Job Description

Organization : J-PAL South Asia at IFMR Base Location: Chennai, India Project : Take-Up Project Length of Commitment : 1 year Education : Bachelor\'s / Master\'s degree in economics, or related disciplines is preferred Experience: Educational training or work experience in psychology domain is a plus(at least 1 year of experience in) Language requirement: Tamil preferred Principal Investigators : Frank Schilbach, Gautam Rao, Emily Breza, Kevin Carney About J-PAL : 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 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, the regional office which is based atthe Institute for Financial Management and Research (IFMR) in India,analyses and disseminates research results and builds partnerships with policymakers to ensure that policy is driven by evidence, and that programs proven effective are scaled up. We have a growing number of partnerships in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. For more information on J-PAL SA, please see . Project Description Depression and anxiety are among the leading causes of disability among adolescents (WHO, 2021). 50% of India\'s population is below 25 years of age, meaning a large part of the Indian population is at-risk or currently experiencing some form of mental illness, and making early intervention a particularly important health challenge. While mental health care supply constraints remain a challenge in low-income countries, studies show that even when mental health services are available, effective, and free-of-cost, many people do not seek treatment (Cronin et al. 2020, Thornicroft et al. 2021). The \'Barriers to Take-Up of Mental Health Treatment\' (MHT) project is a collaboration with the Schizophrenia Research Foundation (SCARF) in Chennai. It seeks to improve mental health outcomes from the demand side, using interventions that target the behavioural, relational, and societal barriers that keep young people from taking up mental health treatment. It provides an opportunity to gain first-hand experience in research design, program implementation and stakeholder management. This research team is headed by Frank Schilbach (MIT), Gautam Rao (Harvard University), Emily Breza (Harvard University), and Kevin Carney (University of Michigan), and is housed within the Behavioral Development Lab in J-PAL South Asia. Roles and Responsibilities: The Research Associate will work closely with PIs and the field team to undertake the following tasks: Work closely with PIs to develop the research design to be piloted and scaled to an RCT. Setting up and maintaining communication pathways with partner organizations. Overseeing implementation of the pilot/intervention activities in accordance with the research design, in association with our partner organization. Work closely with PIs to develop questionnaires and other intervention material. Design and lead data collection activities with support from the field team. Data cleaning and management Review and vet project datasets and maintain an efficient data documentation system. Work with other members of the team to reconcile any gaps or errors in the data. Data analysis and synthesis Assist in analysis of qualitative and quantitative data collected during the project\'s implementation. Liaise with members of the project team by sending them statistics as and when required. Generate aggregated views of the data for various stakeholders - the implementation partners, Principal Investigators and donors. Assist in documenting data collection efforts, including any issues and key decisions taken for improvements. Maintain compliance with all J-PAL protocols and policies. Assist in preparation of documents and presentations for donor reporting as well policy memos as dissemination activities Responsible for general project documentation Maintain compliance with all J-PAL protocols and policies Assist in preparation of documents and presentations for donor reporting as well policy memos as dissemination activities. Responsible for general project documentation Desired Qualifications and Experience: Master\'s degree in economics, psychology, engineering or related disciplines is preferred At least 1 year of work experience Familiarity with impact evaluations and randomized controlled trials is required Demonstrated ability to manage high-level relationships with partner organizations Excellent management and organizational skills along with strong quantitative skills Fluency in English and Tamil and strong communication skills are desired Flexible, self-motivating, able to manage multiple tasks efficiently, and a team player Willingness to live in Chennai Prior experience with field data collection Proficiency in STATA (or other tools such as R, Python etc.) is desired Note on Work Authorizations: Candidates must have work authorization to work in India

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