Post Doctoral Research Associate

Post Doctoral Research Associate

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Please see Special Instructions for more details.

To apply, applicants should go to https://uta.peopleadmin.com/postings/34708and submit the following materials:

Required Documents:

• Curriculum Vitae
• Cover Letter describing the applicant's fit with transportation health and safety; experience with human-participant and behavioral research; relevant sensor, analytics, simulation, or digital-twin expertise and how it has been or could be applied to individual-level driving decisions and safety; community or partner engagement experience
• One representative writing sample for which the applicant played a substantial authorship role, such as a peer-reviewed article, dissertation chapter, or technical report
• Contact information for 3 references
• Applicants may also include an optional link to a code repository, technical portfolio, data visualization, or decision-support tool

Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. Applicants are encouraged to apply early for the best consideration.

Questions may be addressed to Dr. Kate Hyun at [email protected].

Posting Details

Position Information

Posting Number	F00796P
Position Title	Post Doctoral Research Associate
Department	Civil Engineering
Location	Arlington
Job Family	Faculty
Position Status	Full-time
Rank	Post-Doc
Work Hours	Standard
Open to	External and Internal
FLSA	Exempt
Duration	Job terminates
Pay Basis	Monthly
Benefits Eligible	Yes
Job Summary	The Department of Civil Engineering in the College of Engineering at the University of Texas at Arlington invites applications for a full-time Postdoctoral Research Associate in Transportation Health, Safety, and Human Behavior. The successful candidate will work under the supervision of Dr. Kate Hyun in the Sustainable Mobility and Resilient Transportation (SMART) Research Lab and support an interdisciplinary portfolio of sponsored research examining how individual-level decisions and behaviors influence transportation health and safety. Research with human participants is central to the position. The primary emphasis is on driving behavior and safety, including attention, risk assessment, learning and behavior change, and emerging technologies. Related applications may include novice and neurodivergent drivers, older adults, school-zone and community safety, vulnerable road users, and rural and Tribal transportation contexts. The postdoctoral researcher will integrate research involving human participants, behavioral analysis, and computational methods. Work will include designing and implementing mixed-method studies with human participants; collecting person-level sensor/simulator and field data; analyzing repeated-measures and multimodal behavioral data; developing behavior-informed simulations using digital twins; and evaluating education, technology, and infrastructure countermeasures. The role also includes project coordination, community engagement, technical and scholarly communication, proposal development, and student mentoring. Anticipated start date: January 15, 2027. This is a grant-funded appointment. Renewal, if offered, is contingent on satisfactory performance, continued funding, and University policy.
Benefits at UTA	We are proud to offer a comprehensive benefits package to all our employees at the University. To help you understand the full value of these benefits, we have created a tool that calculates the total worth of your compensation package. This tool takes into account all of the benefits that you are eligible for, including health insurance, retirement plans, and paid time off. To access this tool and learn more about the total value of your benefits, please click on the following link: https://resources.uta.edu/hr/services/records/compensation-tools.php
CBC Requirement	It is the policy of The University of Texas at Arlington to conduct a criminal background check on any applicant who is under final consideration for employment with the University. This position may have access to critical infrastructure as defined by Section 113.001(2) of the Texas Business and Commerce Code. If so, to be hired for and continue to be employed in this position you must maintain the security or integrity of the infrastructure as set forth in Texas Executive Order GA-48. By assuming this position, and if you have access to critical infrastructure, you authorize the University to conduct routine background checks.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities	Lead or co-lead multiple sponsored projects centered on transportation health and safety, human behavior, and individual-level decision making, coordinating tasks, schedules, deliverables, and communication across multidisciplinary teams Design and implement laboratory, field, and community-based studies involving human participants, including recruitment, screening, informed consent, retention, and participant safety procedures in accordance with approved protocols Plan and conduct behavioral data collection using methods such as surveys, interviews, focus groups, roadway observations, driving simulators, eye tracking, video, GPS or vehicle telematics, mobile devices, wearable or physiological sensors, and other field or laboratory instrumentation Apply appropriate behavioral, statistical, econometric, causal, spatial, machine learning, deep learning, computer vision, time-series, or mixed-methods approaches to understand driving decisions, risk, attention, and safety-related responses Build productive working relationships with federal, state, local, and Tribal transportation agencies; school districts; nonprofit organizations; industry partners; health and human-service organizations; community organizations; and research participants. Facilitate meetings, workshops, and participatory research activities and communicate technical information in an accessible and respectful manner Prepare high-quality peer-reviewed manuscripts, sponsor reports, technical memoranda, presentations, practitioner-facing products, data and code documentation, and research proposals Travel domestically for field data collection, partner meetings, community engagement, training, and conference or sponsor presentations, and perform other research-related duties consistent with the position
