Associate Project Officer- Research

JOB DETAILS Type of contract : Service Contract Level : SC8 Hiring Unit : Education Sector (ED) Duty Station : New Delhi Work location : On site Duration of contract : 12 months Hiring open to : External candidates Application deadline (Midnight India Standard Time -IST) : 30/06/2026 UNESCO Core Values: Commitment to the Organization, Integrity, Respect for Diversity, Professionalism Duration of Contract is one (1) year, with the possibility of an extension subject to the availability of funds and satisfactory performance. Only Indian Nationals are eligible to apply for this position.ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT The UNESCO Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development (UNESCO MGIEP) is UNESCO’s Category 1 research institute in the Asia-Pacific region, dedicated to achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4.7, i.e., education for building peaceful and sustainable societies. One of the ways the Institute advances this goal is by promoting Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) to nurture peaceful mindsets. Through a range of programs and online courses, MGIEP strives to strengthen core Social and Emotional Competencies (SECs), such as empathy, mindfulness, compassion, and critical inquiry, among teachers, students, and young people. In keeping with its mandate to mainstream SEL in education systems, MGIEP continues to generate research and evidence to inform policy and practice on SEL for learning, peace, global citizenship and sustainable development. To support this work, MGIEP seeks to recruit a technically competent and motivated researcher at the master’s level with demonstrated interest in social and emotional learning and education research. The role will contribute to advancing research on SEL in both formal and informal learning environments, including classrooms as well as virtual and physical learning spaces, and in the design of novel teacher capacity building programs, in alignment with the institute's mid-term strategy.Long Description The selected candidate should have academic training and/or experience in one or more of the following areas: (a) research design and methods in education and/or SEL; (b) innovative approaches to measurement and assessment of social and emotional competencies; (c) early childhood development and skill acquisition; (d) psychology of behavioural change and learning across contexts; and (e) cognitive science of learning across social, emotional and cognitive domains. Under the overall authority of the Director of the Institute and the direct supervision of the Sr. National Project Officer (Research), the incumbent will serve as Associate Project Officer (Research) and work in close collaboration with the Associate National Project officer and other team members within the larger teams. The role will support the design, development and implementation of research programmes related to SEL for learning and the cultivation of social and emotional competencies for peace and sustainability, with particular focus on early childhood and the development and validation of novel SEL assessment approaches.MAIN TASKS AND SERVICES The incumbent will carry out the following tasks and responsibilities: Review and synthesize the latest research and evidence across programme domains related to SEL, early childhood, education, global citizenship, peace and sustainable development. Contribute to the design of research studies that strengthen the role of SEL in advancing Sustainable Development Goal 4.7, with a focus on K–12 learners and teachers. In collaboration with Associate National Project officer and other team members, support the analysis of research data and demonstrate willingness to develop advanced analytical skills. Demonstrate statistical knowledge and data analysis proficiency using tools such as R, Python or similar programming languages. Assist in designing and implementing online experimental and assessment tasks using platforms such as Pavlovia and related tools.