"Research Assistant/ Associate (Pediatrics)"

Job Description

We invite applications for a full-time Research Assistant / Research Associate to support ongoing projects in Language, Literacy & Child Development at NUS. The team studies children’s bilingual language and literacy development and brain–behaviour relationships using large, longitudinal Singapore cohorts (e.g., GUSTO, S‑PRESTO, SG LEADS) and mixed‑methods datasets.

The successful hire will support the PI and a Senior RF across a range of administrative and research tasks, including applying for and maintaining IRB proposals and participating on data collection, data cleaning, data management, and basic statistical analysis using SPSS and/or R, with opportunities to contribute to figure/table generation and external reports and publications.

Responsibilities

• Data cleaning & harmonisation: Import, merge, and tidy multi‑wave survey/assessment datasets; handle missing values and recodes; maintain clear data dictionaries/codebooks.
• Quality control: Run validation checks (range, duplicates, logic) and maintain audit trails; ensure versioning and reproducibility of datasets and scripts.
• Basic analyses: Generate descriptives, cross‑tabs, correlations, and simple regression models in SPSS/R; produce APA‑style tables/plots for publication and presentation.
• Documentation: Prepare concise READMEs, analysis notes, and SOPs; update project trackers regularly.
• Collaboration: Liaise with PIs and team members to clarify variable definitions, analysis requests, and timelines; attend regular lab meetings.
• Data collection: Set up and monitor Qualtrics questionnaires (pilots, logic checks, deployment), schedule participants, manage consent and on‑site logistics; assist with fNIRS set‑up/acquisition and QC (training provided); maintain session logs and upload data securely.
• (As needed): Support IRB/ethics amendments, Procurement and NUS research administration processes, Qualtrics checks, simple literature scans, and compliant data transfers.

Qualifications

Minimum (Research Assistant):
- Bachelor’s degree in a social science discipline (e.g., Psychology, Linguistics, Sociology, Education, Public Policy, Neuroscience) or related quantitative field.
- Working proficiency in R and/or SPSS for data cleaning and basic analysis.
- Strong attention to detail and documentation habits.
- Clear written and spoken communication; organised and team‑oriented.

Preferred (Research Associate):
- Master’s degree or ≥2 years of relevant RA experience.
-Experience with NUS IRB and other research administration systems and procedures.
- Strong R workflow (tidyverse) skills; reproducible scripting.
- Strong data‑management skills (data governance, documentation, version control).
- Experience with longitudinal datasets and mapping variables across waves/cohorts.
- Familiarity with Qualtrics, NVivo, Git/GitHub, or basic SQL is a plus.
- Background in bilingualism, literacy, cognitive development, or educational measurement is advantageous.
- Experience/knowledge in neuroimaging (e.g., MRI, DTI, fNIRS) is a plus.

More Information

Location: Kent Ridge Campus
Organization: Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine
Department: Dean-Med-Centre for Holistic Initiatives for Learning and Development
Job requisition ID: 31312
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