Research Assistant (Humanities/Social Sciences)

The Centre for Health, Culture, and Society (CHCS) at NTU CoHASS is a new interdisciplinary research hub working at the intersection of health, culture, and society. We are seeking a Research Assistant to support a grant-funded study, "When Care Becomes Difficult: Complaint, Moral Strain, and Narrative Conflict in the Hospital Pharmacy," led by A/P Graham Matthews.

The project investigates the lived experience of pharmacists at Singapore General Hospital who navigate patient complaints and difficult encounters, using semi-structured interviews and focused institutional ethnography. The Research Assistant will play a key role in generating and verifying interview transcripts, assisting with preliminary qualitative analysis, supporting literature review work, and helping to prepare materials such as a written report, conference paper, and journal article.

The appointment is for three months, renewable for a further three months following satisfactory review.

Key Responsibilities:

• Coordinate interview scheduling and administer consent procedures in compliance with IRB requirements.
• Generate, verify, and anonymise transcripts of audio-recorded interviews (up to 20 interviews of approximately 90 minutes each).
• Prepare interview summaries and analytic memos capturing key narrative patterns and themes.
• Assist with preliminary qualitative coding of interview data under the supervision of the PI.
• Assist with fieldnote preparation from the ethnographic observation component.
• Support literature review tasks and preparation of materials for dissemination of research.
• Maintain organised and secure records of all research data and documentation.

Job Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant humanities, social sciences, or health-related discipline; Master's degree or postgraduate training in medical humanities or a cognate field is an advantage.
• Strong interest in qualitative research; prior transcription experience in a research context is highly desirable.
• Familiarity with qualitative data analysis; experience with NVivo or similar software is an advantage.
• Excellent written and strong organisational skills with meticulous attention to detail.
• Sensitivity and discretion in handling confidential data from sensitive professional contexts; understanding of research ethics desirable.
• Interest in medical humanities, narrative medicine, or the sociology of healthcare strongly desirable.

We regret to inform that only shortlisted candidates will be notified.

Hiring Institution: NTU