COSMOS – Postdoctoral Fellow IV

Uasys; Little Rock (AR); On-site; USD 99,000 - 121,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Benefits Eligible

Job summary

University of Arkansas at Little Rock is seeking a Postdoctoral Fellow for the COSMOS Research Center to develop socio-computational models of cyber campaigns on social media. The role is full-time and on-campus, funded by grants, with renewal contingent on funding and performance.

The candidate will extract open-source data, build predictive models, and create usable tools while mentoring students and collaborating with the research team.

Qualifications

• The candidate must have a Ph.D. in Computer Science, Information Science, or related discipline.
• 4+ years of research in social media mining, computational modeling, SNA, and cyber campaigns.
• 3+ years of grant writing and management with proven track record.

Responsibilities

• Prepare, submit, and manage multiple extramural grants.
• Oversee multiple research projects with timelines and reports.
• Lead meetings, set agendas, and capture minutes.
• Develop new research ideas and strategic direction.
• Expand collaborations with the COSMOS Center.
• Conduct social media analysis, data preprocessing, and hypothesis testing.
• Analyze multimedia content across online information environments.
• Document findings via reports, publications, and talks.
• Develop software modules to translate research into tools.
• Mentor graduate students and manage team dynamics.

Skills

Data analysis & modeling

Machine learning & AI

Python

SQL

Pandas

NumPy

scikit-learn

Gensim

BERTopic

TensorFlow

PyTorch

LLMs

Data visualization

Matplotlib

Seaborn

Gephi

NetworkX

GitHub

Jupyter Notebooks

NLP & text mining

Social network analysis

Grant writing

Project management

Education

Ph.D. in Computer Science or Information Science

Tools

GitHub

ClickUp

Jupyter Notebooks

NetworkX

Gephi

Job description

All Job Postings will close at 12:01 a.m. CT on the specified Closing Date (if designated).

Type of Position:

Researchers

Workstudy Position:

No

Job Type:

Regular

Sponsorship Available:

No

Institution Name:

University of Arkansas at Little Rock

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock is a metropolitan research university that provides an accessible, quality education through flexible learning and unparalleled internship opportunities. At UA Little Rock, we prepare our more than 8,900 students to be innovators and responsible leaders in their fields. Committed to its metropolitan research university mission, UA Little Rock is a driving force in Little Rock's thriving cultural community and a major component of the city and state's growing profile as a regional leader in research, technology transfer, economic development, and job creation.

If you have a disability and need assistance with the hiring process please contact Human Resources at 501-916-3180.

For general application assistance or if you have questions about a job posting, please contact Human Resources at 501-916-3180.

Department:

COSMOS - Provisional Positions

Department's Website:

https://cosmos.ualr.edu/

Summary of Job Duties:

The Postdoctoral Fellow position is a full-time, provisional position with the COSMOS Research Center (cosmos.ualr.edu) at the University of Arkansas and is funded through a grant or contract. The position renewal is contingent upon continued grant funding and satisfactory job performance. Postdoctoral Fellow will develop socio-computational models to advance our understanding of cyber campaigns run on social media, grounded in the dynamics of various social and communication processes such as group formation, activation, decentralized decision-making, and collective action. Postdoctoral Fellow will help extract relevant open-source information in a guided snowball data collection manner by leveraging cyber forensics and deep web search-based methodologies. Postdoctoral Fellow will work with the research team in developing predictive models of various socio-technical behaviors on different social media platforms (including multimedia-rich platforms), and usable tools/software to identify key actors and key groups responsible for coordinating cyber campaigns and disseminating propaganda. This is an on-campus position. This position is governed by state and federal laws, and agency/institution policy.

The position reports to Prof. Nitin Agarwal ([e-mail]), Maulden-Entergy Endowed Chair & Donaghey Distinguished Professor, and Director, COSMOS Research Center at UA-Little Rock.

Qualifications:

Required Education and/or Experience:

• The candidate must have a Ph.D. degree in Computer Science, Information Science, or a related discipline;

• The candidate must have 4+ years of research experience in social media mining, computational modeling of social science theories, working with social network analysis tools, and examining cyber campaigns conducted on social media. The research experience must be demonstrated through published research articles in leading journals and conferences relevant to the topics mentioned above; and

• The candidate must have 3+ years of experience in grant writing and management. Grant writing experience must be demonstrated through a successful grant acquisition and management record.

Preferred Education and/or Experience:

• Candidates with extensive research experience in computer programming and data management will be given preference.

• Candidates with successful grant-writing experience and a strong publication record will be given preference.

