"Research Associate / Assistant (Governance & Economy) (30581)"

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 a Research Associate/ Research Assistant with strong quantitative research skills for the Governance & Economy (G&E) Department.

G&E examines how governance systems, technological change, and economic structures shape Singapore’s social and institutional landscape. Our research focuses on the intersection of governance, economy, technology and society.

Our current workstreams span several interconnected areas:

• AI and the digital economy
• Digital trust and online harms
• Social mobility and inclusion
• Demography and population
• Social capital and civic participation

The job scope includes:

• Assisting with research projects from project design/ conceptualisation (e.g., conducting literature reviews), and prepare data collection tools (e.g., survey questionnaires, interview and focus group discussion guides)
• Assisting with the administration and management of research projects, such as seeking approvals (e.g., for university research ethics board reviews), procurement, budget tracking, summarising project results and preparing progress reports
• Co-ordinating research fieldwork, including preparing survey instruments/questionnaires, conducting surveys, social science experiments and interventions
• Collecting, cleaning, formatting, and analysing primary and secondary data, using different quantitative and potentially qualitative method
• Managing aspects of fieldwork administration including project progress monitoring, data quality control
• Engaging and managing stakeholders across workstreams, summarizing project results and preparing progress reports for the Principal Investigator (PI) and Co-PI
• Supporting the publication and dissemination of results and findings in reports, policy briefs, and conference and academic journal
• Organising and reporting of seminars and conferences

Qualifications

To be considered for this role, applicants should fulfil the following criteria:

• For Research Associate: Have a master’s degree in a relevant social science discipline
• For Research Assistant: Have at least a bachelor’s degree in a relevant social science discipline
• Strong quantitative research skills including statistical analyses and proficiency in statistical packages such as SPSS /STATA / R
• Demonstrates initiative in information gathering, analysis and review
• Have some background and a keen interest in research pertaining to one or more of our workstreams
• Possess strong English communication and analytical skills, with an ability to write in a clear, coherent and engaging manner
• Demonstrates strong commitment to meeting deadlines and has a track record of producing work that reflects a maturity of thought
• Be resourceful, independent, initiated, and attentive to detail

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

• Experience with mixed methods research (e.g. focus groups, interviews)
• Familiarity with data visualisation, or structural modelling
• Prior experience in a research role (e.g. an internship in research or a Research Assistantship)

What you can expect from the job:

Joining G&E offers an opportunity to contribute to research that informs national conversations on governance, technology and economy. You will work in a collaborative multi-disciplinary team, engage directly with policymakers and partners, and develop skills in empirical analysis, project management and policy translation. In addition, you will network with various stakeholders linked to the Institute’s work and have opportunities to build your skills through.

Apply now