Research Assistant - Internship : University of Oxford

University of Oxford
Position: Research Assistant - Internship

Research field: Improved Governance for Community-based Natural Resources Management, Tanzania

1. Background

PhD Project title: ‘Deliberative participation in Community-based Natural Resources Management – Does it lead to improved conservation and development outcomes? Field experiments from Tanzania’

This PhD project assesses whether the deliberative (i.e. discussion-based) participation of local stakeholder groups in the decision-making process is correlated with the improved quality, equity, and legitimacy of decisions for the collective management of local natural resources. This relationship is assessed through a field experiment consisting of focus group discussions and survey questionnaires carried out in southern Tanzania. 

2. Duties and responsibilities

Under the supervision of the PhD candidate, Research Assistants will collaborate at the following tasks:

- Testing a Coding Scheme for Content Analysis
- Coding video-recorded and transcribed Focus Group Discussions
- Other project-related tasks that may arise

3. Training 

Research Assistants will receive training by the PhD candidate in the following: 

Theoretical training

- Community Based Natural Resources Management (CB-NRM): goals, outcomes, shortcomings 
- Participatory decision making: Deliberative Democratic Theory
- Material used in the experiment: Guidelines for ‘Workshop on Participatory Decision-Making’; Guidelines for ‘Facilitation of Participatory Group Discussions’
- Ethics of research involving human beings

Practical training

- Development and testing a Coding Scheme for Content Analysis
- Coding video-recorded and transcribed Focus Group Discussions
- Understanding transcription conventions
- Using NVivo10 software

Successful candidates will be required to undertake a 1-week preparation by reading material provided by the PhD candidate, prior to the beginning of the collaboration.

4. Qualifications and skills

Applicants with the following qualifications and skills will be considered for this position:

- Language: Excellent English communication skills. 
- Education: Bachelor/Master degree in one of the following subject areas: Political sciences; Philosophy; Anthropology; Communication Studies; Sociology; Development studies; Environmental policy; Development/Ecological economics; Public administration; Linguistics and Literature. 
- IT: Knowledge of MS Windows, Word, Excel. 

- Skills: The candidate must be capable of engaging in conceptual work and of paying attention to details. The candidate should possess excellent team-work skills, strong work ethics, and should be dependable and target-oriented.
- Other: A genuine interest in and commitment towards the topics and goals of the project, and a strong desire to learn, are fundamental for this internship. 

5. Location 

The internship will take place at the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU) of the University of Oxford, which is located in Tubney, Oxfordshire. 

6. Period 

The internship will take place for a period of three months, in January-April 2015. Exact start dates will be communicated to successful candidates after the interview. 

This is a full-time position; the Research Assistant will work Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5:30pm, with 1 hour lunch break. 

7. Compensation 

The Research Assistant will be provided with: 

- Accommodation within WildCRU’s premises at Tubney House, Tubney, Oxfordshire. Accommodation will consist of a bedroom, shared kitchen, shared bathroom, a common room, and a garden. The bedroom may be shared by two Research Assistants of the same sex.
- Refund of food and transport expenses within the UK up to £500 per month, upon presentation of valid receipts.

8. Mode of application

Please send to giulia.wegner@pmb.ox.ac.uk (quote: Internship position, CBNRM Governance):

• A brief email indicating why you are interested in working for this research project 
• Curriculum Vitae
• Contact details of two referees
• E-mail address and phone number

Deadline for application: 22nd December 2014.
Interview dates: Late December 2014 and early January 2015. 

Organization’s profile

Part of the University of Oxford, The Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU) is a pioneering, inter-disciplinary research unit in a world-class academic centre. The mission of the WildCRU is to achieve practical solutions to conservation problems through original scientific research. Our research is used worldwide to advise environmental policy-makers. Our approach is empirical, interdisciplinary and collaborative.