Research Assistant

Job summary

The Research Assistant will conduct primary research on the political economy of China and the Indo-Pacific, focusing on critical minerals and supply chain resilience. Duties include analyzing trade data, supporting field research, and maintaining research databases.

Job details

Posting Reason: New Position Location where work is to be performed: Main Campus Session: 2026 Fall Semester | Trimestre d'automne Faculty: Faculté des sciences sociales / Faculty of Social Sciences Unit: École d'études politiques_Pascale Massot_JM Job Classification: Research Assistant (CUPE) Posting Type: Recherche / Research Course Title: N/A Course Code: N/A Section: Supervisor name (if known): Date Posted (YYYY/MM/DD): 2026/10/16 Applications must be received BEFORE (YYYY/MM/DD): 2026/10/29 Description of tasks (hours): Unless specified below, specific allocation of hours to various tasks should be articulated in a description of work negotiated and signed by you and the supervising professor prior to the commencement of work. Recherche / Research:0 Préparation / Preparation:0 Contact avec étudiants / Contact with Students:0 Correction - Notation / Grading:0 Surveillance / Proctoring:0 Formation / Training:0 Autre / Other:0 Number of positions: 1 Expected Enrolment: N/A Work Start Date: November 01, 2026 Work End Date: December 22, 2026 Total Work Hours: 120 Hourly Rate: AE-RA-Tuteur / TA-RA-Tutor : $33.83 ou/or $53.31 (Sept. 2026 - Aug. 2027) Undergraduate students will be paid at the lower rate; while graduate students will be paid at the higher rate. These rates do not include vacation pay nor statutory pay. Method of Delivery: N/A Language of Work: Anglais | English, Français | French Requirements and Nature of Work: Nature of Work: Research assistance in the political economy of China and the Indo-Pacific region, including concerning critical minerals value chains and supply chain resilience. Duties include primary research in Mandarin Chinese and English languages, collecting, organizing, and analyzing commercial and trade data on global value chains, academic and policy literature analysis, field research support in Canada and the Indo-Pacific for the PI, as well as building and maintaining research databases. Qualifications: Enrolment in a graduate program in political science, with a background in comparative politics or international relations or a related field. Knowledge of the mining industry and critical minerals markets. Advanced proficiency in Mandarin (spoken, reading, and writing). Ability to read academic publications in Mandarin Chinese. Experience in research and data analysis. High organizational capacity (events, field research preparation, etc.). Additional Information and/or Comments: All University of Ottawa employees are required under provincial law to successfully complete all mandatory legislated training offered by the University. The list of training requirements may be modified by provincial law. If you are invited to continue the selection process, please notify us of any particular adaptive measures you might require. We may consult with the Health and Wellness sector of Human Resources, if needed. Any information you send us will be handled respectfully and in complete confidence. The hiring process will be governed by the current CUPE 2626 collective agreement; you can click here to find out more. The University of Ottawa embraces diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We are passionate about our people and committed to employment equity. We foster a culture of respect, teamwork and inclusion, where collaboration, innovation, and creativity fuel our quest for research and teaching excellence. While all qualified persons are invited to apply, we welcome applications from qualified Indigenous persons, racialized persons, persons with disabilities, women and LGBTQIA2S+ persons. The University is committed to creating and maintaining an accessible, barrier-free work environment. The University is also committed to working with applicants with disabilities requesting accommodation during the recruitment, assessment and selection processes. Applicants with disabilities may contact the academic unit to communicate the accommodation need. Prior to May 1, 2022, the University required all students, faculty, staff, and visitors (including contractors) to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 as defined in Policy 129 – Covid-19 Vaccination. This policy was suspended effective May 1, 2022 but may be reinstated at any point in the future depending on public health guidelines and the recommendations of experts.

What you’ll do

The Research Assistant will conduct primary research on the political economy of China and the Indo-Pacific, focusing on critical minerals and supply chain resilience. Duties include analyzing trade data, supporting field research, and maintaining research databases.

Requirements

Candidates must be enrolled in a graduate program in political science or a related field with a background in comparative politics or international relations. Advanced proficiency in Mandarin Chinese and knowledge of critical minerals markets are required.

Listed skills

• Data analysis · Preferred

Other relevant skills

Identified from the job description. Confirm important requirements above.

• Political economy
• Mandarin Chinese
• Data analysis
• Research databases
• Trade data analysis
• Policy literature analysis
• Comparative politics
• International relations
• Mining industry knowledge
• Critical minerals markets
• Field research support
• Organizational capacity
• Employment Equity
• Workplace Inclusivity
• Supply Chain
• Political Economy
• Resilience
• Research
• Data Analysis
• Teaching
• Creativity
• English Language
• French Language
• Innovation
• International Relations
• Political Sciences
• Primary Research
• Social Sciences
• Writing
• Teamwork

Job areas

• Science & Research
• Education
• Government & Public Sector
• Research Assistant
• Survey and Market Research Interviewers
• Social Science Research Assistants

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