Research Assistant (Economics, Public Policy, and Social Sciences)

About the Project

Ho Chi Minh City is supporting the transition of delivery riders to electric motorbikes, creating an important opportunity to examine how green transport policies can be designed in an efficient, inclusive, and equitable manner.

This project investigates how policy instruments such as subsidies, charging infrastructure, financing mechanisms, and public communication may influence riders’ adoption decisions, livelihoods, delivery productivity, affordability, perceived health impacts, and community well-being. The study combines surveys, policy analysis, and policy evaluation methods to generate evidence for academic publications and practical policy recommendations.

Key Responsibilities

1. Literature Review and Policy Research

• Conduct literature reviews on public policy, green transition, urban governance, environmental policy, transport policy, labor issues, and social equity.
• Review and synthesize academic studies, policy documents, and reports from both international and Vietnam-specific contexts.
• Identify relevant theories, conceptual frameworks, research gaps, and empirical evidence to support research design and manuscript development.
• Prepare synthesis notes, literature matrices, annotated bibliographies, and reference lists for the research team.

2. Data Preparation and Analysis

• Support the preparation, cleaning, coding, management, and quality checking of research datasets, including survey, policy, administrative, and environmental data where relevant.
• Assist with variable construction, indicator development, composite measures, and survey-based scales for empirical analysis.
• Support quantitative analysis, including descriptive statistics, regression analysis, and policy evaluation methods where applicable, such as Difference-in-Differences, treatment/control group construction, pre-post comparison, subgroup analysis, and interpretation of policy effects.
• Prepare tables, figures, statistical outputs, and analytical notes for academic manuscripts, policy reports, and presentations.

3. Academic Writing and Research Communication

• Support the drafting, editing, formatting, citation checking, reference management, and submission preparation of academic manuscripts targeting Scopus-indexed journals.
• Contribute to the preparation of policy briefs, stakeholder reports, workshop materials, and research communication outputs.
• Assist the research team in responding to reviewer comments when needed.

Required Qualifications

Applicants should have:

• A background in Political Science, Economics, Public Policy, Public Administration, Development Studies, Sociology, Urban Studies, Environmental Policy, or a related social science discipline. A Master’s degree or current graduate-level training is preferred.
• Strong ability to read, synthesize, and write academic English.
• Good understanding of social science research methods and quantitative data analysis.
• Familiarity with at least one statistical software or programming language, such as Stata, R, Python, SPSS, or similar tools.
• Experience with survey data, policy analysis, literature review, or academic writing is an advantage.
• Familiarity with policy evaluation methods such as Difference-in-Differences or regression-based analysis is an advantage but not required.
• Strong attention to detail when working with research documents, datasets, references, and manuscript drafts.
• Ability to work independently, manage multiple tasks, and meet deadlines.
• Interest in green transition, urban governance, transport policy, environmental policy, public-sector reform, labor issues, or social equity.

Application Package

Applicants should submit:

• CV
• One writing sample

Please send your application to [email protected] with the subject line:

RA Application – E-Motorbike Transition Project – [Full Name]

We thank all applicants for their interest. Please note that only those candidates selected for interviews will be contacted.