Research Associate (Health District Evaluation) - Part-Time

Interested applicants are invited to apply directly at the NUS Career Portal. Please note your application will only be processed if you apply via NUS Career Portal.

NUS Career Portal link: https://careers.nus.edu.sg/job/Research-Associate-%28Health-District-Evaluation%29/33186-en_GB/

We regret that only shortlisted candidates will be notified.

Job Description

The Health District @ Queenstown (HD@QT) is a multi-stakeholder initiative led by the National University of Singapore (NUS), the National University Healthy System (NUHS), and the Housing &

Development Board (HDB), in partnership with public, private and community stakeholders.

It provides a platform to co-develop and test innovative programmes that support active and

purposeful ageing, foster intergenerational participation, strengthen community resilience, and

advance progress toward the longevity dividend, starting in Queenstown. Home to about 101,480 residents, Queenstown is Singapore’s oldest housing estate, with 76.2% of residents living in public housing. It is also a super-aged community, with 22.2% of residents aged 65 and above. In 2021, Queenstown was designated Singapore’s first Health District, serving as a testbed for integrated solutions to support ageing well. Insights and successes from Queenstown will inform future programmes across Singapore.

Mission and Goals: At Health District @ Queenstown, we empower residents to stay healthy, engaged and connected throughout their lives, within a supportive and inclusive community. By co-creating and co-developing effective, scalable, and sustainable programs, we aim to:

1. Increase healthy longevity

2. Enable purposeful longevity

3. Promote intergenerational bonding

4. Empower ageing in place

Focus Areas

Since its launch in October 2021, Health District @ Queenstown has focused on six key areas:

1. Preventive Health and Care Delivery

2. Purposeful Longevity

3. Community & Urban Living

4. Technology & Innovation

5. Evaluation

6. Communications & Engagement

The Evaluation pillar, led by National University of Singapore and National University Health System, aims to understand how Queenstown residents are doing today, and how things may change over time. We collect insights from residents through a Baseline Study and track the progress of Health District @ Queenstown towards its goals through the development of a Health District Evaluation Framework. In consultation with our International Advisory Panel, we assess the effectiveness and scalability of initiatives for Queenstown residents across five key areas:

• Well-being
• Productivity and engagement
• Security
• Equity
• Cohesion

We take a well-rounded approach that includes engaging residents and partners, alongside data analysis, to help us understand the potential for scaling up successful initiatives. 

Job Responsibilities*

You will be responsible for the following:

• Conduct qualitative data management, including coding and analysis of focus group discussions (FGDs) and in-depth interviews, and perform in-depth thematic analysis to identify key themes and sub-themes and translate findings into research outputs
• Lead and prepare qualitative research manuscripts for publication in peer-reviewed journals
• Plan and support the co-design and implementation of community-based interventions, including engagement with specific population groups (e.g., younger Malay residents)
• Support research protocol development and study design, ensuring alignment with ethical and regulatory requirements
• Contribute to grant development and submission, including one grant resubmission (SSRTG) and one new competitive grant application (e.g., NMRC or equivalent funding schemes)
• Contribute to dissemination of research findings through reports, presentations, and academic publications

Qualifications

• Hold a Master’s degree in Social Sciences, Public Health, Psychology, Sociology, or a related discipline with training in qualitative research methods
• Experience in qualitative research, including conducting interviews/FGDs, coding, and thematic analysis
• Proficiency in qualitative data analysis approaches and/or software (e.g. NVivo) is preferred
• Demonstrated experience in academic writing, preferably including peer-reviewed manuscript preparation or submission
• Experience in research administration tasks such as ethics applications, study documentation, and/or grant proposal development is preferred
• Strong written and spoken English communication skills
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Experience working in healthcare or community-based research settings is an advantage
• Ability to communicate in a second local language (e.g. Mandarin, Malay, Tamil) is an advantage, as the role may require handling transcripts and conducting analysis involving participants who communicate in their mother tongue
• Open to local residents (Singapore citizen or Permanent Resident) only

The initial appointment is for 1-year. This is a full-time position based in Singapore.

Applicants should send the following by email to the NUS Career Portal:

1. 1. A two-page Curriculum Vitae (only including relevant information), previous experience and containing details of two named referees
   2. A sample of published work and their roles in the projects (if applicable)
   3. Two letters of reference

Interviews will be face to face for local candidates.  Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.