• discussion of a key research question at the heart of an article or major project
• conversation about methodological issues surrounding multi- or trans-disciplinary work
• presentation of key ideas in a working draft of a new paper
• exploration of opportunities and challenges surrounding digital and multi-modal scholarship
• consultation with other scholars about a grant or other major project proposal.

The Center for Social Science Scholarship (CS3) at UMBC is seeking a Graduate Research Assistant to support the development of training modules that integrate Large Language Models (LLMs) into R-based workflows. This position will directly contribute to a set of upcoming faculty and nonprofit trainings at UMBC.

Position Details:

• Pay Rate: $25/hour

• Hours: Up to 80 hours for the academic year (flexible scheduling)

• Start Date: Immediate / Fall 2025

• Application Date: For best consideration, apply by September 15, 2025

Responsibilities:

• Assist in the design and preparation of interactive training modules showcasing applications of LLMs in R.

• Support the integration of R, Quarto, and Ellmer-based workflows for reproducible research and training materials.

• Document and streamline workflows for both academic and applied audiences.

• Collaborate with the CS3 Team to ensure modules align with training goals.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with R programming and package development/workflows.

• Familiarity with Large Language Models (LLMs) and their application to data science, research, or training.

• Experience with Quarto for reproducible research and teaching.

• Knowledge of Ellmer or related tooling for LLM integration.

• Strong communication and documentation skills

This position is an excellent opportunity to gain hands-on experience at the intersection of computational social science, reproducible research, and LLM applications while contributing to faculty and nonprofit training capacity at UMBC.

To Apply: Please send a brief statement of interest, resume/CV, the names and contact information for at least one reference (faculty or professional only), and (if available) examples of relevant projects or code to socialscience@umbc.edu. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

The Center for Social Science Scholarship (CS3) is proud to share that Dr. Eric Stokan, Director of CS3 and Associate Professor of Political Science, has been awarded the prestigious Elkins Professorship.

This honor recognizes Dr. Stokan’s innovative work at the intersection of public administration, computational methods, and applied social science. Support from the Elkins Professorship will advance the development of an open-source forthcoming book that aims to bridge cutting-edge computational tools with core questions in public management, public policy, and local governance.

Furthermore, the award will enable the creation of new training modules in computational social science and Large Language Models (LLMs), to be offered through CS3 to the UMBC community and beyond. These modules will expand opportunities for faculty, students, and community partners to gain hands-on experience with methods that are rapidly transforming research, teaching, and practice in the social sciences. Look for forthcoming details about these sessions at socialscience.umbc.edu.

We look forward to supporting this important work and to sharing these resources with the broader UMBC community and beyond. Congratulations to Dr. Stokan on this achievement!

September 3 | 12-1pm | University Center, 310

Dr. Jennifer Mata-McMahon, Professor, UMBC Dept. of Education

All members of the department, partners/collaborators, and students/faculty from other departments and institutions are invited to attend.  Lunch will be provided by the department.  Register here.  

See the attached flyer for a list of future sessions this semester.