The VinUniversity Center for Innovations in Health Sciences (IHS) is committed to advancing innovative solutions that promote health, wellness, and disease prevention, enhance early detection, and deliver accessible precision medicine for prevalent health challenges in Vietnam, Southeast Asia, and beyond. IHS aim to be the leading authority on healthcare access and social determinants of health that impact health outcomes in Vietnam and Southeast Asia, with the goal of developing policies, practices, and interventions that improve health and well-being for all.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

IHS is looking for highly motivated postdoctoral researchers who are committed to advancing impactful, mission-driven science contributing to the Center’s growing research ecosystem of interdisciplinary health research.

The postdoctoral researcher will join a 12-month project named Strengthening a Healthy Healthcare Workforce in Vietnam, focused on enhancing the wellbeing of healthcare workers with the goal of generating new insights into moral distress, vaccine hesitancy and resilience. The project aims to address lack of research on healthcare workers and moral distress, fill data gaps around healthcare worker vaccinations and inform policy the foster a health and supportive workforce. Working within a multidisciplinary team at IHS, the postdoc will contribute to study design, data generation, data analysis and the preparation of scientific outputs that directly advance the project’s research aims and broader institutional priorities.

KEY ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Roles & responsibilities:

The successful candidate will be a driving force behind the project’s success and will be expected to:

• Support the development of applications to the ethics review committee
• Conduct literature reviews
• Develop survey instruments and recruitment strategies
• Analyze survey data using statistical methods
• Participate in qualitative research and analysis
• Drafting research proposals
• Support project administration such as organizing meetings, project management, etc
• Mentorship: Assist in mentoring undergraduate and graduate students involved in the project.

Expected Deliverables:

• First author or co-author of at least 2 peer-reviewed papers published on Q1 journals
• Co-writing at least one external grant proposal

Qualification:

• Doctoral Degree in health sciences discipline with expertise in public health, health systems, services and/or policy, or related field (required)
• Expertise in survey methods and analysis (required)
• Familiar with social determinants of health, intersectional analysis or similar health equity frameworks (required)
• Fluent in Vietnamese and English (required)
• Mixed methods and/or additional qualitative research experience (desired)
• Clinical experience (desired)

Appointment Details:

• Salary: Competitive, in the range of 30,000 – 40,000 USD per annum, commensurate with experience.
• Contract: The position is offered on a yearly contract basis. The initial contract is renewed, typically for one year, subject to availability of funds, project needs, satisfactory performance, and approval from IHS.
• Principal Investigator: A successful candidate will work under management of Assistant Professor Julia Smith, whose research focuses on healthcare workforce strengthening, health and social inequities, vaccine access and accessibility, and pandemic response. Additional details about their work can be found here:https://vinuni.edu.vn/people/julia-smith/

How to Apply: Interested candidates are invited to submit a cover letter detailing their research experience and motivation for this specific project, along with a comprehensive CV, to the Principal Investigator Dr. Julia Smith at julia.sh@vinuni.edu.vn by April 30, 2026.

Please include “Postdoc Application: Healthy Healthcare Workforce” in the subject line of your email.