Social Science/Humanities Research Associate I.

The University of Texas at Austin; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 36,000 - 44,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Texas at Austin is seeking a Social Science/Humanities Research Associate I to assist with laboratory management and coordination of studies under Professor Lori Holt. The role includes coordinating day-to-day operations, managing data collection, and supporting research projects related to auditory processing.

This is a fixed 2-year position with a salary of $40,000 annually. The ideal candidate should have a BA or BS in a related field, fluency in English, and strong interpersonal and communication skills.

Qualifications

• Fluency in speaking and writing in English.
• Flexibility and an ability to learn quickly.
• Strong initiative in consistently and creatively meeting project goals.

Responsibilities

• Assist the PI with training laboratory members and maintaining lab documentation.
• Collect in‑person data.
• Draft and edit research reports, with supervision.

Skills

Fluency in English

Excellent interpersonal skills

Strong written and oral communication skills

Curiosity and willingness to learn

Accuracy and attention to detail

Education

BA or BS in psychology, cognitive science, neuroscience, or related field

Tools

Python

R

Matlab

Job description

Job Title

Social Science/Humanities Research Associate I

Position Details

Hiring Department: College of Liberal Arts

Weekly Scheduled Hours: 40

FLSA Status: Non-Exempt from FLSA

Earliest Start Date: Immediately

Position Duration: Expected to Continue Until May 31, 2028

Location: UT MAIN CAMPUS

Job Summary

Professor Lori Holt, Principal Investigator, seeks a Research Associate to assist with laboratory management and coordination of studies. The candidate will work closely with Professor Holt to coordinate day-to-day lab operations and research, including data collection both online and in person. This is a fixed 2‑year position.

The primary research focuses on the cognitive and neural bases of auditory processing, especially speech, among adult participants. Current federally funded projects involve learning, selective attention, natural communication, and psychophysics. Laboratory studies use multimodal behavioral data, eye tracking, computational modeling, and electroencephalography.

Responsibilities

• Assist the PI with training laboratory members and maintaining lab documentation.
• Assist with new experiment set‑ups (hardware and software).
• Collect in‑person data.
• Summarize data with supervision.
• Draft and edit research reports, with supervision.
• Coordinate laboratory meetings.
• Search and summarize the literature.
• Assist with grant reporting, ethics approvals, financial reconciliation, and laboratory record‑keeping.
• Coordinate, train, and work with undergraduate research assistants.
• Provide research support to laboratory team members.
• Perform related duties as needed to advance the research project.

Required Qualifications

• BA or BS in psychology, cognitive science, neuroscience, or related field.
• Fluency in speaking and writing in English.
• Flexibility and an ability to learn quickly.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Strong initiative in consistently and creatively meeting project goals.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to work independently as well as part of a scientific team.
• Curiosity and willingness to learn new skills independently.
• Accuracy and attention to detail and high levels of organization.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior research experience.
• Coding experience (Python, R, Matlab, etc.).
• Statistics training.
• Previous exposure to auditory cognitive neuroscience or strong interest in perception, learning, cognition, or related fields.

Salary Range

$40,000 annually

Working Conditions

The position will involve working in a standard office environment, with the potential for repetitive use of a keyboard at a workstation.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The University of Texas at Austin, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.