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Research Associate

University of Texas at Dallas

University of Texas at Dallas

Posted on Nov 21, 2024
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Posting Number S06095P
Position Title Research Associate
Functional Title Research Associate - Post-Doctoral
Department Psychology
Salary Range $61,008+, DOQ
Pay Basis Monthly
Position Status Regular full-time
Location Richardson
Position End Date (if temporary)
Posting Open Date 11/20/2024
Posting Close Date
Open Until Filled No
Desired Start Date 08/01/2025
Job Summary
The Boyd Computational Social Science Lab is seeking a highly motivated post-doctoral scientist who is passionate about exploring the intersection of computational methods (e.g., machine learning, natural language processing, artificial intelligence) with social and personality psychology. The ideal candidate will have a deep interest in leveraging computational techniques to understand complex human behavior, language, and social dynamics on a large scale. This role will contribute to a growing body of research that applies computational social science to address fundamental questions in personality, social interaction, mental health, and cultural psychology.
The Research Associate will be primarily responsible for planning, conducting and directing a wide variety of experiments. Responsible for the evaluation and interpretation of research data. This position will conduct experiments using advanced equipment and applying complex techniques, methods and procedures; plan and execute the details of experiments according to research protocol.

This position is in the Department of Psychology in the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences at The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD — bbs.utdallas.edu). UTD is the fastest growing University in Texas, is ranked number 3 in the nation among universities less than 50 years old and houses a vibrant research community. The city of Dallas is an international economic hub with a vibrant cultural atmosphere and world-class sports and entertainment in a temperate climate.

The salary for Post-Doctoral Research Associates in BBS is determined by years of experience per the current NIH (NRSA) stipend levels. While the opportunity for a salary increase based on years of experience exists, any increases are contingent on the availability of additional funding and, as such, are not currently guaranteed. This position is funded a minimum of 1 year with the possibility of renewal, dependent on performance and continued funding availability.
Minimum Education and Experience
Ph.D in a related field.
Preferred Education and Experience
  • Ph.D. in Psychology, Computational Social Science, Data Science, or a related field with a strong focus on the integration of computational methods in social and personality psychology.
  • Relevant Publications: A minimum of two first-author publications in peer-reviewed journals, demonstrating a robust track record of research in computational psychology, NLP, machine learning applications in social science, or closely related areas.
  • Computational Social Science Experience: Demonstrated experience in computational social science methodologies, including large-scale data analysis, social media research, or digital humanities.
  • Advanced Statistical and Computational Skills: Expertise in applying advanced statistical modeling, NLP techniques, or machine learning models, particularly transformer-based models, sentiment analysis, or advanced text analysis methods.
  • Programming and Technical Expertise: Advanced proficiency in Python, R, or a similar programming language, with experience using NLP and ML libraries (e.g., scikit-learn, TensorFlow, PyTorch, spaCy, Hugging Face).
  • Interdisciplinary Collaboration and Communication: Proven ability to work collaboratively across disciplines and effectively communicate complex computational and psychological concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences.
  • Knowledge of, and hands-on experience with, large language models (e.g., GPT, BERT, RoBERTa, T5) for analyzing and modeling language data. Experience in fine-tuning, prompt engineering, and applying LLMs to social science questions, such as sentiment and topic analysis, language-based personality assessments, or cultural trend identification, is highly desirable.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Duties & Responsibilities:
  • Research and Innovation: Design and conduct empirical studies integrating computational and psychological approaches, drawing on methods from text analysis, machine learning, and AI. Develop novel tools, algorithms, or pipelines that enable the measurement of psychological phenomena from social and linguistic data.
  • Data Analysis and Modeling: Lead analyses using large-scale data (e.g., social media, longitudinal studies, experimental data) to examine social and personality constructs. Employ advanced statistical and machine learning techniques, such as topic modeling, sentiment analysis, network analysis, and time series analysis, to uncover insights into human psychology.
  • Collaboration and Mentorship: Work closely with a team of researchers, students, and collaborators within and outside the lab. Mentor graduate and undergraduate students, fostering an environment of curiosity and methodological rigor.
  • Scholarly Dissemination: Publish findings in top-tier academic journals and present research at conferences. Communicate complex computational methods and psychological insights to a broad audience, bridging technical and theoretical perspectives.
Essential Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:
The successful candidate will possess the following knowledge, skills, and abilities:
  • Demonstrated expertise in natural language processing, machine learning, and computational modeling techniques relevant to psychological and social data.
  • A track record of interdisciplinary research, with publications in high-ranking journals or conferences that demonstrate the ability to merge computational and psychological sciences.
  • Proficiency in programming languages such as Python or R, and experience with relevant libraries or frameworks for data analysis and NLP (e.g., scikit-learn, TensorFlow, spaCy, huggingface).
  • Strong theoretical grounding in social or personality psychology, with an ability to connect computational findings to psychological theories and concepts.
  • Excellent communication skills and a demonstrated ability to work collaboratively in an interdisciplinary team
  • Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Strong collaborative mindset and ability to communicate complex computational concepts to non-technical audiences, fostering interdisciplinary understanding and promoting knowledge-sharing.
  • Methodological Adaptability and Innovation: Proven ability to adapt to new methods, tools, and theoretical frameworks, including emerging AI/ML techniques relevant to the social sciences, such as transformer-based language models, unsupervised clustering, and emotion recognition models.
Physical Demands and Working Conditions
Physical Activities
Working Conditions
Additional Information
Remote Work:
This position is on-site and in-person.

