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Assistant Research - Data Science Studies - Berkeley Institute for Data Science (BIDS)

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Position description

The Berkeley Institute for Data Science (BIDS) invites applications for our open Assistant Researcher – Data Science Studies position. The DSS researcher will join a community of strong researchers, practicing data scientists, and academic and administrative leaders convinced of the value of data science studies to help in establishing a new model for data science in the university, with a strong sense of collaboration, openness and respect.

The anticipated start date of this position is March 2019. This is a two-year full-time (100%) position with the possibility of renewal based on performance and availability of funding.

Background

The Berkeley Institute for Data Science (BIDS) was established in late 2013 with a $12.5 million grant from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, as well as contribution from the University of California, Berkeley. The institute’s mission was originally stated as advancing scientific discovery through collaboration across research domains. In its first five years, BIDS has come to play a major role in bringing data science to the forefront of academic research and training at Berkeley.

BIDS is poised to play an increasingly important role at the university, as it further organizes to advance data science methodology, practice, and theory. In October 2018, the university announced that BIDS will become part of a new Division of Data Science and Information (provisional name, hereafter, “the Division”), stating that the Institute “has facilitated and nurtured data-intensive research, helped establish the conditions for today’s announcement, and will continue to play an important leading role bridging the inherently interdisciplinary research of the new division.”

To fulfill this role, BIDS is expanding its research and professional staff – and is seeking colleagues who can add to our culture of collaboration with impact and to the strong working relationships which distinguish the Institute and the Division.

Position Description

The Assistant Researcher – Data Science Studies (DSS) conducts and coordinates research about the people, practices, projects, infrastructures, institutions, and impacts of data science. S/he produces and supports a wide range of empirical and qualitative research products, including reports from direct observation, immersion, interviews, and participation in data science research and training at BIDS, the Division, and partner organizations. Research outcomes can also include surveys, historical research, and quantitative analyses of data, code, and publication repositories. The scope of the position’s research is not limited to BIDS or UC-Berkeley: the researcher is expected to have established connections and relationships in the worldwide ecosystem of data science studies.

The researcher stays at the forefront of research areas and methods related to the social study of science and technology. S/he is expected to publish regularly and meet the standard academic expectations for advancement in the Professional Researcher series at UC Berkeley. Key to performing well in this position is coordinating with other social scientists who conduct research and teach in related areas and units, such as by serving as a liaison to the Center for Science, Technology, Medicine, and Society (CTMS) and to the School of Information. The researcher supports BIDS and other UC-Berkeley researchers through individual advising and group events.

In addition, within a year of accepting the position, the researcher, working with the BIDS and Division leadership, will develop and implement a comprehensive proposal for a data science studies research program / group within BIDS. The envisioned mission of the group is to make BIDS and UC-Berkeley a world-leader in reflecting on how data- and computationally-intensive knowledge production should be practiced, organized, and sustained. A key component of the proposal will be a plan for funding the group long term. Once the group is established, the researcher’s position will involve a combination of conducting original research, writing individual and collaborative grants to support the group’s activities, supervising researchers directly funded by DSS grants, and supporting BIDS and other UC-Berkeley researchers in this area through individual advising and group events.

Finally, the position will also involve service within BIDS and UC-Berkeley around topics like strategic planning for data science initiatives, as well as participation in various cross-institutional initiatives in data science (e.g. the Moore-Sloan Data Science Environments or the NSF Big Data Hub and Spokes). The researcher may be tasked to assist other staff by providing comments and recommendations about internal processes within BIDS, applying best practices resulting from her/his and others’ research in data science studies. In addition, the researcher may be asked to help coordinate with external evaluation firms or groups tasked with such efforts. The researcher is likely to be called upon to represent the institute and the Division to constituents outside of UC Berkeley, such as donors and delegations.

Detailed Responsibilities

● Conducts and coordinates others’ empirical research about the people, practices, projects, infrastructures, institutions, and impacts of data science, often in collaboration with partners:
○ Collects and curates data using best practices in research methods
○ Analyzes data using a variety of methods, as appropriate to the research project
○ Presents preliminary findings internally in BIDS and across UC-Berkeley at various stages in the research process
○ Advises BIDS and the Division in implementing best practices suggested by the findings
○ Submits research findings for publications and presents them at leading conferences and events, both for fields focused on meta-research (e.g. science & technology studies, computer-supported cooperative work) and on data science more broadly

● Studies how data science research and training is done and where improvements can be made (conducts meta-research), including:
○ Providing individual consultation or advise to data science researchers and practitioners who are planning or conducting their own studies, referring them to relevant experts as needed
○ Hosting regular events that bring together people inside and outside BIDS and the Division who are conducting empirical research about data science, further building an interdisciplinary research community
○ Hosting public-facing events that showcase data science studies research to various stakeholders

● Plans and implements strategies to establish and fund a sustainable data science studies research program / group at BIDS.
○ Work with advisors and data science practitioners on the overall design of the program and group
○ Develop timelines and plans for designing and conducting the group’s research projects
○ Develop timelines and plans for the group’s internal and external-facing events in support of various projects
○ Write grants to support the group’s research and outreach activities

● Plans and leads the group’s research projects, individually and in collaboration with partners as relevant, including:
○ Reviewing relevant literatures across disciplines
○ Selecting research questions, sites, and subjects
○ Developing analytical approaches
○ Designing data collection instruments like surveys, interview guides, and scrapers

● Conducts academic service as is generally expected of those in the Assistant Researcher series and as is described above.

Basic Required Qualifications (at time of application):

● PhD or equivalent international degree

Preferred Qualifications
● PhD or equivalent degree in a relevant field of social scientific research.
● Record of conducting social science research projects, including research design, data collection, analysis, and writing
● Record of leading collaborations with researchers from computer sciences, statistics, and multiple ‘domain’ fields spanning the natural and social science, the humanities, and the professions.
● Experience with common data science methods, platforms, workflows, and infrastructures; with data management systems, practices, and standards; and the capacity to gain familiarity with new related topics
● Experience engaging with highly technical researchers across a variety of methodological fields, research domains, and computational platforms
● Experience writing grant proposals and managing research projects
● Interpersonal skills to work with faculty, students, and staff at various levels inside and outside the organization and its constituents
● Skills to communicate complex information in a clear and concise manner both verbally and in writing
● Strong capacity for teamwork, collaborative, critical thinking, and attention to detail.
● Knowledge of ethical practices and protections in human subjects research
● Ability to multi-task with demanding timeframes in a fast-paced, fluid research environment

Salary: Starting salary will be commensurate with experience.

To apply for this position go to: http://aprecruit.berkeley.edu/apply/JPF02015

References
3 References required (contact information only): Letters of reference will only be solicited for finalists.

Letters of recommendation are not required at this time. If requested, they will be treated as confidential per University of California policy and California state law. Please refer potential referees, including when letters are provided via a third party (i.e., dossier service or career center), to the UC Berkeley statement of confidentiality (http://apo.berkeley.edu/evalltr.html) prior to submitting their letters.

This position is opened until filled.

Please direct inquires to: bids@berkeley.edu

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age or protected veteran status.

For the complete University of California nondiscrimination and affirmative action policy see: http://policy.ucop.edu/doc/4000376/NondiscrimAffirmAct. The Department is interested in candidates who will contribute to diversity and equal opportunity in higher education through their work.

Application Requirements

Document requirements
  • Curriculum Vitae - Your most recently updated C.V.

  • Cover Letter

Reference requirements
  • 3 required (contact information only)

Job location

Berkeley, California