Job Description

We invite applications for a full-time Research Fellow to join ongoing projects in Language, Literacy & Child Development at NUS. The team studies children’s bilingual language and literacy development, brain–behaviour relationships, and related family and educational factors using large longitudinal Singapore cohorts, such as GUSTO, S-PRESTO, and SG LEADS, as well as mixed-methods datasets.

The successful candidate will work closely with the PI and research team to lead and support research activities across data management, study coordination, statistical analysis, manuscript preparation, grant reporting, and research administration. The role is suitable for a candidate with strong quantitative research skills, good project management ability, and an interest in bilingualism, child development, literacy, education, or developmental neuroscience.

Jobscope and Responsibilities

• Research coordination and project management: Coordinate ongoing research activities, track project progress and timelines, prepare meeting notes, and liaise with PIs, collaborators, research staff, and students.
• Data management and harmonisation: Oversee the import, merging, cleaning, and harmonisation of multi-wave survey, assessment, and neuroimaging-related datasets; maintain clear data dictionaries, codebooks, and reproducible workflows.
• Quality control and reproducibility: Develop and implement validation checks, including range checks, duplicate checks, logic checks, missing data reviews, and version control procedures; maintain audit trails and ensure reproducibility of datasets and analysis scripts.
• Statistical analysis: Conduct descriptive and inferential analyses using R and/or SPSS, including correlations, regression models, longitudinal analyses, mediation/path models, and other suitable statistical approaches depending on project needs.
• Outputs and dissemination: Prepare APA-style tables, figures, analysis summaries, external reports, conference abstracts, and manuscript drafts for publication.
• Study documentation: Prepare and update READMEs, analysis notes, SOPs, project trackers, and other study documents.
• Data collection and fieldwork support: Oversee or support Qualtrics questionnaire setup, pilot testing, logic checks, participant scheduling, consent procedures, on-site logistics, and secure data upload. Assist with fNIRS setup, acquisition, and quality control where relevant; training will be provided if needed.
• Research administration: Support IRB/ethics submissions and amendments, grant reporting, procurement, compliant data transfers, and other NUS research administration processes.
• Team supervision: Provide guidance to Research Assistants, students, and interns on data cleaning, documentation, analysis tasks, and study procedures where needed.
• Literature and grant support: Conduct targeted literature reviews, contribute to grant applications, and support the development of new research ideas and project proposals.

Qualifications

• PhD in Psychology, Linguistics, Education, Cognitive Science, Neuroscience, Public Health, Statistics, Sociology, or a related discipline.
• Strong quantitative research skills, including experience with data cleaning, data management, and statistical analysis.
• Proficiency in R and/or SPSS. Strong R skills, including tidyverse-based workflows, are preferred.
• Good understanding of research design, statistical modelling, and interpretation of findings.
• Strong writing skills, with the ability to prepare clear analysis summaries, reports, manuscripts, and research documentation.
• Excellent attention to detail, organisational skills, and documentation habits.
• Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively in a multidisciplinary research team.
• Clear written and spoken communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with longitudinal datasets and/or large cohort studies.
• Experience mapping and harmonising variables across different waves, measures, or cohorts.
• Experience with advanced statistical methods, such as mixed-effects models, structural equation modelling, mediation/path analysis, or latent variable models.
• Experience with manuscript preparation, conference submissions, grant reports, or peer-reviewed publications.
• Familiarity with NUS IRB and research administration systems and procedures.
• Experience with data governance, documentation, version control, Git/GitHub, or reproducible research workflows.
• Familiarity with Qualtrics, NVivo, REDCap, basic SQL, or other research tools is a plus.
• Background in bilingualism, language and literacy development, cognitive development, educational measurement, or developmental psychology is advantageous.
• Experience or knowledge in neuroimaging methods, such as MRI, DTI, fNIRS, or brain–behaviour analysis, is a plus.