Part-Time Research Assistant

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College of Arts & Sciences

Time Type:

Part time

Job Type:

Casual

FLSA Status:

Non-Exempt

Excluded

Summary:

The Research Assistant will support ongoing research in responsible AI, multimodal machine learning, and identity representation, contributing to funded projects supported by IDFRA. The role ensures continuity of research outputs following graduation and supports book preparation, experimentation, and implementation.

  

Essential Functions:

1.) Research Implementation and Experiments

• Develop and test machine learning models (Python-based).

• Support multimodal embedding and representation learning pipelines.

       

2.) Data Processing and Analysis

• Clean, preprocess, and manage datasets.

• Implement feature extraction and evaluation pipelines.

3.) Research Documentation and Writing

• Contribute to manuscripts, reports, and technical documentation.

• Assist in literature reviews and synthesis.

4.) Model Evaluation and Validation

• Perform benchmarking and validation experiments.

• Analyze robustness, bias, and interpretability.

5.) Collaboration and Meetings

• Participate in weekly research meetings.

• Coordinate with collaborators across departments.

6.) Tooling and Infrastructure Support

• Maintain reproducible workflows (Git, environments, etc.).

• Assist with experiment tracking and deployment.

Competencies:

• Serving Customers.

• Acquiring and Analyzing Information.

• Displaying Creativity.

• Prioritizing and Organizing.

• Supporting Coworkers.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work:

• Part-time.

• 20 hours per week.

• Continuation of the program/position is contingent upon external funding.

Salary Range:

• $20.00 - $25.00 per hour.

Required Education and Experience:

• Master's degree or equivalent.

• 1 - 3 years of relevant experience.

Other Duties:

• Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Benefits

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Other Details

• Hiring offers for this position are contingent on successful completion of a background check.

• Employees in staff positions at American University must deliver their services to the university from either the District of Columbia, Maryland, or Virginia, or perform work on-site at the university.

• Please note this job announcement is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

• American University is an E-Verify employer.

Current American University Employees

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Contact Us

For more information or assistance with the American University careers site, email theworkline@american.edu.

American University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action institution that operates in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. The university does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex (including pregnancy), age, sexual orientation, disability, marital status, personal appearance, gender identity and expression, family responsibilities, political affiliation, source of income, veteran status, an individual’s genetic information or any other bases under federal or local laws (collectively "Protected Bases") in its programs and activities.