Research Assistant

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\tFull job description\r
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\tAbout the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD)\r
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\tThe International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) is one of the world's leading centres of research and innovation. It provides practical solutions to the growing challenges and opportunities of integrating environmental and social priorities with economic development. We report on international negotiations and share knowledge gained through collaborative projects, resulting in more rigorous research, stronger global networks, and better engagement among researchers, citizens, businesses, and policy-makers.\r
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\tTo learn more about IISD, visit \r
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\tProject Background and Internship\r
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\tThe State of Sustainability Initiatives (SSI) is an international transparency and capacity-building project, launched in 2008 and led by IISD, which aims to improve strategic planning and sustainable development outcomes related to voluntary sustainability standards (VSSs) by providing in-depth, credible, and needs-based information related to VSSs ). In 2018, the SSI launched a new project entitled Leveraging Sustainable Markets for Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development, aiming at facilitating poverty reduction among marginalized commodity producers by enabling more strategic and proactive entry into value-added sustainable markets for developing countries.\r
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\tIn a series of in-depth studies, the SSI provides global and regional reports on production and consumption trends and examines VSSs related to accessing affordable finance and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.\r
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\tThe SSI team is looking for a current student or recent graduate to support research conducted for two studies: 1) data collection and analysis on sustainable consumption information of leading buyers (traders, manufacturers, and retailers) in eight agriculture commodities, and 2) study on consumer preferences, trends, and behaviours of sustainable agriculture products in selected emerging economies.\r
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\tAssignments and Tasks\r
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\t\tSupport research, data collection, and analysis efforts to understand consumer preferences, trends, and behaviours in selected economies\r
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\t\tConduct research and data collection on consumer preferences and trends of target commodities, focusing on end consumers in selected countries.\r
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\t\tConduct data collection on consumption volumes and sustainable sourcing commitments from key industry actors in eight agricultural commodity markets (conventional and VSS-compliant) at the global level and in selected emerging economies.\r
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\t\tResearch the identification of driving forces and enabling (or limiting) factors and provide recommendations to increase consumption of VSS-compliant products in selected economies.\r
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\t\tIdentify, suggest, and follow up with potential partners and contacts in selected countries.\r
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\t\tProduce draft narratives on sustainable consumption, preferences, and market developments in a number of agricultural commodities.\r
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\tProfile\r
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\tUndergraduate or graduate students of international relations, international studies, sustainable development, environmental studies, economics, finance, or related disciplines.\r
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\tSupervision\r
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\tThe selected candidate will report to the Lead II of the Sustainability Standards Workstream at IISD and/or the person designated by her and work in collaboration with other members of the IISD Standards team. The position is home-based, so the intern will be expected to participate in weekly online calls to follow up on work.\r
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\tQualifications\r
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\t\tInterest in IISD's mission and related projects on sustainable development and agriculture\r
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\t\tSound research, analytical, and writing skills (in English)\r
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\t\tWell organized and independent, with demonstrated initiative.\r
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\t\tKnowledge of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook) and other software for data analysis and visualization (optional)\r
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\t\tBe fluent in English speaking and writing. Knowledge of Spanish is an asset.\r
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\tEligibility Requirements\r
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\t\tBe in possession of an authorization or work permit for Canada.\r
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\t\tBe enrolled in an undergraduate, master's, or Ph.
D. degree program with an educational establishment during the dates of the prospective internship.\r
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\t\tHave excellent academic performance as demonstrated by recent university or institutional record.\r
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\tTerm and Location:
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\tThe contract is for 4 months (ideally from May 1 to August 31, We expect the selected candidate to work 20 hours per week. The student should be based anywhere in Canada preferably be located in Montreal, Quebec, Vancouver, or Ottawa\r
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\tCompensation:
CAD per hour, depending on experience and education.\r
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\tApplication deadline:
Sunday, April 21, 2024.\r
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\tCandidates must hold appropriate work authorization for Canada.\r

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