Research Fellow

Job description

Innovation Landscape: Create a publication and patent landscape for fermentation-related technologies in APAC 

The Good Food Institute is a nonprofit think tank working to make the global food system better for the planet, people, and animals. Alongside scientists, businesses, and policymakers, GFI’s teams focus on making plant-based, fermentation-enabled, and cultivated meat delicious, affordable, and accessible. Powered by philanthropy, GFI is an international network of organizations advancing alternative proteins as an essential solution needed to meet the world’s climate, global health, food security, and biodiversity goals.

How you will make a difference

In this role, you will have the opportunity to apply your scientific background to review major topics in fermentation to share with the alternative protein (AP) ecosystem. Your research will be crucial in informing the AP ecosystem on fundamental knowledge in the space as well as identifying further opportunities for growth and innovation. The Research Fellow will be responsible for:

Core project: APAC Fermentation research and patent landscaping (~60% of workload)

• Conducting a literature review on fermentation technologies (biomass and precision fermentation) as they relate to AP-relevant production systems that were published by APAC authors (not including China) between 2010-2025.
• Conducting a patent landscaping on fermentation technologies (biomass and precision fermentation) as they relate to AP-relevant production systems that were published by APAC entities (not including China) between 2010-2025.
• Map literature search results and patent hits onto GFI’s Fermentation value chain to identify low and high-attention areas. 
• Generating figures to represent (a) the state of the APAC Fermentation-derived research ecosystem and (b) the Patent landscape of Fermentation-derived innovation for the defined period (2010-2025). 
• Preparing a slide deck summarizing the major themes, or insights of the review.
• Presenting this information in one of the GFI-APAC’s Deep dive sessions to inform the cross-functional team of the findings.

Supplementary project(s): (~40% of workload) 

• Work closely with GFI APAC Senior Scitech Analyst in the execution of fermentation analysis projects.
  • This may include reviewing and advising on the work of external project consultants and conducting supplementary research and report writing.
• Work closely with GFI APAC Scitech Manager in supporting global GFI initiatives that require domain knowledge in fermentation.

Who we’re looking for

The Research Fellow must have:

• A Ph.D. is preferred; candidates pursuing a Ph.D. in microbiology, molecular biology, biochemistry, or aligned fields may also be considered. Candidates with an M.Sc. with at least 2 years of relevant experience or a B.Sc. with 4 years of relevant experience can also apply.
• A strong understanding of fermentation bioprocesses, as well as coursework or other experience with microbiology, biochemistry, and molecular biology. 
• Strong scientific writing and presentation skills. 
• Ability to perform independent, self-paced work.
• A commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Strong support for GFI’s philosophy and mission; demonstrated interest in plant-based & other alt proteins, public health, environmentalism, climate change, animal protection, or hunger relief.
• A commitment to GFI’s values: believe change is possible, do the most good we can, share knowledge freely, act on evidence, and invite everyone to the table.
• Excellent English, both written and spoken 

We want the best people and we don’t want biases holding us back. We strongly encourage people of every race, color, orientation, age, gender, origin, and ability to apply. Since we value a diverse workplace, we prioritize an inclusive climate absent of discrimination and harassment during the application process and after you join the team. 

Research indicates that men tend to apply for jobs when they meet just 60% of the criteria, while women and people from other marginalized groups only apply if they are a 100% match. If you are passionate about GFI’s mission and think you have what it takes to be successful in this role even if you don’t check all the boxes, please apply. We’d appreciate the opportunity to consider your application.

The fine print

• Position Type: Research Fellow (Internship)
• Position Term: 12 – 16 hours/week for 15-20 weeks
• Reports to: Wasamon Nutakul, SciTech Manager
• Location: Remote, APAC
• Stipend: Will be calculated based on a rate of $30/h, and paid monthly
• Application deadline: 25th April 2025
• Application process: Please complete this short form and upload your CV and cover letter. Your cover letter (of 1-2 pages) should set out: 
  • What motivated you to apply for this role?
  • How do you meet the requirements listed in the job description?
  • Which bit of the job description energises you the most?

Beyond the initial screening process, there will be several further rounds. We really look forward to hearing from you! Any questions? If you have any questions about this role, please do reach out to us at apacjobs@gfi.org. If you’ve read this far but decided not to apply, please feel free to share this job description with someone else in your network who you think might be a good fit for the role. Thank you!