Part-time Research Assistant

Appointment: 11 days per month for 10 months

Application deadline: 15 October 2026

The PAPRSB Institute of Health Sciences Herbal Group, Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD), is inviting applications for 1 part-time Research Assistant for the project “Living Green Shade Systems for Urban Heat Mitigation: Transforming Existing Campus Infrastructure into Sustainable Community Hubs through Medicinal Climbers and Vertical Farming” (Grant Ref. No.: UBD/RSCH/USG/2026/004). The role combines hands-on gardening and plant care with field monitoring, data collection and laboratory sample preparation.

Project overview
The project aims to transform an existing campus shade structure into a cooler, multifunctional Living Green Community Hub by integrating medicinal climbing plants. The hub will support research, teaching and community engagement while demonstrating a sustainable approach to improving outdoor campus spaces.

Minimum qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in Biological/Environmental/Health Science or other relevant fields.

Requirements

1. Strong interest and/or practical experience in hands-on gardening, particularly caring for climbing plants and training vines along trellises and across roof supports to achieve full plant coverage.
2. Willingness to undertake regular outdoor plant care and fieldwork.
3. Basic lab and research knowledge and skills.
4. Availability to work 11 days per month throughout the 10-month appointment or flexibility to accommodate working hours/days as coordinated with the research team.
5. Class 3 license and no transportation issues.
6. Good time management and organisational skills.
7. Ability to work independently and take responsibility for assigned tasks.
8. Ability to work effectively as part of a team.
9. Good command of written and spoken English.
10. Attention to detail.
11. Basic proficiency in word processing, spreadsheets and accurate data recording.

Job description

• Care for and maintain the medicinal climbing plants through regular watering, pruning, weeding and monitoring of plant health.
• Train, guide and secure climbing stems along the trellis and across the roof supports to achieve and maintain full, even canopy coverage; regularly redirect new growth towards uncovered areas.
• Assist with planting, transplanting and maintaining plants in planter boxes and vertical farming modules.
• Check the irrigation system, monitor water supply and plant watering needs, and report faults or maintenance requirements to the research team.
• Monitor and record vine length, canopy coverage, plant survival, plant health and biomass or pruning yield.
• Assist with measuring air and surface temperatures, relative humidity, light intensity and soil moisture to assess cooling performance.
• Collect and label plant samples and assist with laboratory sample preparation for phytochemical analysis under supervision.
• Maintain accurate data, field notes, photographic records and maintenance logs; assist with data summaries, progress reports and presentation materials.
• Follow project protocols and relevant safety procedures when carrying out gardening, field monitoring and laboratory tasks.

How to apply
Interested candidates should prepare a share folder with soft copies of the following documents and submit their applications via this link (https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/2GHw2MCZfn) by Thursday, 15th October 2026.

Only shortlisted candidates will be called for interview.

For any inquiry, please email Dr May Goh at may.goh@ubd.edu.bn.

1. Short CV (1 page with recent photograph of yourself).
2. Cover letter
3. Academic transcripts
4. Copy of National ID