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Research Scientist: Plural Connections Group
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Position Number: 5213739
Location: Boston, MA
Position Type: Computer and Information Technology

Research Scientist: Plural Connections Group

About the Opportunity

The organization

Plural Connections is an interdisciplinary research and action lab based at Northeastern University that explores how computational and design-based methods can help advance pluralism: a positive response to diversity in society. Our mission is to use tools from data science and design to promote educational, economic, and social well-being by fostering inclusive connections across lines of difference.

Given this broad mission, our group works across a number of topics and domains, with a particular focus on:

Inclusive education - We explore how data and technology can help embed learners of all ages in networks full of resources, social capital, wisdom, and diverse ways of thinking to help them pursue trajectory-altering, quality education.

Mindful media consumption and sharing - what we read and share on digital communications platforms shapes our biases, beliefs, and actions in "the real world". We explore how we might foster more reflective, mindful media consumption and sharing to replace polarization with curiosity and compassion for those who are different from us.

You can learn more about past and ongoing projects here, and more about our team here.

What you'll be working on

You will help lead project management, strategy, and qualitative research for a new sociotechnical system for facilitating community engagement around changing school attendance boundaries in ways that seek to foster more diverse and integrated schools. Despite nearly 70 years since legally-mandated racial integration in US schools, schools remain highly segregated due to a number of factors, adversely affecting the life outcomes of millions of children. Our early work on this topic has used algorithms to show that it may be possible to design policies that could foster more integrated schools without significantly disrupting families' day-to-day experiences, e.g., through longer travel times to schools (more here).

We are now working with several school districts to translate this work into practice. One enduring gap continues to be the existence of tools, frameworks, and systems for supporting constructive community engagement around student assignment policymaking. Boundary changes are highly political and contentious. Community engagement processes often elevate the loudest voices. Sometimes, these processes can devolve into polarized/toxic discussions that ultimately impede the passage of equity-promoting student assignment policies. We are therefore aiming to develop and test new engagement systems for community members-especially those from traditionally underrepresented and "underheard" groups-to share their voices and views on potential policies, so that districts design and ultimately implement initiatives that reflect both what the community wants and what might advance broader social objectives. Technology can't solve this problem alone, but we believe that technology-couched in an appropriate socio-technical infrastructure-might help address some of these challenges.

The successful applicant to this role will perform the following functions:

Drive project management, coordination, and planning - the project team will consist of approximately 4-5 other individuals, along with external district collaborators, so both strategic planning and coordination across the team to keep the project progressing will be very important 🙂
Drive the qualitative research aspects of the project - namely, designing, facilitating, and analyzing outputs from community conversations (with analysis support from graduate student(s) and advisory from other qualitative researchers)
Periodically support the design and technical aspects of the project, including: running boundary simulations, helping to build out parts of the boundary engagement platform, and other activities.

Qualifications

Passion for education and advancing more equitable life outcomes
Passion for using data, technology, and design to address seemingly intractable social challenges
Comfort with using Python (including Pandas) to manipulate and analyze large datasets
Experience with qualitative research, including conducting interviews and focus groups; thematic coding/content analysis; etc.
Strong project management and planning skills and an eye for the details; and
Intellectual curiosity you aren't afraid to ask for help, but you also relish exploring independently to figure out bugs/challenges and learn about new topics

What you'll get from us

Chance to be part of a new startup research lab trying to use advanced technological and computational methods for social good
Mentorship from a diverse team of researchers, engineers, and designers with experiences in top-tier companies and academic settings
Chance to drink from the firehose in terms of building new technological and academic skills given we are a start up, there's going to be a lot of opportunity to dabble in different parts of the broader project!
Chance to materially influence how our lab operates, in order to shape the educational opportunities of children and families around the US (and, through research publications, perhaps even the world)

This job will be located on the Northeastern University Campus, Boston, MA or hybrid/remote.

The successful candidate will be classified as a full-time, benefits-eligible Research Scientist at Northeastern University. The Fellowship will last for one year (Approx. May 1, 2024 through May 31, 2025), with potential possibilities to extend afterwards.

Position Type

Research

Additional Information

Northeastern University considers factors such as candidate work experience, education and skills when extending an offer.

Northeastern has a comprehensive benefits package for benefit eligible employees. This includes medical, vision, dental, paid time off, tuition assistance, wellness & life, retirement- as well as commuting & transportation. Visit https://hr.northeastern.edu/benefits/ for more information.

Northeastern University is an equal opportunity employer, seeking to recruit and support a broadly diverse community of faculty and staff. Northeastern values and celebrates diversity in all its forms and strives to foster an inclusive culture built on respect that affirms inter-group relations and builds cohesion.

All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

To learn more about Northeastern University's commitment and support of diversity and inclusion, please see www.northeastern.edu/diversity.

To apply, visit https://northeastern.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/careers/job/Boston-MA-Main-Campus/Research-Scientist--Plural-Connections-Group_R124341