Stanford’s Asia-Pacific Research Center Invites Research Assistant Applications – U.S. Rivals Project at the Stanford Next Asia Policy Lab (SNAPL)

Stanford University’s Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (APARC) is hiring research assistants for the U.S. Rivals Project at the Stanford Next Asia Policy Lab (SNAPL) for the 2024 winter quarter. The selected candidate(s) will play a crucial role in using computational methods to advance our understanding of U.S. threat perception and construction. We are committed to fostering long-term collaborations among dedicated lab members. Successful candidates may have the opportunity for renewal across multiple quarters based on performance.

Project Overview: The U.S. Rivals Project is the keystone project of SNAPL that debunks the notion of a “new Cold War,” by comparing American rhetoric on China’s rise today with past rhetoric on Japan's ascent. As an RA on this project, you will contribute to groundbreaking research at the intersection of computer science and international relations, advancing methodological rigor in the conceptualization and measurement of threat perceptions, and facilitating informed policy-making on great power relations.

Responsibilities: 

The primary responsibilities of the research assistant will include:

1. Assisting in the scraping, preprocessing, and annotating textual data such as congressional debates and presidential speeches. 
2. Developing and fine-tuning multilabel classification models for analyzing political discourse.
3. Contributing to the visualization of project outcomes on our website to showcase research results to a broader audience.
4. Collaborating with a multidisciplinary team of researchers to contribute to research publications of the lab.
5. Staying abreast of the latest developments in NLP and related fields to contribute innovative research design to the project.
   

Qualifications: We are seeking candidates with the following qualifications:

1. Proficiency in programming languages such as Python and/or R and experience with relevant libraries.
2. Solid understanding of word embedding techniques and multilabel classification algorithms.
3. Experience in utilizing Shiny to create dynamic and interactive visualizations.
4. Robust problem-solving skills with a proactive and self-motivated approach to handling research tasks.
5. Effective communication and teamwork abilities.
   

This position is open to Stanford students only and will be in-person on campus for the winter 2024 quarter. 

The hourly pay rate is $17.25 for undergraduate students, $25 for graduate students. 

We require a weekly time commitment of 15-20 hours.

Application Process: Interested candidates should submit the following documents here by December 15, 2023, at 5:00 pm PT. We will consider only applications that include all supporting documents.

1. A current CV;
2. A cover letter (up to 1 page);
3. A link to a sample project showcasing relevant skills;
4. A Completed Student Information Sheet (please enter "SNAPL" for "Supervisor Name" field);
5. Arrange for a letter of recommendation from a faculty member to be sent directly to Irene Kyoung at SNAPLcontact@stanford.edu;

If you have any questions or require further information, please contact Irene Kyoung at SNAPLcontact@stanford.edu.