Senior Research Associate

The University of Chicago•Chicago, IL

4d•Onsite

About The Position

The University of Chicago, Division of the Social Sciences invites applications for a full-time Senior Research Associate position in the Knowledge Lab. This is an initial one-year term appointment, with the possibility of reappointment following a successful review. This position is benefits-eligible, and the University of Chicago offers a comprehensive benefits package including health, retirement, and paid time off. The Senior Research Associate will be instrumental in designing and conducting AI-driven experiments, developing and applying large language models and generative AI techniques, constructing and managing extensive research datasets, and contributing to novel research on the interplay between artificial intelligence and the production/dissemination of knowledge. The role involves actively pursuing and executing funded research, with the potential to serve as Principal Investigator (PI) on research projects, and may include supervising student researchers. There are no teaching duties associated with this position. The University of Chicago Knowledge Lab, led by Professor James A. Evans, is a leader in research at the nexus of artificial intelligence and collective knowledge. The lab focuses on creating AI systems that offer novel perspectives, thereby enhancing human discovery capabilities. Current initiatives include developing time-sensitive large language models for predicting scientific advancements and optimizing research funding, designing AI agents to enhance human reasoning in various domains, and building 'virtual laboratories' to model future scientific and technological scenarios. The lab's work has been published in prestigious journals such as Nature, Science, and PNAS, and has received funding from organizations including the NSF, NIH, DARPA, the John F. Templeton Foundation, and the Novo Nordisk Foundation.

Requirements

Ph.D. in the social sciences (e.g., sociology, economics, political science, communications) or computational sciences (e.g., computer science, informatics/information science, engineering, data science, applied mathematics, statistics, physics), or a related field
Proficiency in Python
Experience with large language models and generative AI frameworks (e.g., Hugging Face Transformers, PyTorch)

Nice To Haves

Experience with machine learning, LLMs, and computational social science methods
Demonstrated interest in empirical research on AI, collective intelligence, or scientific discovery
Active publication record and engagement with the broader scientific community, ideally in venues at the intersection of AI, computational social science, or science of science
Strong writing skills and experience contributing to research manuscripts, grant proposals, or technical reports
Experience designing and running computational experiments, including hypothesis formation, testing, and iteration at scale
Expertise in large language models, generative modeling, or related deep learning methods; familiarity with fine-tuning, prompt engineering, or model evaluation pipelines is a strong plus
Experience working with large-scale text corpora, bibliometric data, or other unstructured data sources relevant to knowledge and information systems
Familiarity with social and semantic network analysis, embedding models, or other methods for representing and analyzing knowledge structures
Comfort working in Linux/Unix environments and on high-performance computing clusters
Ability to work effectively in a highly collaborative, interdisciplinary environment spanning sociology, computer science, and data science
Strong communication skills, including the ability to translate complex technical methods for diverse audiences
Demonstrated ability to work independently, prioritize across multiple projects, and bring creative, resourceful approaches to research problems

Responsibilities

Designing and running AI-driven experiments
Developing and applying large language models and generative AI methods
Building and maintaining large-scale research datasets
Contributing to original research on how artificial intelligence shapes and is shaped by knowledge production and diffusion
Taking an active role in obtaining and carrying out funded research
Serving as PI on research projects
Supervising student researchers