Research Fellow (Humanities & Social Studies Education Department) [NIE]

The National Institute of Education invites suitable applications for the position of Research Fellow on a 24-month contract at the Humanities & Social Studies Education Department.

Project Title: Projecting Urban Heatwaves and Building Resilience in Singapore and Southeast Asia

Project Introduction: A pivotal challenge confronted by Southeast Asia (SEA) is the intensification of urban heatwaves. During April-May 2023, SEA experienced the unprecedented ‘once-in-200-year’ heatwave, during which many countries set new temperature records of up to 49°C. In comparison to rural and natural land cover, urban areas typically exhibit temperatures 1 to 3°C higher due to the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect. This effect exacerbates heat stress during heatwaves, resulting in urban temperature increases ranging from 2 to 8°C. In SEA, urban expansion is anticipated to double or even triple by 2050 under fossil-fuelled development pathway. Meanwhile, the severity and frequency of heatwaves is being escalated in the context of global warming. Amidst these dynamics, the intertwining factors of a growing and ageing urban population add a complex layer to the region's risk and resilience landscape. The expanding urban population amplifies the vulnerability to heatwaves. Resilience, on the other hand, is challenged by the simultaneous ageing of the urban population. An ageing demographic potentially strains existing healthcare systems and support structures, making adaptive measures against urban heatwaves more intricate. In this evolving context, comprehensive risk assessment and tailored resilience strategies are imperative to navigate the complex interplay between rapid urbanisation, warming climate, and the associated escalating heatwave threats, as well as a growing and ageing urban population. Our proposal has three overarching goals. Firstly, we will build the physics-based and machine learning-based modelling systems to better understand the characteristics of SEA urban heatwaves. Secondly, based on the established modelling systems, we will provide quantitative prediction of the frequency-intensity-duration dimensions of SEA urban heatwaves in the future warming climate coupled with urban expansion using the established modelling systems. And thirdly, with projection of future heatwaves, we will conduct social science research to examine how heatwaves in the future would impact local communities. The integration of physics-based modelling and social science research is to facilitate resilience planning and policy making.

Requirements:

• Doctoral degree in areas related to geography, computing and/or information science

• Proficiency in numerical weather prediction models, remote sensing and statistics

• Proficiency in programming with Fortran and Python

• At least 1 year of working experience in academia

• Experience in academic report writing or paper publication

• Experience with geography fieldwork

• Able to work independently and possess strong follow-through skills

• A team player in a multi-cultural environment

• Strong communication and organization skills

• Strong analytical, problem-solving and writing skills

Responsibilities:

• Manage research project

• Liaise and work with research stakeholders and vendors

• Literature reviews to synthesize prior studies

• Propose, design, and implement appropriate research methodologies

• Remote sensing and field data collection, storage and archival

• Other general quantitative data analysis

• Writing of reports, publications, and presentation materials

• Planning and executing tasks to achieve key deliverables

• Administrative duties as assigned by Principal Investigators

Application

Applicants (external and internal) will apply via Workday. We regret that only shortlisted candidates will be notified.

Closing Date

Closing date for advertisements will be set to 14 calendar days from date of posting.