Centre for Social Change (CSC) Vacancy for Research Fellow
VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT
Job Title: Research Fellow
Section: Research
Reporting to: Executive Director and Program Manager
Duration: 13 Months (Fixed Terms)
Location: Kathmandu
Compensation and Benefits: As per the Organization's Policy
Application Deadline: 27 June 2026
Estimated Start Date: 01 July 2026
About CSC
Founded in 2015, Centre for Social Change (CSC) is a Kathmandu-based social think-tank working on issues around conflict prevention, governance, peacebuilding, environment, and climate justice. CSC set up a creative environment to work within a strong methodological framework for evidence-based policy advocacy. The foundational work of CSC is to generate data based on research and assist in designing the people-centric policy and programs at the local and national levels. Currently, CSC is working in Koshi, Madhesh, Lumbini, and Bagmati provinces.
About the Environmental Governance Monitoring Centre (EGMC)
The Environmental Governance Monitoring Centre (EGMC) is CSC's dedicated unit for systematic data generation and accountability on environmental governance issues in Nepal. The Centre's core mandate is to systematically collect, analyze, and respond to verified information on environmental conflicts and violence across Nepal, and to translate this evidence into actionable insights for policy reform, accountability mechanisms, and community-level response.
Job Profile
The Research Fellow will serve as a core member of the Environmental Governance Monitoring Centre and will be responsible for designing and managing robust systems for the collection, verification, analysis, and dissemination of data on environmental conflicts and violence in Nepal. The Fellow will lead the development of evidence-based monitoring frameworks, maintain the Centre's environmental conflict database, and produce high-quality knowledge products that support accountability and policy advocacy. The Fellow will work in close collaboration with CSC's field-level staff, community informants, government stakeholders, and partner organizations to ensure the credibility, timeliness, and impact of EGMC's data and reporting.
Major Responsibilities and Deliverables
Design and maintain a systematic monitoring framework for tracking, verifying, and analyzing incidents of environmental conflict and violence across Nepal, including land disputes, resource-based conflicts, and climate-induced tensions.
Develop and manage a structured environmental conflict database, ensuring regular updating, quality control, and integrity of all verified data collected from field sources, media monitoring, and institutional reports.
Lead primary and secondary data collection processes, including field investigations, key informant interviews, focus group discussions, and desk research, to verify and contextualize reported incidents of environmental conflict.
Analyze both qualitative and quantitative data to identify trends, hotspots, and patterns of environmental conflict and violence, and produce periodic analytical reports for internal and external audiences.
Measure progress against established output, outcome, and impact indicators of the EGMC and provide evidence-based recommendations for programmatic and strategic improvements.
Prepare timely situation reports, thematic briefs, and donor reports on the status of environmental conflicts, emerging risks, and accountability gaps in environmental governance in Nepal.
Develop high-quality knowledge products, including case studies, conflict mapping outputs, policy briefs, stories of change, infographics, and multimedia content to communicate findings to relevant stakeholders and the public.
Facilitate reflection sessions, learning workshops, and review meetings with field staff and partners to improve data collection methodologies, verification protocols, and response strategies.
Support the development and writing of funding proposals, concept notes, and project designs related to environmental governance, conflict monitoring, and accountability programming.
Document lessons learned, innovations, best practices, and emerging challenges from EGMC's monitoring work to strengthen institutional learning and knowledge management.
Assist in building the capacity of field-level staff and community monitors on data collection tools, conflict documentation protocols, and accountability mechanisms.
Perform other duties related to the job as assigned by the supervisor and the leadership team.
Qualification and Skills Required
Master's degree in Environmental Science, or Natural Resource Management, with at least two to three years of relevant experience in research, monitoring, or the development sector.
Proven experience in qualitative and quantitative research methodologies, including conflict data collection, verification, and analysis.
Demonstrated knowledge of environmental governance issues, natural resource conflicts, and climate-related tensions in the Nepal context.
Strong track record in developing knowledge products such as policy briefs, analytical reports, or case studies through primary and desk research.
Experience with data management tools, conflict mapping, or monitoring and evaluation systems is an asset.
Proven ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously with strong time management skills and the ability to meet strict deadlines.
Self-motivated, self-confident, a team player, and must possess a high level of integrity.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills in both Nepali and English.
For Application
Send your CV and motivation letter mentioning the position applied for, along with a contact number and email address, to contact@socialchange.org.np no later than 27 June 2026. CSC will not respond to emails unless CSC starts the shortlisting process. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for an in-person interview. The interview process will begin on 28 June 2026, after the deadline.
Underrepresented groups and genders are highly encouraged to apply. Telephone enquiries shall not be entertained. CSC reserves the right to reject any application without assigning any reason whatsoever.
Candidates applying for this position must comply with CSC policies and guidelines, including the anti-fraud and corruption policy, and ensure compliance with all aspects of the policy on protection from sexual exploitation and abuses and the code of conduct.