Postdoctoral Research Scholar in Natural Language Processing/Human Evidential Reasoning

The School of Social and Behavioral Sciences (SSBS) at Arizona State University (ASU) invites applications for a postdoctoral research scholar with interests in Natural Language Processing and/or human evidential reasoning. The successful candidate will work closely with Dr. Nicholas Duran, Dr. Derek Powell, and collaborators at University of California, San Francisco and Kaiser-Permanente on a research project funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute. This project aims to use Large Language Models to gain insights about evidence-based discussions between patients and healthcare providers within a large dataset of patient-provider conversations. The anticipated start date is tentatively set for June 1, 2025, with flexibility. This is a 12-month, benefits-eligible position that is renewable for up to one year upon successful demonstration of academic productivity and performance. The salary is commensurate with experience.

Applications are invited from individuals who are interested in a position combining project management, machine-learning model development, data management/analysis, and manuscript writing for publication. Preference will be given to applicants with (1) experience with neural network training and language model fine-tuning; (2) background in natural language processing, linguistics, and/or human reasoning; (3) strong coding skills; and (4) strong conceptualization and writing skills. The successful candidate for this position will have the opportunity to work on a unique large-scale corpus of patient-provider messages as well as opportunities for supervision in their own independent research. 

About the School

The mission of the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences (SSBS) aligns with the values of a metropolitan research university, rooted in the belief that human behavior, social institutions, and culture are best understood through interdisciplinary perspectives that integrate a variety of intellectual and methodological approaches. Our dedicated team of educators, scholars, and staff are committed to embodying the ASU Charter in every aspect of our work. https://newcollege.asu.edu/ssbs  

Within the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, the Cognition, Behavior, and Information research cluster is a group of 5 research faculty whose research focuses on gaining psychologically-grounded insights from large-scale naturally occurring and experimentally collected data, and using cutting-edge quantitative methods to draw causal inferences about real-world problems.

For more information about the Cognition, Behavior, and Information research group, visit https://newcollege.asu.edu/cbi . 

About the New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences

At ASU’s New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences, we take pride in breaking down disciplinary barriers, cultivating an environment where innovative research flourishes. Our faculty are not just educators; they are trailblazers in their fields, consistently expanding the frontiers of knowledge. We invite you to join this dynamic community, where you will lead and engage in pioneering projects that redefine academic excellence.

Our interdisciplinary approach offers you unparalleled opportunities for personal and professional growth. By joining our faculty, you’re not just advancing your career; you’re shaping the future of education and research in meaningful ways. You’ll be empowered to innovate and address complex global challenges, all while preparing the next generation of leaders. We are committed to supporting and guiding you throughout your academic journey, ensuring that your contributions are impactful and transformative. For more information visit us at https://newcollege.asu.edu/ . 

New College is located on ASU’s West Valley campus, blending a liberal arts education with 21st-century workforce preparation and a learning hub for students of all ages and backgrounds supporting the rapid growth of its surrounding 14 communities. Integrating modern amenities with the natural beauty of outdoor spaces, the West Valley campus offers over 125 undergraduate and graduate degree programs across business, engineering, education, and the New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences. 

About Arizona State University

Arizona State University, ranked the No. 1 “Most Innovative School” in the nation by U.S. News & World Report for ten years in succession, has forged the model for a New American University . Year after year, ASU ranks at or near the top of the list in areas that matter. ASU is a comprehensive public research institution, measured not by whom it excludes, but by whom it includes and how they succeed; advancing research and discovery of public value; and assuming fundamental responsibility for the economic, social, cultural and overall health of the communities it serves. ASU operates on the principles that learning is a personal and original journey for each student; that they thrive on experience and that the process of discovery cannot be bound by traditional academic disciplines. Through innovation and a commitment to accessibility, ASU has drawn pioneering researchers to its faculty even as it expands opportunities for qualified students, attracting some of the highest- quality students from all 50 states and more than 130 nations. To learn more about ASU, visit http://www.asu.edu .

All we do at ASU is guided and inspired by the ASU Charter, which reads: 

ASU is a comprehensive public research university, measured not by whom it excludes, but by whom it includes and how they succeed; advancing research and discovery of public value; and assuming fundamental responsibility for the economic, social, cultural and overall health of the communities it serves.

Successful candidates will demonstrate throughout their materials how their teaching and research will contribute to the fulfillment of this charter. 

Essential Functions

• Design, code, and manage pipelines for training, fine-tuning, and testing machine learning and language models for text classification
• Support and help to manage an interdisciplinary, multi-institution research team
• Develop independent research contributing to the ASU-wide “Cognition, Behavior, and Information” research cluster that explores large-scale naturalistic and experimentally-collected data for the purpose of generating new insights about psychological processes
• Publish high quality research in the fields of machine learning, computational linguistics, cognitive psychology, and/or related fields
• Effectively supervise and mentor undergraduate and graduate students
• Represent program, school, and university interests at professional academic conferences and meetings