Job Description

Job Title: Research Assistant (Educational Research)
Unit: Educational Development and Quality Center (EDQC)
Institution: University of Global Health Equity (UGHE)
Reports To: Chair, EDQC
Contract Type: Full-Time Fixed-Term Contract
Duration: One Year

The Research Assistant (RA) will support the Educational Development and Quality Center (EDQC) in strengthening its educational research and scholarship portfolio in health professions education (HPE), competency-based education, mentorship, academic leadership, and quality assurance in medical and health professions education.

Working under the supervision of the Chair of EDQC, the RA will contribute to institutional research initiatives, scholarly publications, and academic dissemination activities. The role includes conducting literature reviews, supporting research design and implementation, managing research data, contributing to analysis and interpretation of findings, and assisting in manuscript preparation and conference dissemination.

This position offers an opportunity to engage in collaborative educational research initiatives that contribute to advancing evidence-based educational innovation at UGHE and within regional and global academic networks.

Key Responsibilities

1. Literature Review and Evidence Synthesis

• Conduct structured literature reviews in priority research areas including health professions education, competency-based education, mentorship, faculty development, and quality assurance.
• Develop annotated bibliographies and evidence of summaries to support research projects.
• Assist in developing conceptual and theoretical frameworks for research studies.
• Contribute to drafting background and literature review sections of manuscripts, reports, and research proposals.

2. Research Design and Protocol Development

• Support the development of research protocols and methodological frameworks.
• Assist in developing research instruments such as surveys, interview guides, and Delphi questionnaires.
• Contribute to preparation of ethics and Institutional Review Board (IRB) submissions where required
• Assist in preparing research implementation plans and timelines.

3. Data Collection and Research Management

• Support quantitative and qualitative data collection activities.
• Organize, clean, and manage research datasets.
• Maintain secure documentation and version control for research materials.
• Prepare data dictionaries and research documentation.

4. Data Analysis and Interpretation

• Conduct preliminary quantitative analyses using tools such as Excel, SPSS, STATA, or R.
• Support qualitative coding and thematic analysis using NVivo or manual approaches.
• Develop summary tables, figures, and charts to present research findings.
• Contribute to interpretation of research findings aligned with study objectives

5. Manuscript Development and Scholarly Dissemination

• Assist in drafting, editing, and formatting manuscripts for peer-reviewed journals.
• Ensure referencing accuracy using recognized citation styles (Vancouver or APA).
• Support the preparation of conference abstracts, posters, and presentations.
• Track journal submission requirements and assist in coordinating manuscript submissions.

Expected Outputs

• Literature review briefs and evidence synthesis reports.
• Draft research protocols and data collection instruments.
• Organized datasets and supporting documentation.
• Analytical summaries including statistical tables or thematic analyses.
• Contributions to manuscript drafts and scholarly dissemination of outputs.

Required Qualifications

• Master’s degree (or final-year postgraduate student) in Health Professions Education, Public Health, Education Research, or related field.
• Demonstrated experience in academic writing and literature review.
• Familiarity with qualitative and/or quantitative research methods.
• Proficiency in Excel and at least one research analysis software (SPSS, STATA, R, or NVivo).
• Strong organizational and documentation skills
• Ability to work collaboratively in a multidisciplinary academic environment.

Professional Development and Supervision

The Research Assistant will receive structured mentorship and supervision to support professional growth in educational research and scholarship. This includes:

• Orientation and onboarding at the start of the appointment.
• Regular supervision meetings with the Chair of EDQC.
• Mentorship in research methods and academic writing.
• Opportunities to contribute to publications and conference presentations when contributions meet authorship criteria.
• Exposure collaborative educational research initiatives involving regional and international academic partners.

How to Apply

Applicants should provide: (1) curriculum vitae, (2) Degree, (3) A cover letter describing your interest in UGHE and relevant experience. Please upload these under the ‘Additional Files’ tab on the application page.

University of Global Health Equity is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Organizational Profile

UGHE is a new kind of university focused on training the next generation of global leaders in health care delivery. The university launched in Rwanda in September 2015. Through an academic experience uniquely rooted in the values of equity, students are empowered to both ease suffering at the bedside and drive transformational, systemic changes to the health system.

UGHE is an initiative of Partners In Health (PIH), an internationally recognized non-profit organization whose mission is to provide a preferential option for the poor in health care. In over nearly three decades of operating alongside public sectors in countries around the world, PIH has developed a model to deliver high quality healthcare to some of the world’s most marginalized communities. Nowhere has this impact been more profound than in Rwanda, where Inshuti Mu Buzima—PIH’s sister organization—and our government partners have driven innovation for a decade.

Members of the UGHE community are tenacious and resolute in our drive to attain social justice, make common cause with those in need, listen to and learn from others, and operate with honesty and humility as we uphold academic integrity and intellectual curiosity. The University of Global Health Equity seeks individuals committed to these values to join the team.

Commitment to Safeguarding and Prevention of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Sexual Harassment:

At UGHE, we are committed to ensuring that those who benefit from our work- including community members – as well as our students, contractors, staff, and visitors to our campus are treated with dignity and respect and protected from sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment and any form of systemic abuse, whilst reducing risk and vulnerabilities. A range of pre-employment checks will be undertaken in conformity with UGHE’s policy.

UGHE will request information from applicants’ previous employers about any findings of fraud, harassment, sexual harassment and any form of systemic abuse or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By applying, the job applicant confirms their understanding of these recruitment procedures.