Job Vacancies

Within the Stuttgart Research Focus “Interchange Forum for Reflecting on Intelligent Systems – IRIS”, the team led by Dr. Cornelia Sindermann (https://www.iris.uni-stuttgart.de/people/Sindermann/ ) is seeking to hire a

Student Research Assistant (m/f/d)

(preferably with a bachelor’s degree already achieved) to actively support the team’s research projects. The scope of work is 20 to around 40 hours/month (equal to a 520€ job) for an initial contract period until the end of 2023 with the possibility of an extension. The remuneration (for an assistant with a bachelor's degree) is currently 12.87€ per hour.

WHO WE ARE

Our team investigates how intelligent systems impact the way information is created, distributed, and presented to individuals online. Thereupon, we are interested in figuring out how this affects information consumption and processing by different individuals as well as their political opinion formation (extremization, polarization, radicalization), respectively. The spread of “fake news,” the creation of “filter bubbles” or “echo chambers,” as well as the consequences of those phenomena are examples of research topics that are of interest to the team. Our research approach combines self-report, experimental, and digital trace data to examine the aforementioned research questions.

YOUR TASKS

• Literature research for scientific studies and study development
• Support in the creation and testing of materials for experiments
• Support in the development, programming, and testing of online studies using Qualtrics Core XM
• Recruitment of research participants
• Checking statistical analyses of behavioral data and verifying results using software like R or Python (descriptive and inferential statistics, including path models, generalized linear models, multi-level models, machine learning approaches, etc.)
• Proofreading and reviewing manuscripts prior to submission to scientific journals and, if necessary, formatting manuscripts according to the journal’s requirements (formatting of references is NOT expected).

YOUR PROFILE¹

Required:

• Enrollment at a German university
• Interest in the research conducted by our team, i.e., research at the intersection of psychology, political science, computer science, and media and communication sciences
• Experience in conducting literature research
• Knowledge of experimental study designs
• Solid knowledge of statistical analysis/data science in R, Python, or comparable software
• Confident handling of all MS-Office programs
• High proficiency in written and spoken English
• Independent, structured, and reliable way of working
• Initiative, creativity, friendliness, and ability to work in a team

Nice to have:

• Willingness to make suggestions for study improvement
• Experience in scientific working
• Experience in working with Qualtrics Core XM or similar software
• Previous experience in conducting advanced statistical analyses (machine learning approaches, multi-level models, etc.) and working with digital trace data

WHAT WE OFFER

• Opportunity to gain exciting insights into the scientific work process and learn about every step of a research project
• Flexible working hours with the option to work remotely most of the time
• A supportive, open-minded and friendly working environment as part of a young research team

CONTACT AND APPLICATION

Please include the following documents in your application:

• A short cover letter & your curriculum vitae
• Supporting documents including your study certificate (courses attended need to be listed)

and send it as a single PDF document (max 5 MB) via email with the subject “HiWi application” followed by your name until 19.05.2023 to: cornelia.sindermann@iris.uni-stuttgart.de

For questions regarding this job offer, please contact Dr. Cornelia Sindermann.

We look forward to receiving your application! 

¹ Note that the position can be split, and you might also apply if only part of the profile fits to you.

The Independent Research Group in the field of Ethics of Generative AI headed by Dr. Thilo Hagendorff invites applications for a

Student Research Assistant (f/m/d) – 20h per month

Join the Independent Research Group if you’re interested in research related to generative AI, machine behavior, large language models, and their ethical implications. The group is part of the project Reflecting Intelligent Systems for Diversity, Demography, and Democracy (IRIS3D) and is located at the University of Stuttgart, Germany.

Details

We are currently seeking a research assistant with excellent English language skills and programming knowledge in Python. The ideal candidate will be passionate about interdisciplinary research, AI Ethics as well as large language models. Ideally, the candidate is proficient in psychology, too. The candidate should be motivated to contribute to research, proposals, papers, and experiments in the mentioned fields. Your responsibilities comprise, among others:

• Assist in conducting research on topics related to generative AI systems
• Help composing, formatting, and submitting research proposals
• Proof-read English documents
• Conduct literature search

Requirements

• You’re studying computer science, psychology, or related subjects and are interested in interdisciplinary research
• Excellent English language skills (C1 level or native speaker)
• Programming knowledge in Python or experience in working with LLMs like GPT
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills
• Ability to work independently and manage time effectively

How to apply

Please submit your application, including a CV, a brief statement of interest, and potentially relevant publications or writing samples, to thilo.hagendorff@iris.uni-stuttgart.de (in a single PDF file) by 30.07.2023. The initial contract will be for 1 year.

The University of Stuttgart would like to increase the proportion of women in the scientific field and is therefore particularly interested in applications from women. Severely disabled persons are given priority in the case of equal suitability. Information on how the University protects personal data under Article 13 of the GDPR can be found via the following link: https://www.uni-stuttgart.de/en/privacy-notice/job-application

We look forward to your application!