Travel:
This position may be subject to local travel for training/development, conferences, or other project needs.

What We Can Offer
UT Dallas is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We offer an employee-friendly work environment with a comprehensive benefits package including:
  • Competitive Salary
  • Tuition Benefits
  • Internal Training
  • Medical insurance – including 100% paid employee medical coverage for full-time employees
  • Dental Insurance
  • Vision Insurance
  • Long and short-term disability
  • Retirement Plan Options
  • Paid time off
  • Paid Holidays

All UT Dallas employees have access to various professional development opportunities, including a membership to Academic Impressions, LinkedIn Learning, and UT Dallas Bright Leaders Program.

Visit https://hr.utdallas.edu/employees/benefits/ for more information.

About Us
UT Dallas is a top public research university located in one of the nation’s fastest-growing metropolitan regions. Our seven schools offer more than 140 undergraduate and graduate programs, plus professional certificates and fast-track programs. Our student body is 31,000 strong, reflecting students from over 100 countries and a multiplicity of identities and experiences. UT Dallas is committed to graduating well-rounded members of the global community whose education has prepared them for rewarding lives and productive careers in a constantly changing world.

Rich with visual and performing arts venues, museum districts, professional and semi-professional athletics teams, botanical gardens, accessible trails and so much more, the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) metroplex has something for everyone to explore. UT Dallas partners with regional higher education institutions and school districts and with the Richardson Innovation Quarter (Richardson IQ), a major hub for innovation, entrepreneurship, and educational activities.
Special Instructions Summary
For full consideration, please submit to boyd@utdallas.edu:
  • Up to 3 “representative publications”
  • Up to 3 letters of recommendation from mentors/colleagues
Important Message
1) All employees serve as a representative of the University and are expected to display respect, civility, professional courtesy, consideration of others and discretion in all interactions with members of the UT Dallas community and the general public.

2) The University of Texas at Dallas is committed to providing an educational, living, and working environment that is welcoming, respectful, and inclusive of all members of the university community. UT Dallas does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, national origin, disability, genetic information, or veteran status in its services, programs, activities, employment, and education, including in admission and enrollment. EOE, including disability/veterans. The University is committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities. To request reasonable accommodation in the employment application and interview process, contact the ADA Coordinator. For inquiries regarding nondiscrimination policies, contact the Title IX Coordinator.
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