Evaluation and Research Scientist

Department

PSD Data Science:
Systems Administration

The Data Science Institute (DSI) executes the University of Chicago’s bold, innovative vision of Data Science as a new discipline. The DSI seeds research on the interdisciplinary frontiers of this emerging field, forms partnerships with industry, government, and social impact organizations, and supports holistic data science and AI education. The staff in the Data Science Institute support the University’s students and scholars, their shared ideals, and the core values that make the University a singular intellectual destination.

The Evaluation and Research Scientist will lead and support program evaluation and research projects focused on kindergarten–adult STEM education, with an emphasis on high school and postsecondary data science and AI education. The Evaluation and Research Scientist will report to the Director of Outlier Research and Evaluation and will work collaboratively with senior researchers, DSI colleagues, funders, and partner organizations. This role involves managing multiple stages of the research and evaluation process, including project design, literature reviews, instrument development, data collection and management, quantitative and qualitative analysis, IRB compliance, and the preparation of reports, presentations, manuscripts, and other written deliverables.

The Evaluation and Research Scientist will also contribute to funding strategy and proposal development, including identifying relevant funding opportunities, drafting research and evaluation plans, developing scopes of work, and preparing funder-facing materials for grants, contracts, and sponsored projects.

• Leads research and program evaluation projects related to STEM, data science, and AI education, while also supporting other projects across the team's research and evaluation portfolio.
• Manages program evaluation projects, including evaluation design, data collection planning, instrument development, analysis planning, reporting, and partner communication.
• Collaborates with senior researchers, research staff, DSI colleagues, funders, and partner organizations to design, implement, and disseminate research and evaluation work.
• Contributes to the development of evaluation frameworks, logic models, research questions, data collection strategies, analysis plans, and reporting structures.
• Leads or substantially contributes to IRB submissions, amendments, continuing reviews, and related compliance processes.
• Contributes to funding strategy and proposal development, including identifying relevant funding opportunities, drafting research and evaluation plans, developing scopes of work, and preparing proposal materials for grants, contracts, and sponsored projects.
• Drafts or contributes to proposal materials, including statements of need, background sections, project descriptions, research and evaluation activities, timelines, deliverables, and descriptions of organizational capacity or prior work.
• Serves as a resource to colleagues on research and evaluation procedures, data collection, analysis, reporting, IRB processes, and proposal development.
• Presents research findings at meetings and conferences, as well as to funding agencies. Conducts literature reviews. Develop and maintain liaisons and effective working relations with groups and individuals, agencies, and the public to encourage cooperative management strategies or to develop information and interpret findings.
• Guides data collection, evaluation and analysis. Designs and manages databases. Writes reports, articles and manuscripts.
• Performs other related tasks as needed.

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 5-7 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

• Experience with progressively responsible research, program evaluation, and/or STEM education experience.
• Substantial experience designing, managing, and implementing program evaluation projects, preferably in education, workforce development, youth programming, higher education, informal STEM learning, or related settings.
• Experience leading research and/or evaluation projects with minimal guidance.
• Experience managing mixed-methods research or evaluation projects.
• Experience independently developing data collection instruments, analysis plans, reports, presentations, and partner-facing materials.
• Experience leading small to medium-size program evaluations and/or research projects.
• Experience seeking funding or contributing substantially to grant proposals, sponsored research applications, evaluation scopes of work, foundation/funder submissions, contract proposals, or related funding materials.
• Experience contributing to funder reports, grant deliverables, scopes of work, budgets or budget narratives, and proposal timelines.
• Experience working with schools,…