners.
   • Support the strategic positioning of CoSM’s flagship initiatives by ensuring clarity, consistency, and strong evidence-based narratives across written, digital, and presentation materials.

Qualifications

Essential

• A Bachelor’s degree or Master’s degree in public health, health policy, health systems, environmental health, economics, social policy, or a related field.
• 3-8 years of experience in research, public policy, evidence synthesis, policy-facing roles, or related functions.
• Demonstrated ability to interpret and translate complex technical or research material into clear, structured, and compelling outputs for varied audiences.
• Strong analytical and writing skills, with excellent editorial judgement and the ability to distil evidence without oversimplifying it.
• Experience working with multidisciplinary teams and engaging senior stakeholders across research, policy, and implementation settings.
• Strong organisational skills and ability to manage multiple workstreams simultaneously.

Highly desirable

• Experience working with governments, multilateral organisations, or large health systems.
• Familiarity with climate, sustainability, or health system transformation agendas.
• Experience working at the interface of research, policy, and implementation.
• Experience supporting dissemination of research through policy products, technical guidance, publications, or high-level stakeholder briefings.
• Experience supporting regional or international partnerships.