Research Assistant/Associate (Data Analyst)

Company description:

The National University of Singapore is the national research university of Singapore. Founded in 1905 as the Straits Settlements and the Federated Malay States Government Medical School, NUS is the oldest higher education institution in Singapore

Job description:

Job Description

The person will work with faculty and staff of the Office for Students (OfS) and CenMED to track, analyse and interpret data relevant to student development, wellbeing, and medical education. This includes data related to the school's admissions exercise, student performance, assessments, and student surveys/interview tracked during medical school.

The role will adopt a mixed-methods approach, integrating both quantitative and qualitative data, with triangulation of multiple data sources to provide a comprehensive and well-rounded understanding of student experiences and outcomes. This includes basic psychometric evaluation of assessment and survey instruments to ensure validity, reliability, and appropriate interpretation of findings.

The role will also include producing reports and supporting decision-making on how best to collect, structure, and track ongoing data, including contributing to the design and improvement of data collection instruments and assessment tools. This includes the development and use of qualitative methods (e.g., interviews, focus groups, open-ended survey analysis) to complement quantitative findings and provide deeper insights into student perspectives.

The person will be the point person for OfS & CenMED to track interventions and outcomes related to undergraduate medical students' professional development and wellbeing. This includes assisting in the planning of projects (interventions), as well as monitoring and evaluating outcomes using both quantitative metrics and qualitative insights, ensuring that data collected are robust, meaningful, and fit for purpose.

Specific duties of the post:

• Manage and maintain large datasets and databases
• Assist in ensuring data quality, consistency, and integrity across datasets
• Perform data cleaning, analysis, and interpretation using appropriate data analysis methodologies
• Conduct basic psychometric analyses on assessment, admissions, and other relevant datasets to support data quality and interpretation
• Conduct literature searches, synthesise key findings, and identify knowledge gaps
• Support the development and validation of instruments to collect data
• Design and conduct relevant studies with appropriate methodology (qualitative and quantitative)
• Generate reports and present findings to relevant stakeholders
• Contribute to conference presentations and manuscripts for peer-reviewed journals
• Collaborate across teams and stakeholders involved in student development, wellbeing, and medical education initiatives

Qualifications

Required Skills

• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills, with an investigative mindset
• Proficiency in quantitative and/or qualitative data analysis techniques
• Basic understanding of psychometric principles (e.g., validity, reliability, item analysis)
• Familiarity with statistical software (e.g., SPSS, R, Python, or equivalent)
• Ability to work effectively both independently and within multidisciplinary teams
• Good communication skills, with the ability to translate data into meaningful insights for stakeholders
• Ability to prepare reports, presentations, and manuscripts for publication
• Basic project management skills

Would be considered an advantage

• Proven knowledge of data collection methods and study design
• Experience in qualitative research methods (focus groups, thematic or content analysis)
• Content knowledge in medical education
• Experience in educational or assessment contexts
• Master's degree in Medical Education, Education, Psychology, or a related field would be an advantage