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POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIPS
INVITATION TO APPLY
The Asian MetaCentre for Population and Sustainable Development Analysis, Asia Research Institute (ARI), National University of Singapore (NUS), invites applications for a Postdoctoral Fellow to work on a research project entitled CHAMPSEA: Transnational Migration in South-East Asia and the Health of Children Left Behind. The position will be based in Singapore.
AREA OF EXPERTISE
The successful candidate will be someone who holds a PhD degree (or is awaiting conferment) and has research interests in a relevant area of the social sciences (e.g. Migration Studies, Health Studies, Anthropology, Sociology or Geography).
He/she should have research experience in the area of migration and health, preferably in an Asian context, and will be expected to co-ordinate the next stage of field work in four study countries (Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam). The candidate will join an international team of researchers at a crucial stage of the project when the first round of data collection has been completed.
The candidate should also possess the following skills/qualities:
- Good project management, team-building skills and aptitude for working in a Southeast Asian context.
- A willingness to play a co-ordinating role in the collection of qualitative data from the four study countries.
- Some experience in using qualitative data analysis software such as NVivo.
The ability to speak or understand one of the following Southeast Asian languages - Thai, Indonesian or Vietnamese - although not necessary, will be an advantage.
ABOUT THE RESEARCH PROJECT
CHAMPSEA: Child Health and Migrant Parents in South-East Asia
Some countries in South-East Asia are said to be facing a crisis of care as an increasing number of citizens seek employment abroad, leaving behind older people and children. We are currently witnessing a feminization of such transnational migrant flows in response to rising demands for care workers in more developed countries. However, beyond a defacto increase in dependency ratios in the sending countries, very little is known about the impact of the migrant’s absence on those left behind, especially the vulnerable old and the dependent young. Remittances from workers abroad are important to many economies in the region but it is imperative to know more about the costs, as well as the benefits, of transnational migration if effective policies are to be developed to avert the anticipated crisis of care. This research project will be the first to undertake a systematic investigation across four South-East Asian countries (Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam,) of the impact of parental migration on children left behind. Its results are expected to be of international significance.
This project, which began in 2007, is examining health and welfare outcomes, in the four study countries, for children under 12 years of age left behind when their father and/or mother became a transnational migrant. Primary cross-sectional data is being collected from both migrant and non-migrant households across sampled communities and includes anthropometric measurements, validated health measures (e.g. SDQ) and wellbeing measures. Multivariate techniques (logistic or multinomial regression) will be used to build a series of models incorporating contextual and individual independent variables and designed to test five important hypotheses. In sum, these formalize expectations that the health and well-being of left-behind children is positively associated with father’s absence, and (for physical health) with mother’s absence under certain conditions, but (for mental health/well-being) negatively associated with mother’s absence. Child age and gender and country/local community characteristics are expected to influence outcomes, once other independent variables are taken into account.
In the next stage of data collection, scheduled for 2009, selected qualitative interviews will be conducted to provide an in-depth insight into issues raised and aid the interpretation of quantitative findings. Our key goals are to: 1) establish systematic associations between parental absence and child health/well-being; 2) provide a basis for future longitudinal analysis on an under-researched topic; 3) contribute to an evidence base for policy development.
THE RESEARCH TEAM
The research is led by joint Principal Investigators, Professor Brenda YEOH (NUS) and Dr Elspeth GRAHAM (University of St Andrews, UK) who have experience of working in the region and expertise in social and health geography. Professor Paul BOYLE (St Andrews), Dr CHEE Heng Leng (ARI) and Associate Professor WONG Mee Lian (NUS) are co-investigators, bringing expertise in population and health geography, public health and community medicine. In addition, four country representatives from the Centre for Population and Policy Studies, Gadjah Mada University, Indonesia; the Scalabrini Migration Center, The Philippines; the Institute of Population and Social Research, Mahidol University, Thailand and the Social Development Program, Asia-Pacific Center of Hanoi (VAPEC Hanoi), Vietnam, are collaborators on the project. The in-country collaborators will manage the local field work in each of the four study countries. Statistical advice and data base design is provided by the Statistical Service, University of Reading, UK. The successful candidate will work closely with Dr Lucy Jordan, a postdoctoral researcher based at the University of St Andrews, UK, who will undertake the modelling for the quantitative analysis.
ABOUT THE ASIAN METACENTRE
The MetaCentre was established in February 2000 as a consortium of population studies centres in Asia, with its headquarters at the Asia Research Institute, NUS. It is the result of a successful application under the Wellcome Trust’s “Major Awards for Centres of Excellence in Asia”.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
The terms and conditions* for the Asian MetaCentre Postdoctoral Fellowship (AMC-PDF) are as follows:
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Contract tenable for 18 months, commencing within the third or fourth quarter of 2008, to be awarded on a competitive basis to deserving candidates.
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A stipend of S$4,000 per month.
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An allowance of S$500 a month as contribution towards housing expenses for non-Singaporeans and their spouses who do not own any property in Singapore and whose spouses are not in receipt of any form of housing benefits from their Singapore employers.
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Provident fund benefits for Singapore citizens and permanent residents.
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Travel Assistance, payable once only, of S$2,000 for non-Singapore citizens and permanent residents who are recruited from overseas.
The above travel assistance is a contribution towards expenses incurred by the appointee in re-locating to Singapore. Such expenses refer to costs for travel, packing, transportation and insurance of personal and professional effects as well as settling-in expenses. No other allowances will be payable.
The travel allowance is also contingent upon the Postdoctoral Fellow's completion of his/her initial one-year contract. In the event that the appointee does not fulfill the initial one-year contract, the appointee shall be liable to refund the University a proportionate amount of the travel assistance granted to him/her on appointment.
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Foreign PDFs who are granted Singapore Permanent Residence will continue to receive an allowance of S$500 a month as contribution towards housing expenses. The allowance will cease once they acquire Singapore citizenship.
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Medical benefits in accordance with the 2007 Medical Benefits Scheme.
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Vacation leave of 28 days per calendar year.
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Limited conference funding support will be available for each term of appointment, following normal approval procedures, to present research papers in local and overseas conferences.
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Three months’ notice for termination or salary in lieu of notice.
*Terms and conditions, according to university guidelines, are subject to change without prior notice .
APPLICATION
Interested scholars should submit the following by 15 July 2008:
- An application form [click here]
- Curriculum vitae, with complete list of publications
- Academic certificates and transcripts
- At least one sample of their published work (non-returnable)
- A write-up, no more than 800 words, explaining the candidate’s past research experience and aptitude in relation to the research project.
In addition, please arrange for at least 3 referees, one of whom should be the PhD supervisor, to submit a confidential report on their academic standing and research directly to the Asian MetaCentre. The referee reports should also reach us by 15 July 2008.
to:
Principal Investigator
c/o Ms Theodora Lam
Asian MetaCentre for Population and Sustainable Development Analysis
Asia Research Institute
National University of Singapore, Bukit Timah Campus
469A Tower Block
#10-01, Bukit Timah Road,
Singapore 259770
Fax: +65 6779 1428
Email: popnasia@nus.edu.sg
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