Research Assistant

Yale-NUS College invites applications for a full-time position of Research Assistant (Data  Selection). This position will run until August 2023, and the successful applicant is expected to commence duties as soon as possible.

This position is connected to a research project titled, “Linking the Digital Humanities to Biodiversity History in Singapore and Southeast Asia”. This project looks at the arrival, spread, and establishment of alien species in Singapore and the region. One of the deliverables of the project will be an interactive map that draws on alien species data to show historical changes in the biodiversity of Singapore and Southeast Asia over time and space.

The project is funded through a large grant awarded by the Social Science Research Council (SSRC). The Principal Investigator for this project is Assistant Professor Anthony Medrano (Yale-NUS College). The project’s Co-Principal Investigators include: Associate Professor Darren Yeo (Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum), Ms. Lily Chen (Singapore Botanic Gardens), and Ms. Lee Cheng Ean (NUS Libraries), and Dr. Stefan Huebner (Asia Research Institute).

The Research Assistant (RA) will manage the invasive plant database, with duties including: data-mining, quality control of the database entries, database management and supervision of student interns. The RA will also provide administrative support to the Co-Principal Investigator, Ms. Lily Chen at the Singapore Botanic Gardens and liaise with the project team members and external parties on such matters. There will be opportunities for the RA to aid with local and overseas fieldwork (SEA) for collection of plant specimens.

• Applicants are expected to hold at least a Second Class Honours (Upper Division) or an equivalent honours degree, or a Master’s degree.
• A degree in sciences is ideal but not required.

• Proficient in English
• Proficiency in Malay is ideal but not required
• Organized and detail-oriented
• Comfortable and adept with administrative tasks
• Basic computer knowledge and core Microsoft Office, Google Drive, Google Docs, and related skills
• Good managerial skills for keeping student researchers focused, accountable, and on-track with deadlines
• Able to work independently and collaborate with others
• Experience in conducting independent research and skills in qualitative research and analyses
• Knowledge of and/or willingness to learn about and work with researchers using quantitative methods and Geographic Information Science (GIS) techniques
• Excellent organization and interpersonal skills
• Excellent writing and strong communication skills in English, including an ability to present research in both academic and non-academic venues
• Curiosity and passion to explore new concepts, methods and technologies, and capable of identifying and quickly learning the most suitable tools for the research
• A good team player with the ability to multitask effectively

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.