Social Science Data Center Ph.D. program begins

The Social Sciences Data Center is seeking Ph.D. students for programs beginning in August 2021. The Center is  co-directed by Faculty Associate Frauke Kreuter, Joint Program in Survey Methodology, and Brian Butler, Information Studies.

SoDa engages in applied research in support of social science and related areas including public health, economics, transportation, and education. As part of its mission, SoDa actively collaborates with other universities as well as corporates like Facebook.

The Survey Methodology PhD program positions will be integrated into SoDa’s ongoing research activities in survey methods, measurement, information management, visualization, and analytics. As an interdisciplinary program, we welcome students from diverse backgrounds who are interested in SoDa's research areas.

The awards will include tuition fees plus a stipend for living expenses and health care coverage under available university plans. 

As a PhD student, you will be part of an intellectually stimulating interdisciplinary research team. Your dissertation project may relate to at least one of SoDa’s research projects, initiatives, or activities. Example areas of work include:

1) Examining the use of smartphone applications for data collection.

The project will measure public transportation experiences among Baltimore City residents, particularly those in low-income neighborhoods that rely on bus and light rail systems. The research will focus on the impact of app design decisions on the quality of information collected.

2) Designing and deploying creative multimodal data collection solutions combining mobile, wearable, and embedded devices to capture a variety of self-tracking and labeling data from diverse groups such as older adults and children to understand and enhance their physical activity and health literacy.

3) Dividing lengthy surveys into shorter parts (modular design) to potentially reduce respondent burden.

4) Measuring food purchases and acquisitions using new and emerging technologies.

5) Content analysis and survey research on legal, sociotechnical, and data factors that contribute to decision-making and broader social trust in AI-based decisions.

6) Analysis of how ethics and politics are taught in data science, and how that teaching impacts data science practice.

How to apply

First, apply for the PhD program by January 8, 2021. For more information, please go to: https://academiccatalog.umd.edu/graduate/programs/survey-methodology-surv/

Second, submit a separate statement of interest (of no more than 1,000 words) for SoDa studentship funding by January 8, 2021. Your statement should describe a particular topic of interest and highlight why you want to pursue that research area. The project should relate to at least one current research project, research initiative, or activity at SoDa. Please submit to: socialdatascience@umd.edu.

For more information, contact socialdatascience@umd.edu