[CogSci] Research Technician: Developing an Open-Source Ecosystem for Next-Generation Cognitive Science

[Joshua Hartshorne]

*Research Technician: Developing an Open-Source Ecosystem for
Next-Generation Cognitive Science*


Language Learning Laboratory, Department of Psychology & Neuroscience,
Boston College (PI Joshua Hartshorne) seeks a research technician for an
NSF-funded project to accelerate the pace of scientific discovery by orders
of magnitude. *The ideal candidate* will be a recent graduate who is
considering future graduate studies and who has a strong technical
background, ideally including some Web development experience.


*Project background*: Although some questions psychologists care about
involve comparing only two conditions to each other, most require teasing
apart the contributions of many intertwined variables. In the past, this
has required hundreds, if not thousands, of studies across numerous
laboratories, each targeting a specific variable, population, or stimulus
set. In recent years, an increasing number of laboratories have used
Internet-enabled "citizen science" to effectively run these hundreds of
studies all at once (see "A thousand studies for the price of one
<https://link.springer.com/article/10.3758/s13428-018-1155-z>"; for
examples, see here
<https://l3atbc-public.s3.amazonaws.com/pub_pdfs/ChenHartshorne2021.pdf>,
here <https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.1200196109>, and here
<https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0956797613498396?casa_token=ubCD4AipW5MAAAAA%3ABS9izNp9WdQdr1rw9cEhM22winRbhVd2Cd5yBDTyXH_hG-_P15MCRBOiFKQx91B9YBIGXIluA78w>).
Frequently, the findings have prompted wholesale revision of theory (ex:
here
<https://d2dg4e62b1gc8m.cloudfront.net/pub_pdfs/HartshorneGermine2015.pdf>,
here <https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0896627312005843>,
and here
<https://s3.amazonaws.com/l3atbc-public/pub_pdfs/JK_Hartshorne_JB_Tenenbaum_S_Pinker_2018.pdf>
).


In principle, such studies could be much more frequent. Our group recently
received one-year pilot funding from the National Science Foundation to
build out our open-source software ecosystem for massive online
experiments: Pushkin.


*The position*: The technician will help run trainings, develop tutorials
and documentation, and help develop workable plans for user support and
future sustainability. The technician will be directly involved in helping
our partners develop new, massive online experiments. As part of liaising
with our collaborators, the technician will go on four fully-paid two-week
site visits to collaborating sites around the country.


Note that while the technician should be familiar with Web development and
will have the opportunity to learn a great deal more on the job, this is
not a software development position. It is also not a traditional "lab
manager" position. The technician will be serving primarily in a research
and development support role.


*Required qualifications*:


   - A B.A. or equivalent in a relevant field.
   - Strong quantitative & technical skills.
   - Ability to work on teams.
   - Experience with javascript.

*Desired qualifications (not necessary, but strengthen the application)*:

   - Experience with Node & React
   - Experience running experiments online (e.g., through Prolific or AMT)
   - Research experience in psychology

This is a 12 month position. Extension may be possible but depends on
renewed funding. Salary is budgeted at $50,000 for one year, plus generous
benefits
<https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/offices/human-resources/sites/employee-handbook/benefits.html>
.


To apply, please send a CV, unofficial transcript, contact information for
2-3 references, and a cover letter explaining your interest in the position
to joshua.hartshorne at bc.edu. Questions can be address to the same address.
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