Social Science/Humanities Research Associate I Full-time NEW

Social Science/Humanities Research Associate I

Research Associate to set up and operate the lab's multimodal behavioral data collection infrastructure. Position is a one year fixed-term.

Purpose: Dr. Nicholas Duran, Associate Professor of Psychology at UT Austin, is building a new cognitive and behavioral data science lab and seeks a Social Science/Humanities Research Associate I to set up and operate the lab's multimodal behavioral data collection infrastructure. The role combines hands-on technical support, lab coordination, and data-processing assistance under the direct supervision of the Principal Investigator.

Responsibilities

• Set up, configure, and maintain hardware for multimodal behavior capture: motion-capture systems, cameras, microphones, and related multichannel recording equipment.
• Assist in developing and maintaining data-processing pipelines for audio, video, motion, physiological, and language channels.
• Apply automated tools, including large language models, for transcription, annotation, and feature extraction.
• Coordinate participant scheduling, room reservations, study protocols, and shared documentation.
• Assist the PI with onboarding, scheduling, and day-to-day task coordination of undergraduate research assistants.
• Support lab meetings (agendas, notes, action items).
• Manage purchasing, inventory, and room organization in collaboration with the PI and Psychology Business Office.
• Assist with data quality checks and routine analyses under PI supervision.
• Maintain shared drives and data consistent with IRB and UT data-management requirements.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in psychology, cognitive science, computer science, linguistics, data science, or related field.
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to work independently.
• Excellent written and oral communication.

Relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.

Preferred Qualifications

• One or more years of research-laboratory experience, or equivalent experience in a technical/data-collection environment.
• Hands-on experience setting up or maintaining lab equipment (computers, cameras, audio recorders, or comparable hardware).
• Coding experience with Python, R, or MATLAB.
• Experience with motion-capture systems (e.g., Vicon, OptiTrack, Qualisys, Captury) or other multichannel behavior-capture systems (eye-tracking, physiological recording, VR).
• Prior lab-management, project-coordination, or research-operations experience.
• Interest in communication, behavioral dynamics, language and motion research, or behavioral data science more broadly.

Salary Range

$35,000 – $45,000 annualized, depending on qualifications

Required Materials

• Resume/CV
• 3 work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor
• Letter of interest