Research Assistant

The National Institute of Veterinary Research (NIVR) is a leading research institute in animal health working to improve animal health in Vietnam. The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) works to improve food security and reduce poverty in developing countries through research for better and more sustainable use of livestock. ILRI and NIVR have been collaborating for 10 years and their partnership has been strengthened through several research projects funded by CGIAR.

NIVR and ILRI seek to recruit a Research Assistant to support the implementation of this animal health component related to project “Sustainable Animal Productivity for Livelihoods, Nutrition and Gender (SAPLING)”.

Project overview

Transformation to a more sustainable and equitable livestock sector in Africa and Asia can secure and enhance the critical role livestock plays to support and improve livelihoods. Livestock is a fast growing, high value agriculture subsector, accounting for 15–80% of agricultural GDP in low and middle-income countries. In Africa and Asia, demand for livestock products is expected to grow 200–300% by 2030 depending on the region and commodity. This provides an opportunity for hundreds of millions of small- to medium-scale livestock producers who can meet the demand and provide nutrient dense foods for their families, countries, and regions. The African Development Bank echoes other development leaders in highlighting now as the time to “reposition livestock as a business activity with the potential to significantly improve food and nutrition security and drive inclusive [economic] growth…” Failing to capitalize on this opportunity and meet demand could lead to a shortfall in livestock derived foods (LDFs), which are a unique source of high-quality proteins and bioavailable essential micronutrients. Relatively small amounts of LDFs can substantially increase the nutrient adequacy of diets. But malnutrition remains high in livestock dependent communities.8 This is in part because productivity is low; annual milk yield of a cow in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia is 6% and 12%, respectively, of a cow in an OECD country. Within production system yield gaps are high for all species. In Ethiopia, for example, there is a 20% yield gap for sheep from genetics alone. Widespread constraints to achieving sustainable productivity include: nonoptimal use of livestock genetic potential; lack of optimal adaptive and productive livestock genetics; lack of resilient, resource efficient feeds and forages available year-round in sufficient quantity and quality; poor animal health management and husbandry; and a combination of insufficient and underutilized animal health technologies. These combine to increase pressure on natural resources and GHG emissions intensities. At the same time, value chain governance structures prevent producers from fully benefiting from markets, investing in sustainable productivity and commercializing their farms. Failure to address constraints to livestock productivity and the growing risks from climate change and other shocks like the COVID-19 pandemic can limit productivity gains while putting sustainability at risk. Increasing yields can contribute to lowering emissions intensities while enhancing livelihoods. But research is needed to better understand trade-offs between productivity, environmental impacts and livelihood outcomes. Women, who often look after livestock, have limited control over resources and decisions. Youth, who supplement household labor are marginalized from income-generation opportunities and assets. Research is needed to identify livestock development solutions that achieve equitable access and benefits. Advances in improved forages, animal breeding, herd health, and markets have demonstrated sustainable gains in on-farm productivity but need to reach impact at scale. Bundling combinations of new and scale-ready technical innovations with the right institutional arrangements and policy support has the potential to increase sustainable productivity. But deep and early engagement with stakeholders in iterative co-design approaches is needed to increase impact and accelerate scaling. SAPLING will engage stakeholders to generate evidence on Innovation Packages that support livestock producers, including women and youth, to SAPLING – Sustainable Animal Productivity for Livelihoods, Nutrition and Gender inclusion Initiative Proposal – transition to sustainable, resilient livelihoods and productive enterprises. This is expected to catalyze investment by public and private sectors and enable a supportive policy environment, enhancing scale potential.

Key responsibilities

The animal health research assistant will support the implementation of the Vietnam priority country project in the province of Son La, in collaboration with the different partner institutions.

• To coordinate field activities in Son La
• To facilitate participatory research, including assessments and community engagement, for livestock-related interventions
• To establish field trials and other experiments as per the SAPLING Vietnam project proposal
• To implement data collection and to assist in research analysis and reporting
• To coordinate with local partners and community groups in research planning, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation
• To ensure an efficient communication flow between local partners and the SAPLING Vietnam country team
• To undertake other relevant tasks as assigned by work supervisors

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in veterinary medicine, animal science and other relevant areas
• Minimum 2-year experience in similar position
• Working experience with mixed crop-livestock systems
• Good understanding of integrated systems and environmental impacts of livestock production
• Experience in participatory research and management of field trials
• Experience with field work, data collection
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Capacity to work independently in remote areas and able to cope with heavy intermittent workloads extending beyond office hours
• Willingness to travel and to spend time in the field
• Ability to work in interdisciplinary and international team, very good interpersonal and communication skills.
• Excellent written and spoken English and Vietnamese
• Publication record (conference or paper) is preferred
• Good working knowledge of MS Office packages.

Terms of Appointment: March 2022 – Dec 2024. This position is a jointly appointed by NIVR and ILRI and will be recruited through National Institute of Veterinary Research with work stations between NIVR and ILRI Hanoi Office, Vietnam with the possibility of renewal, contingent upon individual performance and continued funding. 

How to apply: Applicants should send a cover letter and CV explaining their interest in the position, what they can bring to the job and the names and addresses (including telephone and email) of three referees who are knowledgeable about the candidate’s professional qualifications and work experience to Bui Nghia Vuong, Virology Department, NIVR at [email protected] with copy to Thanh Nguyen, ILRI at [email protected].

Application Deadline:  18^th March 2022