Policy Research Fellow UNU-IIGH PSA (P3/P2)

About United Nations University

The United Nations University (UNU) is an international community of scholars engaged in policy-oriented research, capacity development and dissemination of knowledge, furthering the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations. UNU’s mission is to contribute, through research and capacity building, to efforts to resolve the pressing global problems that are the concern of the United Nations and its Member States.

For the past four decades, United Nations University (UNU) has been a go-to think tank for impartial research on human survival, conflict prevention, sustainable development and welfare. With more than 400 researchers in 12 countries, UNU’s work spans the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, generating policy-relevant knowledge to effect positive global change. UNU maintains more than 200 collaborations with UN agencies and leading universities and research institutions across the globe. For more information, please visit http://unu.edu.

About the Institute (UNU-IIGH, Kuala Lumpur)

UNU-International Institute for Global Health is one of 14 research and training Institutes that comprise the think tanks in the UNU system. UNU-IIGH was established in 2005 with the mission to advance evidence-based policy on key issues related to sustainable development and global health. UNU-IIGH aims to build knowledge and capacity for decision-making by UN agencies, UN programmes and Member States towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. Leveraging its position within the UN, UNU-IIGH works with a network of academic, policy and civil society experts to serve as a platform for critical thinking and exchange of knowledge and tools for policy influence and consensus-building. For more information, please visit http://unu.edu/iigh. 

The position

UNU-IIGH’s research interrogates power and gender asymmetries that lead to inequitable and unjust health outcomes in (a) the system of global health governance (b) gendered health systems, (c) digital health security and governance, and (d) climate emergencies and just transitions. We seek to catalyse equitable and effective health policies and practices by engaging with a wide array of actors, including governments, multilateral fora, academia, and civil society.

We seek four individuals, one for each work package, who have theoretical and practical knowledge of the critical lenses that we use in our work such as (a) power, (b) feminism (c) intersectionality and (d) decoloniality, and who are able to contextualize these dynamics in global health practice. Candidates with experience in translating knowledge to policy, with ability to work inter-disciplinarily, and to engage with key global actors at different levels will be preferred. Each candidate will report to the Policy Research Lead for the work package he/she/they are selected for.

Responsibilities

Working on selected projects within the relevant work package, the Policy Research Fellow will:

• Generate and help disseminate policy-relevant research
• Provide administrative and managerial input into the successful implementation of research and policy engagement activities
• Build and manage partnerships with external researchers and partners
• Produce specified outputs to the required standard of quality and within the timeline and budget parameters
• Contribute to capacity-building, and knowledge translation
• Contribute to resource mobilization related to the work package
• Participate in international research, policy and outreach events
• Help supervise and mentor policy research associates, PhD students, junior researchers, interns; and
• Perform any other tasks as assigned by the Director or Research Leads

Competencies

Values:

• Inclusion - Take action to create an environment of dignity and respect for all, regardless of age, culture, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, gender expression, geography, grade, language, nationality, racial identity, religion, sex, sex characteristics, sexual orientation, social origin or any other aspect of identity.
• Integrity - Act ethically, demonstrating the standards of conduct of the United Nations and taking prompt action in case of witnessing unprofessional or unethical behaviour, or any other breach of UN standards.
• Humility - Demonstrate self-awareness and willingness to learn from others.
• Humanity - Act according to the purposes of the United Nations: peace, dignity and equality on a healthy planet.

Behaviours:

• Connect and Collaborate - Build positive relationships with others to advance the work of the United Nations and work coherently as One UN
• Analyse and Plan - Seek out and use data from a wide range of sources to understand problems, inform decision-making, propose evidence-based solutions and plan action
• Deliver Results with Positive Impact - Hold oneself and others accountable for delivering results and making a positive difference to the people and causes that the United Nations serves
• Learn and Develop - Pursue own learning and development and contribute to the learning and development of others
• Adapt and Innovate - Demonstrate flexibility, agility and the ability to think and act in novel ways