The Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) seeks candidates for a renewable contract appointment as a Research Fellow / Research Associate / Research Assistant. (One RF position and One RA position is available, and additional short-term contract positions are also available on request)
Project Summary
The Research Fellow / Associate / Assistant will play a key role in designing, leading, and conducting a Programme Evaluation study of ComLink+ Progress Packages, a large-scale Government funded social programme that aims to help lower-income families in Singapore achieve stability, self-reliance, and social mobility. The Programme provides Family Coaches to help families co-develop personalised action plans, and conditional financial transfers when families take steps to improve children’s education, employment, clear debts, and save for home ownership.
The study will use administrative data and a longitudinal panel survey to:
· Assess the effectiveness of the Programme in supporting families to improve short-term outcomes relating to education, employment, and household finances;
· Assess the potential impact of the Programme in supporting families to set goals and build capabilities towards long-term outcomes of stability, self-reliance, and social mobility;
· Assess other impacts of the Programme on families' financial and consumption behaviours, social and family relations, and mental well-being.
The study will start immediately and is projected to end in June 2028, with a possible one-year extension.
The Research Fellow / Associate / Assistant will work with a small team of economists consisting of the Principal Investigator, supported by consultants. A research associate/assistant will support the team. The Research Fellow / Associate / Assistant will interact with an NUS research team working with qualitative methods, and partners including the Government agency and third party survey vendors.
The position(s) are funded for up to 5 years. A candidate should preferably commit in principle to the entire duration of the project, or at least for the first two years. We will consider candidates who request a shorter duration position, and candidates who request fractional appointments (e.g. half-time), on a case by case basis.
Job Scope
Working with the Principal Investigator and consultant economists, the Research Fellow will (the Research Associate / Assistant will perform a similar job scope, but at a more junior level and supporting the PI and Research Fellow):
1. Finalise the overall quantitative Programme Evaluation study research design.
2. Develop the quantitative survey instruments, including an interviewer-administered annual survey, and a self-administered high frequency data collection platform.
3. Develop, code, and implement the empirical research strategy to identify Programme causal effects using administrative data.
4. Analyse quantitative data and draft study reports for internal and external stakeholders.
5. Liaise and monitor the survey fieldwork vendor / fieldwork research team.
6. Assist in management of overall study administration, including IRB, budget management, and reporting to internal and external stakeholders.
7. Supervise and delegate tasks to the research associate/assistant and other team members to help achieve these objectives.
Qualifications / Experience Required:
1. For the Research Fellow, a Ph.D. in Economics, Public Policy, or a related quantitative social science discipline, or must be on track to be awarded the Ph.D. without further full-time study, within one year of the start of the appointment. Candidates without a Ph.D. but with demonstrated equivalent research abilities may apply, and will be considered for an appropriate position based on their research expertise. Research Associate / Assistants should have a Bachelor's and/or Master's degree in the same fields as the Research Fellow.
2. Demonstrated knowledge and application of contemporary applied microeconomics research methods, including randomized controlled trials, and quasi-experimental causal identification methods. For the Research Fellow, publications and/or working papers showing these skills will be an advantage. Research Associate / Assistants may provide coursework evidence satisfying this requirement.
3. Demonstrated ability to code and analyse large-scale data with at least one common econometrics/statistics software system, such as STATA, or R.
4. Singapore Citizenship or Permanent Residency is strongly preferred, as the position involves restricted access Singapore Government data. Non-Singapore resident candidates will be considered, but confirming employment eligibility may take more time.
Compensation and Benefits
The salary is based on the qualifications and experience of the candidate, and is benchmarked to equivalent research fellow / entry-level faculty positions in Singapore, and to equivalent research associate / assistant positions in Singapore.
Flexible work arrangements are offered. The position is based at the Singapore University of Social Sciences, Singapore. The Research Fellow is required to work from the office / data access site in Singapore during office hours when necessary due to data access restrictions, but may otherwise work flexibly.
The Research Fellow will have coauthorship rights on any resulting publications in accordance with their contributions, as standard practice. Research Associates / Assistants may be offered authorship on a case by case basis.
Applications should be made to:
The Principal Investigator, A/P Walter Theseira (email: waltertheseira@suss.edu.sg), at the SUSS School of Business, Singapore University of Social Sciences, 463 Clementi Road, Singapore. Please include:
1. Brief cover note in your email highlighting any relevant experience, research projects, or research interests.
2. Academic CV
3. One paper (published or unpublished) that is most relevant to the project or demonstrates appropriate quantitative research skills. For research associate / assistants, this may be a course assignment.
4. Link to your job market site, personal academic website, google scholar / ORCID profile, etc, as appropriate. For research associate / assistants, this is not required.
5. Letters of reference are not required now, but will be requested of shortlisted applicants. Generic letters of reference for academic positions are suitable. For research associate / assistants, a generic letter of reference for graduate study will be an advantage, but will not be required.