Research Associate - BetterHeart

Position: Research Associate

Project:  BetterHeart: Behavioral Science Strategies to Increase Hypertension Diagnosis and Treatment

Location: Andhra Pradesh

Start Date: Estimated January 2026

Length of Commitment: 3-4 years

Education: Bachelor’s/Master’s in Economics, Health Policy, International Development, Social Science, Public Policy, or related fields

Organization: J-PAL South Asia at IFMR

Language requirement: Telegu strongly preferred

PIs: Harsha Thirumurthy (UPenn), Nikkil Sudharsanan (TUM), Nikhil Tandon (AIIMS)

 

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:

 

Elevated blood pressure is a leading risk factor for mortality in India, yet much of this mortality is preventable through early diagnosis and use of available treatments. Despite this potential, a vast majority of those with high blood pressure are undiagnosed or not receiving care. Although some Indian states have launched home-based screening programs in which health workers perform blood pressure measurements and refer individuals with high values to seek further care, linkage to the formal health care system has been low. We hypothesize that barriers to care seeking include incorrect beliefs about the need for treatment as well as costs and inconveniences associated with care-seeking. BetterHeart will design and test behavioral strategies that help individuals form correct beliefs about the need for treatment and that offset the costs associated with care-seeking through a randomized controlled trial in Andhra Pradesh, India. The project is strongly complementary to the state’s new and ongoing health care programs and thus, if successful, carries potential for widespread population impact.

About the Role

J-PAL South Asia is inviting expressions of interest for a Research Associate (RA) positions for the BetterHeart Study. 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

● Ability to self-learn new methods or areas of research with minimal supervision

 

Required Knowledge and Skills:

 

● A Bachelor’s/Master’s in Economics, Health Policy, International Development, Social Science, Public Policy, or related fields

● Sound understanding of impact evaluation methods, especially randomized controlled trials (RCTs)

● 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; proficiency in Telegu is a strong asset

● Willingness to travel extensively and stay in field locations

● Experience working with government departments is a plus

● Experience with in-field data collection or the management of data collection teams is a plus

● Experience with behavioral science research is a plus

 

Note on Work Authorizations:

 

Candidates must have work authorization to work in India.