Research Assistant/ Associate (Pediatrics)

National University of Singapore; Singapore; On-site; SGD 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading educational institution in Singapore is seeking a Research Assistant / Research Associate to support projects in Language, Literacy & Child Development. The role includes data cleaning, analysis using SPSS/R, and collaboration with research teams. Candidates should have a Bachelor's degree in social sciences or a related field, proficiency in statistical software, and strong attention to detail. This full-time position offers a dynamic environment for those passionate about child development research.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; Master's preferred.
• Proficiency in R and/or SPSS.
• Strong attention to detail and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Support data cleaning and harmonization tasks.
• Conduct quality control checks and documentation.
• Generate basic analyses and descriptive statistics.

Skills

Data cleaning

SPSS

R programming

Attention to detail

Documentation

Education

Bachelor's degree in social science or related quantitative field

Master's degree (preferred)

Tools

Qualtrics

NVivo

Git/GitHub

SQL

Job description

Job Description

We invite applications for a full ‑ time Research Assistant / Research Associate to support ongoing projects in Language, Literacy & Child Development at NUS. The team studies children’s bilingual language and literacy development and brain–behaviour relationships using large, longitudinal Singapore cohorts (e.g., GUSTO, S ‑ PRESTO, SG LEADS) and mixed ‑ methods datasets.

The successful hire will support the PI and a Senior RF across a range of administrative and research tasks, including applying for and maintaining IRB proposals and participating on data collection, data cleaning, data management, and basic statistical analysis using SPSS and/or R, with opportunities to contribute to figure/table generation and external reports and publications.

Responsibilities

• Data cleaning & harmonisation: Import, merge, and tidy multi ‑ wave survey/assessment datasets; handle missing values and recodes; maintain clear data dictionaries/codebooks.
  
• Quality control: Run validation checks (range, duplicates, logic) and maintain audit trails; ensure versioning and reproducibility of datasets and scripts.
  
• Basic analyses: Generate descriptives, cross ‑ tabs, correlations, and simple regression models in SPSS/R; produce APA ‑ style tables/plots for publication and presentation.
  
• Documentation: Prepare concise READMEs, analysis notes, and SOPs; update project trackers regularly.
  
• Collaboration: Liaise with PIs and team members to clarify variable definitions, analysis requests, and timelines; attend regular lab meetings.
  
• Data collection: Set up and monitor Qualtrics questionnaires (pilots, logic checks, deployment), schedule participants, manage consent and on‑site logistics; assist with fNIRS set‑up/acquisition and QC (training provided); maintain session logs and upload data securely.
  
• (As needed): Support IRB/ethics amendments, Procurement and NUS research administration processes, Qualtrics checks, simple literature scans, and compliant data transfers.
  

Qualifications

• Minimum (Research Assistant):
  - Bachelor’s degree in a social science discipline (e.g., Psychology, Linguistics, Sociology, Education, Public Policy, Neuroscience) or related quantitative field.
  - Working proficiency in R and/or SPSS for data cleaning and basic analysis.
  - Strong attention to detail and documentation habits.
  - Clear written and spoken communication; organised and team ‑ oriented.
  
• Preferred (Research Associate):
  - Master’s degree or ≥2 years of relevant RA experience.
  - Experience with NUS IRB and other research administration systems and procedures.
  - Strong R workflow (tidyverse) skills; reproducible scripting.
  - Strong data ‑ management skills (data governance, documentation, version control).
  - Experience with longitudinal datasets and mapping variables across waves/cohorts.
  - Familiarity with Qualtrics, NVivo, Git/GitHub, or basic SQL is a plus.
  - Background in bilingualism, literacy, cognitive development, or educational measurement is advantageous.
  - Experience/knowledge in neuroimaging (e.g., MRI, DTI, fNIRS) is a plus.
  

Other Information

Clearly communicates Faculty's/Department's policies. Faculty members' concerns are handled well by the incumbent and his/her team of administrators.

More Information

Location: Kent Ridge Campus

Organization: Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine

Department: Dean-Med-Centre for Holistic Initiatives for Learning and Development

Employee Referral Eligible: No

Job requisition ID: 31312