Researcher - Digital Technology & SDGs (PSA contract)

About UN University (UNU)

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.

About UNU Institute in Macau (UNU Macau)

UNU Institute in Macau (UNU Macau) is one of 13 research and training Institutes that comprise the think tanks in the UNU system. UNU Macau is a research institute at the intersections of digital technology and sustainable development. The Institute conducts policy-relevant research and generates solutions, addressing pressing challenges expressed in the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development through high-impact innovations and the latest technologies. Through its research, the UNU Institute in Macau encourages data-driven and evidence-based actions and policies to contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

One of the Institute’s missions is to nurture the next generation of interdisciplinary computing, information and social scientists, and engineers to be leaders in the field of ICT for development. To this end, the institute seeks to build a team of experts to help deliver the institute’s mission and work plan. The Institute’s research tends to be more applied, and strives for policy impact in the UN system, at international, regional and national levels.

The UNU Institute in Macau is situated in the Macau Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China, and it is the only UN entity in the city. Macau is one of the most dynamic regions in Asia, where technological innovations have become an integral part in driving social and economic change. Macau is part of the Greater Bay Area (GBA), that hosts many private sector companies and technological giants that are just a short distance away. Its proximity to China, Hong Kong SAR and other Asian countries such as Japan, Korea, Thailand and Vietnam, provides an exciting opportunity for researchers and experts to maximize the impact of their work.

Responsibilities 

The research team consists of a dynamic and highly professional group of multi-disciplinary researchers from across the world. The research team works collaboratively to draft grant proposals and conduct research projects. The Institute has recently developed its Strategic Plan (2021-2025), where systems thinking, and participatory approaches are the two major pillars of the research portfolio (see https://go.unu.edu/DZBVR for details).

Researchers are expected to perform the following responsibilities under the guidance and direct supervision of the Head of Research and the Director of the Institute:

1. Implement the Institute’s Strategic Plan by achieving the following results:

• Develop research activities while aligning them with the research priorities set out in the Institute’s Strategic Plan (2021-2025); and
• Jointly develop research activities with the wider team in the Institute, striving for policy impact in the UN system, at international, regional and national levels.

2. Resource mobilization and grant management by achieving the following results:

• Contribute to research grant proposal writing in collaboration with other researchers, and collectively meet fundraising targets set out in the Institute strategic plan and benchmarks and indicators;
• Carry out grant research activities under the supervision of a Senior Researcher (Team Lead);
• Ensure grant requirements are fulfilled, and reports are submitted on time;
• Comply with donor agreements when using the grants; and
• Support the supervisor and Institute finance office on grant administration.

3. Exercise the highest professional and ethical standards when conducting research, and ensure high quality research outputs by achieving the following results:

• Receive Ethics Review Board (ERB)’s approval before conducting research;
• Draft and submit periodic reports on their research activities;
• Preparing descriptions of programme activities for various audiences;
• Create diverse written products related to the research projects or areas of expertise, such as academic papers in high-ranking peer-reviewed journals, blogs, op-eds, policy briefs, and UN reports; and
• Support the Communications team of the institute in providing outputs for social media and platforms.

4. As part of a research team, deliver high quality policy-relevant research by achieving the following results:

• Serve as a research project lead, when needed, to plan, develop, monitor and evaluate research activities;
• Supervise the project team and draft periodic reports; prepare descriptions of programme activities for various audiences and venues, as required; and
• Mentor junior team members and student researchers/interns if applicable.

5. Communicate research outcomes at academic conferences, and especially high-impact international venues (e.g. UN conferences) by achieving the following results:

• Explore and suggest academic conferences and events to present academic results; attend if approved;
• Contribute to the Institute’s publication/social media platforms to release academic achievements, such as to supply blog posts, journals, tweets, etc.

6. Conduct capacity-building activities; participate in Institute events by achieving the following results:

• Execute teaching responsibilities on behalf of UNU Macau when needed particularly for the learners and youth from the global south, and UN system colleagues; and
• Actively participate in and take initiatives to organize Institute events and conferences.

7.  Perform other tasks as assigned by the Head of Research or Director.

Key performance indicators

• Timely and quality implementation of the Institute’s strategy, research programmes, projects and workplans
• Timely and quality delivery on operational goals
• Timely and quality research publications
• Timely and quality delivery of inputs to curated fundraising opportunities
• Quality and level of engagement with partners, related networks and working groups
• UNU Macau is seen as a reliable and trustworthy partner by research partners, governments, donors, and civil society
• Performance of research team personnel; produces quality knowledge products

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