Job Description

The Centre for Holistic Initiatives for Learning and Development (CHILD) at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, invites applications for a Research Assistant/Research Associate. The appointment level will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.

CHILD was established under NUS Medicine with the Lien Foundation, in collaboration with the A*STAR Institute for Human Development and Potential (A*STAR IHDP), National University Hospital (NUH), and the Centre for Evidence and Implementation (CEI). CHILD brings together experts in translational research, child health and development, and implementation science to accelerate the use of evidence in policy and practice and give every child the best start in life.

The successful candidate will support the Centre by contributing to translational research, science communication, evidence synthesis, and stakeholder engagement aligned to CHILD’s strategy and key priorities. This is a hybrid research and communication role suited to someone who has strong research skills and is interested in using evidence to shape accessible, engaging, and impactful content for different audiences. The role will involve working with multidisciplinary teams to translate research findings into practical outputs for policymakers, practitioners, families, community partners, and the wider public. The successful candidate will also support engagement activities such as webinars, workshops, briefings, and community events, and help report on the reach and impact of these activities.

Job Responsibilities

The successful candidate will:

• Work closely with team leads, cross-disciplinary teams, collaborators, and stakeholders from across the early childhood sector.
• Support translational research activities, including literature searches and reviews, evidence synthesis, preparation of research materials, data collection, data entry, data processing, and analysis where required.
• Contribute to the preparation of reports, briefs, presentations, plain-language summaries, papers, and other research-related outputs for academic, policy, practice, community, and public audiences.
• Translate research findings and evidence into accessible research communication materials, including short articles, newsletters, website content, social media posts, event summaries, infographics, and other public-facing outputs.
• Work with researchers and project teams to identify key messages from research findings and adapt them for different audiences, platforms, and purposes.
• Support the planning, coordination, and delivery of research dissemination and stakeholder engagement activities, including webinars, workshops, public talks, knowledge-sharing sessions, and sector briefings.
• Help monitor and report on research communication activities to inform ongoing dissemination strategies, including attendance, participant feedback, social media reach, newsletter engagement, website analytics, and other indicators of reach and impact.
• Engage in research-related and administrative activities as required in support of active projects, including participant recruitment and scheduling, IRB documentation and management, procurement, and project coordination.

Qualifications

• A Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in a relevant discipline, such as Psychology, Behavioural Science, Health Sciences, Public Health, Education, Social Work, Communications, Science Communication, Implementation Science, or a related field.
• Strong interest in child health and development, implementation science, research translation, science communication, or evidence-informed practice.
• Good understanding of research methods, with the ability to search, review, interpret, and summarise academic literature.
• Excellent command of spoken and written English, with the ability to communicate complex ideas clearly and accurately to non-specialist audiences.
• Strong writing skills and an interest in developing content for different formats and audiences.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to work with researchers, practitioners, policymakers, community partners, and other stakeholders.
• Excellent organisational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to support multiple projects, events, and communication activities.
• A team player with the ability to work independently, manage timelines, and take initiative.
• Willingness to travel off-site for projects, events, stakeholder engagement, or data collection activities where necessary, for example to community centres or childcare centres island-wide, occasionally outside of typical working hours. Time-off in lieu is provided for work planned outside regular hours.
• Willingness to undertake further training in relevant research, communication, engagement, or evaluation methods, if required.

Advantageous

• Experience or interest in science communication, knowledge translation, public engagement, content creation, or community engagement.
• Experience writing for non-academic audiences, including practitioners, policymakers, families, community organisations, or the general public.
• Experience supporting webinars, workshops, public events, stakeholder meetings, or community engagement activities.
• Familiarity with graphic design and content creation tools, such as Canva or Adobe Creative Suite (e.g. Photoshop, Illustrator).
• Familiarity with digital communication tools or platforms, such as, Mailchimp, LinkedIn, Instagram, website content management systems, or basic analytics tools. Experience with evidence synthesis, qualitative or quantitative research, implementation science, programme evaluation, or impact reporting.

Application process

Please submit your application, supported by a cover letter and detailed CV (including personal particulars, academic and employment history, and, where applicable a complete list of publications/oral presentations and samples of relevant communications and/or design work) and full contacts of three (3) referees via the NUS Careers portal. Applications without a cover letter may not be considered.

The appointment title and salary grade will be commensurate with the candidates’ qualifications and experience. Applicants can email childsg@nus.edu.sg with any questions about the role. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.