Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), New Delhi
Research Intern – Agricultural research & crop residue burning

Terms of Reference

At CEEW, we are deliberate about what we stand for (and what we don’t stand for!) as an employer. So, if the below description strikes a chord, we would love to hear from you!

We are proud to build careers in public policy and social impact.

• We offer strong visionary leadership – with emphasis on research and impact at scale​
• We actively promote leadership by initiative​
• We celebrate talent and ambition​
• You will be surrounded by smart ambitious people who will challenge you and help you grow​
• You will learn faster than your peers in other organisations​
• Curiosity and irreverence, as well as responsibility, come together at CEEW​
• You will get above-market remuneration​
• We provide a safe space for all​
• At CEEW, your life is your example for others​

Position offered Research Intern – Agricultural research & crop residue burning

Reporting to Programme Associate

Location New Delhi, India

Duration 6 Months, starting July 2022 

Purpose

Millions of people living in the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) bear the brunt of decades-old stubble burning practice in Northern India. It is evident that the crop residue burning problem requires both short-term management through existing solutions and long-term policies to support crop diversification.

The Risks and Adaptation team seeks to hire a Research Intern in the Air Quality team to expand its capacity to collect, analyse and interpret data in the area of crop residue burning and sustainable agriculture in Northern India. The successful applicant will assist the team members in undertaking data collection and analysis, conducting literature reviews, extensive field research, stakeholder engagement, robust quantitative and qualitative analysis. In addition to the duties and responsibilities outlined below, the Research Intern should be prepared, as and when necessary, to take on additional responsibilities and respond to events and developments that cannot be anticipated easily.

Job Duties and Accountabilities

Research

• Regularly track policy measures taken by the government and their implementation status that connects sustainable agriculture and air quality in India and globally.
• Identify and review the literature to identify research gaps, and develop research questions and methodologies.
• Develop, execute and monitor primary surveys.
• Travel to field sites, whenever necessary, to conduct fieldwork including focus group discussions, interviews, meetings, training, or gather primary information
• Independently carry out quantitative and qualitative data analysis on primary or secondary data on agricultural issues in North-western states of India, with a special focus in Punjab.
• Contribute to presenting the analyses in a coherent narrative in different formats such as journal publications, reports, op-ed articles, dissemination, and consultation meetings.

Programme assistance

• Support senior team members in mapping relevant government and non-government stakeholders and developing engagement strategies.
• Participate in relevant conferences, workshops, training programmes for a comprehensive understanding of developments relevant to the agriculture and air quality sector
• Support senior team members for important meetings and sessions, prepare notes, and conduct follow-ups, as required
• Participate in weekly team meetings and assist with preparing minutes and chairing the weekly meetings.
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Shortlisting Criteria

Education

• Bachelor’s/Master’s degree with a specialisation in Agricultural Economics, Agri-business management, or related field.
• Familiarity with Punjab’s contribution to India’s agriculture sector, the state’s agricultural policy framework, and crop residue management is desirable

Main Skills

• Must be proficient in Hindi and English, proficiency in Punjabi will be preferred
• Must have strong communication skills for effective, efficient, and adaptive verbal and written communication, and active listening
• Experience in using statistical software – R/Stata/Python
• Must have strong research skills – the capability to carry out a systematic literature review, familiarity with research methods is a bonus

Personality

• Willingness to learn new (research and project management) skills.
• Ability to adapt to the new environment and deliver under tight deadlines in a professional environment.
• Striving for rigour in research and quality in work output.
• Ability to effectively work in a team while being able to independently drive research with minimum assistance, when time demands.
• Ability to dig deeper into details, while also keeping a sense of the broader objectives and big picture.
• Willingness to learn, grow and develop at personal and professional front, at a rapid pace with a steep learning curve.
• Ability to work in an interdisciplinary and multicultural environment.

CEEW operates in a dynamic environment and the candidate will be required to show flexibility in undertaking a variety of tasks.

Compensation

Competitive compensation – commensurate to the experience and matching the best of standards adopted by industry or other similar organizations for similar roles.

Application Process

CEEW is an equal opportunity employer and the selection process does not discriminate on the basis of age, gender, ethnicity, religion, or caste. Female candidates are encouraged to apply.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Interested applicants are advised to apply at the earliest possible.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. We appreciate your interest.