Research Assistant Positions - LLMs and AI for Data Analysis (Spring 2027)

Penn State University • University Park, IL

3d

About The Position

The Department of Statistics at Penn State seeks master's students in Computer Science or related fields to work part-time as Research Assistants during Spring 2027. Exceptionally qualified undergraduate students will also be considered.

Successful candidates will work on research projects involving large language models (LLMs), AI agents, and their applications in data analysis and scientific research. Responsibilities may include developing and evaluating LLM-based methods, implementing computational experiments, building research software, and analyzing experimental results. Hours, wages, and anticipated periods of employment will vary based on project needs and applicant availability. Prior research experience is desirable but not required; applicants with strong technical skills and an interest in conducting research are encouraged to apply.

Employment with the University requires successful completion of background checks in accordance with University policies. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. For full consideration, apply by November 20, 2026, and complete the additional RA application form.

Requirements

• Be a master's student in Computer Science or a related field; exceptionally qualified undergraduate students will also be considered.
• Strong Python programming skills and demonstrated experience developing software or computational projects.
• Ability to work independently, troubleshoot technical problems, and write well-documented, reproducible code.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with machine learning, deep learning, or LLM applications, including model evaluation, fine-tuning, or agent-based systems.
• Familiarity with relevant libraries and frameworks such as PyTorch, Hugging Face Transformers, or LangChain.
• Experience with research projects, software development internships, or independent technical projects.
• Prior research experience is desirable but not required.

Responsibilities

• Develop and evaluate methods based on large language models.
• Implement computational experiments.
• Build research software.
• Analyze experimental results.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Part-time
• Career Level: Intern
• Education Level: No Education Listed