Job Duties and Responsibilities:

• Prepare, submit, and manage multiple grants for extramural funding;

• Manage multiple projects (e.g., setting and tracking deadlines and progress of team members, providing reports to the supervisor);

• Lead project meetings, including agenda setting and minute-taking;

• Provide oversight for complex or multi-faceted research projects and help shape strategic direction;

• Contribute to the conceptualization and development of new research project ideas;

• Expand the collaboration network and partnerships with the Center;

• Conduct social media analysis to support research projects, including hypothesis generation, behavioral evaluation, data collection, cleaning, preprocessing, and analysis;

• Analyze multimedia-rich content within online information environments;

• Document and communicate research findings through reports, publications, and presentations at conferences, scientific venues, program reviews, and other professional settings;

• Develop and implement software modules to transition research outcomes into practical tools.

• Train stakeholders in the use and application of research methodologies and developed tools;

• Mentor and oversee graduate students involved in research, supporting their development and gaining valuable academic leadership experience;

• Perform other duties and provide additional support as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Expert in data analysis, modeling, machine learning, and AI, using Python and SQL, with extensive experience in libraries and frameworks such as Pandas, NumPy, scikit-learn, Gensim, BERTopic, TensorFlow, PyTorch, and LLMs;

• Expert in data visualization using Matplotlib, Seaborn, and ggplot2, and experienced in managing research projects with tools like Git/GitHub, ClickUp, and Jupyter Notebooks;

• Expert in NLP, text mining, and graph analytics, including the use of NLTK, spaCy, TextBlob, VADER, and transformer-based models (e.g., BERT, GPT);

• Expert in social network analysis (SNA) using NetworkX, igraph, and Gephi for complex network and graph-based data exploration;

• Successful research grant writing and management record for federal (e.g., NSF, DoD, NIH) and state (e.g., ARA) funding agencies and foundations;

• Expert in computational social science and social network analysis;

• Demonstrated expertise in social media mining and analysis of cyber campaigns;

• Extensive experience in studying multimedia-rich social media platforms and their impacts;

• Expert in qualitative data collection and analysis techniques;

• Proven ability to transition research into practical, user-oriented tools;

• Strong programming skills and experience with data management and analysis tools;

• Excellent interpersonal skills, with the ability to work effectively with individuals from diverse disciplinary backgrounds;

• Superior written and verbal communication skills, including public speaking, technical writing, and collaborative communication;

• Experience supervising and mentoring student researchers and managing team dynamics;

• Excellent organizational and project management skills with the ability to prioritize tasks and meet multiple deadlines;

• Ability to work independently and collaboratively within interdisciplinary research teams.

Additional Information:

Salary Information:

$110,000 annual

Required Documents to Apply:

Cover Letter/Letter of Application, Letters of Recommendation, Listing of Publications, List of five Professional References (name, email, business title), Resume, Statement of Research Philosophy

Special Instructions to Applicants:

Prof. Nitin Agarwal

Jerry L. Maulden-Entergy Chair and Donaghey Distinguished Professor

Director, COSMOS Research Center

All application materials must be uploaded to the University of Arkansas System Career Site https://uasys.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/UASYS

Pre-employment Screening Requirements:

Criminal Background Check, Sex Offender Registry

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock is committed to providing a safe campus community. We conduct background checks for applicants being considered for employment. Background checks include a criminal background check and a sex offender registry check. For certain positions, there may also be a financial (credit) background check, a Motor Vehicle Registry (MVR) check, and/or drug screening. Required checks are identified in the position listing. A criminal conviction or arrest pending adjudication or adverse financial history information alone shall not disqualify an applicant in the absence of a relationship to the requirements of the position. Background check information will be used in a confidential, non-discriminatory manner consistent with state and federal law.

The University of Arkansas is an equal opportunity institution. The University does not discriminate in its education programs or activities (including in admission and employment) on the basis of any category or status protected by law, including age, race, color, national origin, disability, religion, protected veteran status, military service, genetic information, sex, sexual preference, or pregnancy. Questions or concerns about the application of Title IX, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, may be sent to the University’s Title IX Coordinator and to the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights.

Persons must have proof of legal authority to work in the United States on the first day of employment.

All application information is subject to public disclosure under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act.

Constant Physical Activity:

Hearing, Manipulate items with fingers, including keyboarding, Repetitive Motion, Sitting, Standing, Talking, Walking

Frequent Physical Activity:

Hearing, Manipulate items with fingers, including keyboarding, Repetitive Motion, Sitting, Standing, Talking, Walking

Occasional Physical Activity:

Hearing, Manipulate items with fingers, including keyboarding, Repetitive Motion, Sitting, Standing, Talking, Walking

Benefits Eligible:

Yes