Posting Number: S06095P

Department: Psychology

Salary Range: $61,008+, DOQ

Pay Basis: Monthly

Position Status: Regular full-time

Location: Richardson

Job Description:

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 Qualifications:

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.

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 (ADACoordinator@utdallas.edu) . For inquiries regarding nondiscrimination policies, contact the Title IX Coordinator (TitleIXCoordinator@utdallas.edu) .