Research Scientist
Tempe, AZ, USA
Arizona State University: Knowledge Enterprise: Advanced Capabilities for National Security Institute
Location
Open Date
Sep 08, 2026
Description
The Center on Information and Narrative Complexity (CINC) at Arizona State University is seeking a Research Scientist to join our interdisciplinary research team. This position will dedicate effort to a current grant-funded research award, requiring interdisciplinary collaboration with engineers, narrative theorists, both social and data scientists as well as the sponsor.
The successful candidate will contribute to cutting-edge research at the intersection of computational methods, human belief dynamics, narrative analysis, and information environments. Working within a highly-collaborative research ecosystem, the candidate will help develop computational models, analytical frameworks, and software-enabled research capabilities that support both fundamental scientific discovery and real-world applications.
The position offers opportunities to contribute to active sponsored research programs, publish high-impact research, mentor students, collaborate with government and academic partners, and develop an independent research agenda over time through proposal development and leadership on future projects.
- This is a benefits-eligible, full-time, 12-month position, with no tenure implications. The initial appointment will be for one year, with the opportunity for renewal contingent on funding availability and satisfactory performance. The anticipated start date is October 2026.
- Develop and analyze computational and social systems from behavioral, societal, and human-centered perspectives.
- Collaborate with software engineers and data scientists to operationalize social science theories and research outcomes.
- Design and develop scalable reproducible model and data pipelines for research and experimentation.
- Work with faculty investigators to design, implement, evaluate, test, document, and support user training for the research framework at the core of this project.
- Assist with the development and long-term roadmap of the integrated system overseeing design, implementation, evaluation, documentation, and testing.
- Support coordination of students, providing guidance to ensure high-quality contributions and timely progress.
- Activities are primarily performed in an environmentally controlled office setting, with extended periods of sitting, working at a computer, and participating in virtual and in-person meetings
- Work is performed in a fast-paced, dynamic environment requiring the ability to manage multiple priorities, respond to changing needs, and meet deadlines.
- The position is open to in-person, hybrid, or remote arrangements.
Qualifications
- Assistant Research Scientist - PhD and 3 years of research experience
- Associate Research Scientist - PhD and 5 years of research experience
- Research Scientist - PhD and 7 years of research experience
- Experience with complex systems approaches and ability to work across disciplines.
- Familiarity with large language models (LLMs) or natural language processing (NLP) for social science applications beyond prompt engineering.
- Background working in interdisciplinary and/or national security–adjacent research settings.
- Experience with or interest in grant writing and research program development.
Desired Technical Skills:
- Python, including common NLP and machine learning libraries (e.g., spaCy, Hugging Face, scikit-learn, PyTorch)
- Running jobs on high-performance computing (HPC) clusters
- Working with Google Cloud Platform
- Building applications with large language model (LLM) APIs
- Statistical analysis, including intercoder reliability and evaluation of classifier accuracy
- DevOps and workflow Automation
- Software engineering practices (e.g., version control, testing, code review)
Application Instructions
Only electronic submissions will be reviewed. Incomplete applications will not be considered. To apply for this position, submit the following required application materials:
- Cover letter
- A complete curriculum vitae
- The names and contact information of three references (name, position, title, organization, email, and phone number).
- Optional (I.e. statement of research, two or more peer-reviewed publications)
The initial application deadline is September 21, 2026. Applications will continue to be accepted on a rolling basis for a reserve pool. Applications in the reserve pool may then be reviewed in the order in which they were received until the position is filled.