Programmers for Metaknowledge Network

The Metaknowledge Network, a multi-university research network, invites applications for two Senior Programmers. Both programmers will be based at the associated Knowledge Lab within the Computation Institute at the University of Chicago (www.uchicago.edu), one of the leading research universities in the United States. Each position will be for 3 years, contingent on annual reappointment.

Metaknowledge research is an exciting new interdisciplinary field that blends Big Data, complex systems methods, and computational social science with insights from sociological, anthropological, historical, and philosophical approaches in order to develop "knowledge about knowledge." The Network will bring together domain scientists (e.g., biology, physics, social science) with computer scientists who have a history of building novel computational tools for complex data extraction, modeling and analysis. Network researchers will develop new tools to investigate the knowledge-making processes that give current knowledge its shape and limits, and thereby develop new approaches to go beyond those limits and address new questions. Network members are on the faculty of Duke, Harvard, Northwestern, Princeton, Stanford, the University of Washington, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and UCLA, and include many of the founders and leaders of this exciting interdisciplinary area.

The positions require exceptional skills in computation and interdisciplinary collaboration. The Senior Programmers will collaborate with members of the network to build novel tools and refine existing tools to analyze data about knowledgemaking processes in a variety of disciplines and domains. Network projects will explore questions about the nature of exceptional scientific achievement, the character of highly generative ideas, and the role of research traditions and unstated assumptions or folk theories in shaping scientific research. These explorations will typically involve large quantities of texts, images, bibliographic and citation data, and domain-specific data. They will draw on a wide variety of information extraction, dimension reduction and probabilistic modeling approaches. The two Senior Programmers will assist in database organization, code development, parallel performance analysis, and the creation of automated tests, end-user interfaces, and robust data cleaning and analysis pipelines. The programmers will make the tools developed in the course of Network research efficient enough to perform on large corpora. The programmers will “wrap” the completed software for online sharing and possibly as web services. The programmers will also prepare data products required by network members, as well as for public dissemination. We particularly value specific skills in machine learning and AI, text-mining, graphical models, network analysis, dimension reduction techniques, databases, and high performance computing, although applicants needs not have all of these skills to apply.

Minimum qualifications for this position are a MS and 5 years professional programming experience OR a PhD or expected PhD (by Summer 2013) in computer science, informatics, applied mathematics, or related disciplines; strong computational skills; and a record of successful teamwork and collaboration. Preference will be given to candidates with experience in interdisciplinary research and previous experience in relevant areas. Women and members of underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply. An open mind and commitment to the broad goals of the Metaknowledge Network are a must.

Interested candidates must submit:

1. cover letter, describing your interest in and qualifications for pursuing interdisciplinary research in general and metaknowledge research in particular;
2. curriculum vitae (including publications list);
3. description of your computational skill and experience and a broad career trajectory (max. 2 pages), discussing how those skill will support the work of the network;
4. contact information for three or more scholars who know your work and are willing to write letters of reference;
5. one or more examples of working software you have written.

Send all inquiries to knowledge.lab.chicago@gmail.com. Applications and materials must be submitted electronically to through the University of Chicago jobs site: http://hrservices.uchicago.edu/jobs/.

We will accept applications from January through March 31, 2013 or until the position in filled and plan to interview promising candidates as applications arrive. We expect the Senior Programmers to begin their appointments in or around Summer 2013.

Compensation includes a competitive salary and benefits plan.