PhD RESEARCH INTERN

Introduction

RIA’s vision is to contribute to a prosperous, healthy and just society that uses research evidence to improve the quality of life of a people who are all well informed, actively engaged and passionate about civic matters/public policy.

RIA is a cross cutting programme that seeks to extend and enhance the use and impact of scientific research and manage the HSRC’s relationships, reputation and brand. We add value to the core business of the HSRC which is to conduct basic and applied research, inform public debate, and provide evidence-based policy advice. As knowledge brokers – researchers and practitioners– we work at the nexus of policy development, programme implementation and social action.

RIA consists of the following sections: Science Communication, Implementation Science & Data Analytics, Policy & Research Impact, and Research Communication.

As part of developing the required capacity to achieve its mission, RIA wishes to appoint suitable candidates to the following positions:

Job Functions

Intern

Industries

Research

Specification

For these three PhD research internship positions we are seeking applicants with competencies and research interests in one or more of the following areas – quantitative data analysis, digital media and platforms, evaluation studies, knowledge systems and migration. The internship experience is intensive and is suited for self-driven emerging scholars who are able to work as part of larger teams. The appointed interns will be provided with pertinent training and will gain research experience whilst completing their PhD degree.

Key Responsibilities:
In addition to completing their degrees, research interns are required to participate in all aspects of the research process as they work on research projects. Among other duties, they will participate in the following activities under supervision:

• The conceptualisation of projects;
• The formulation of research questions and writing of funding proposals;
• The submission of research proposals for ethical review;
• Implementation of research projects and policy dialogues;
• Collection and analysis of data;
• Write-up of research findings including research reports, conference presentations, policy briefs, and manuscripts for journal publication;
• Assist with project management and administration.

Requirements

Key Requirements:

• Applicants for the PhD internship must have graduated with a Master’s degree and be eligible to register or have recently registered for a PhD in the Social Sciences, Humanities or a relevant related field;
• Candidates must have an interest in practices and research that seeks to enhance the use and impact of scientific research;
• Computer literacy including MS Office and appropriate statistical packages;
• Good planning and organisational skills, including the ability to working well under pressure;
• Good communication skills (verbal as well as report writing);
• A sound conceptual grounding in a discipline and in qualitative or quantitative research methods;
• Applicants must be South African citizens or citizens of another African country, and already registered at a South African tertiary institution.
• Given the planned increase in research collaborations in the SADC region an ability to speak or an interest in learning either Kiswahili or Portuguese will be an additional recommendation for appointment.

APPLICATIONS

In your application, please include:
(1) a one-page letter of motivation indicating your suitability for the position; (2) your CV, that indicates your nationality, citizenship or residency status, and expected date of submission of your dissertation; (3) published article in an academic journal or a writing sample, as well as a one-page outline of your PhD thesis; and (4) the details of three recent referees with telephone, fax or e-mail contact details.

Please indicate the relevant reference number that appears in this advert. The HSRC will only consider applications that include the above requirements. Applicants will be required to undertake a written exercise in the competencies required for the position. The HSRC is committed to accelerating the proportion of its researchers who are black, female or disabled.

Please submit your application on-line at http://hsrc.jb.skillsmapafrica.com. For enquiries (and not applications) contact Dr Temba Masilela tmasilela@hsrc.ac.za (Pretoria)

For further information please consult the HSRC website. Details of the HSRC can be found on the website (www.hsrc.ac.za).

Closing date: 2 May 2018. We encourage applicants to submit before that date.

If you do not receive any response from us within eight weeks, please accept that your application was unsuccessful. Only candidates who are interviewed will be advised of the outcome of their application.

The HSRC Reserves the right not to make an appointment

APPLICATIONS FROM RECRUITMENT AGENCIES WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED