Research Associate – TaRL follow-up feasibility pilot - J-PAL South Asia

About J-PAL South Asia

The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) J-PAL was established in 2003 as a research center at the Economics Department at MIT. Since then, it has grown into a global network of researchers who use randomized evaluations to answer critical policy questions in the fight against poverty. J-PAL is propelled by a first-rate team dedicated to research, policy, training, and other vital work, supporting J-PAL's mission to reduce poverty by ensuring that policy is informed by scientific evidence.

J-PAL South Asia, based at the Institute for Financial Management and Research (IFMR) in Chennai, leads J-PAL’s efforts to advance evidence-informed policymaking in the region. By conducting rigorous randomized evaluations, forging impactful strategic partnerships, and scaling effective programs, we strive to deliver better evidence to help governments design better policies so people can live better lives. Established in 2007, J-PAL South Asia is the oldest and the largest among all J-PAL offices. We have 255 ongoing and completed evaluations in the South Asia region across 11 sectors to date. We have a growing number of partnerships in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.

Project description

With the rapid increase in the use of RCTs to measure the short-term impact of education programs over the last 20 years, it should now be possible to start to measure longer-term impacts on adult outcomes, including employment and earnings. We have identified the UP Learning Camps study with the potential for long-term tracking.

This long-term tracking survey will be undertaken in two phases with the 2nd phase initiated based on the success of the first phase.

Phase 1: A key concern for the follow-up is the ability to find all the sample students from the original RCT conduct in 2013-14. To access whether we can track the sample students, we plan to conduct a small “tracing” pilot across purposively sampled villages. The first step of phase 1 will involve review of existing data to determine accessibility of all study sites and identify suitable sites to conduct the pilot tracing exercise. In the second stage of the exercise, trained enumerators will visit schools, panchayat houses and interact with key personnel to aid in tracing of students. Once the enumerator has identified the respondent, they will ask a few questions to confirm the identity of the respondent and collect contact information.

Phase 2: If the phase 1 is successful in tracing a large number of respondents, a larger follow-up survey would be commissioned where respondents will be surveyed on a large variety of topics. The details of the questionnaire will be decided upon later.

At this time, we plan to only conduct phase 1 and this is reflected in the RA roles and responsibilities.

About the role

J-PAL South Asia is inviting expressions of interest for upcoming Research Associate (RA) positions across a variety of sectors and geographies. RAs at J-PAL play a central role in managing the implementation of randomized evaluations, working closely with researchers from leading Universities around the world, ensuring that each evaluation is designed and implemented with precision and rigor.

Key responsibilities

The responsibilities of a Research Associate typically include, but are not limited to:

• Supporting researchers in developing and refining study protocols through in-field scoping activities. You will provide contextual and operational insights to help researchers shape experimental protocols that are methodologically rigorous and feasible within the study setting.
• Strengthening measurement validity and reliability by assisting in the development and piloting of survey instruments. You will be responsible for organizing field tests, analyzing pilot data, and integrating structured feedback loops to improve the precision and accuracy of indicators.
• Enable accurate and efficient data capture through the programming of digital surveys and development of end-to-end data workflows. This includes incorporating survey logic, real-time checks, and secure data transmission to ensure clean, analysis-ready datasets.
• Ensuring collection of high-quality primary data—recruiting, training, and managing field teams to collect data that meets rigorous research standards.
• Safeguarding data integrity in consultation with the research team by setting up and maintaining systems for real-time quality monitoring. You will identify issues in incoming data, identify solutions in collaboration with the researchers, and implement corrective measures.
• Preparing analysis-ready datasets by writing reproducible code (in Stata, R, or Python), generating summary statistics, and contributing to the analytical preparation for publications, working closely with researchers.
• Facilitating alignment between research teams and implementation partners to ensure that project implementation aligns with study protocols. You will coordinate timelines, share updates across teams, and help troubleshoot day-to-day challenges while maintaining strong working relationships with external stakeholders.
• Ensuring transparency and reproducibility by developing and maintaining detailed documentation, including codebooks, field protocols, and project logs that align with academic standards and support eventual replication and publication.
• Maintaining strict adherence to J-PAL’s research protocols throughout all stages of the research lifecycle.

What we’re looking for:

• Strong problem-solving skills and a proactive approach to addressing operational and analytical challenges
• Ability to manage day-to-day work with minimal supervision
• Excellent time management and attention to detail
• Ability to navigate fast-evolving settings that require flexibility and initiative
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to adapt messaging for diverse audiences

Required knowledge and skills

• A Bachelor's/Master’s degree in economics, sociology, social sciences, public policy, public health or related fields.
• Sound understanding of impact evaluation methods, especially randomized controlled trials (RCTs)
• Experience in field data collection required
• Proficiency in data analysis and statistical tools such as Stata or R
• Experience with digital data collection platforms such as SurveyCTO or Qualtrics
• Fluency in English and Hindi
• Willingness to travel extensively and stay in field locations
• Experience working with external stakeholders such as government departments or NGOs is a plus.

Note on work authorizations

Candidates must have work authorization to work in India.

Length of commitment: 6 months, with scope for extension if Phase 2 is initiated.

Location: Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh

PIs: Harini Kannan (J-PAL South Asia).