Required Qualifications	Ph.D. completed by the start date in civil engineering (transportation focused) or a closely related field with a research focus relevant to transportation health, safety, or human behavior Demonstrated experience designing or conducting empirical research involving human participants, such as behavioral experiments, surveys, interviews, field studies, simulator studies, or other laboratory or community-based research Demonstrated technical capability in advanced behavioral or transportation data analysis and in at least one of the following areas: sensor-based field or laboratory data collection, driving or traffic simulation, behavior-informed digital twins, machine or deep learning, or computer vision Excellent written, oral, visual, and interpersonal communication skills, including the ability to explain technical work clearly to both technical and nontechnical audiences. Demonstrated experience working directly with public agencies, community organizations, practitioners, research participants, or other external partners in a collaborative or community-engaged setting Evidence of scholarly and technical productivity, such as peer-reviewed publications, a dissertation, sponsor reports, conference presentations, or other substantive research products Ability and willingness to travel domestically, including occasional overnight travel, and to participate in field work or partner and community activities that may occur outside standard business hours
Preferred Qualifications	Experience conducting medical, clinical, or other human behavioral research involving human participants, including Institutional Review Board review, participant recruitment, informed consent, privacy and confidentiality, participant safety, and management of sensitive research data Experience applying machine learning, deep learning, computer vision, time-series or sequence modeling, or multimodal data fusion to person-level driving, safety, health, or behavioral data Experience designing and implementing community-participatory research, community-based participatory research, or other community-engaged research, including co-developing study questions or protocols, facilitating stakeholder input, conducting workshops or focus groups, incorporating community feedback, and translating findings into useful products or actions Experience working with public agencies, Tribal Nations, rural communities, schools, health or human-service organizations, nonprofit organizations, older adults, novice or neurodivergent drivers, youth, people with disabilities, or other community partners and participant groups Experience preparing competitive research proposals, managing sponsor-funded projects, producing practitioner-oriented deliverables, or presenting findings to sponsors and professional audiences
Special Conditions for Eligibility
Department Information	UTA’s College of Engineering provides highly trained engineers for the workforce in North Texas and beyond. We have graduated two astronauts, many successful entrepreneurs and dozens of executives at Fortune 500 companies. Our faculty have distinguished themselves on a global stage. We are fulfilling our mission to educate talented engineers who will immediately make an impact on their communities. The College is the most comprehensive engineering program in North Texas, with 12 baccalaureate, 13 Master’s and nine doctoral programs. The University is classified as a Research 1 University — Highest Research Activity by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, and the College of Engineering is the largest contributor to the University’s research enterprise with overall engineering-related research expenditures at UTA totaling more than $64 million. Students from around the world work with award-winning faculty in state-of-the-art facilities, acquiring the knowledge and skills they’ll need to create viable solutions to the most pressing problems of today and the future. The University of Texas at Arlington’s (UTA) Civil Engineering Department offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in civil engineering, architectural engineering, and construction management. The department is known for its research and teaching, and for providing innovative solutions to engineering challenges.
University Information	The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) is located in the heart of the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metroplex, a vibrant and diverse metropolitan area that is home to over 7 million people, one of the fastest-growing tech economies in the United States, and a wide array of arts, entertainment, and cultural activities. As a comprehensive teaching, research, and public service institution, UTA is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through scholarship and creative work. With an enrollment of more than 42,000 students, UTA is the second largest in the University of Texas System. As a result of its combination of rigorous academics and innovative research, UTA is designated as a Carnegie R-1 “Very High Research Activity” institution and nationally recognized for its commitment to student success and service. It ranks No. 5 in Military Times’ “Best for Vets: Colleges” and is the top university in North Texas for its graduates’ salaries (The Wall Street Journal). UTA is designated as both a Hispanic-Serving Institution and an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution and is No. 6 for undergraduate ethnic diversity in the United States (U.S. News & World Report, 2023). With a global alumni network of approximately 280,000 – including leaders at many of the 24 Fortune 500 companies headquartered in North Texas – UTA contributes an estimated $29 billion annually to the Texas economy. UTA is expanding its regional footprint by building a regional campus, called UTA West, in Parker County on the far west side of Fort Worth. It is scheduled to open in fall 2028. This initiative aligns with the university’s strategic growth and commitment to serving the broader community. Furthermore, UTA has launched the RISE 100 initiative, aiming to recruit 100 new tenure-system faculty to strengthen its research enterprise and leadership in key academic areas. Learn more at https://www.uta.edu/administration/president/strategic-plan/rise100. This is an exciting time to join UTA and contribute to its bold vision for the future.
Working Title
EEO Statement	It is the policy of The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA or The University) to provide an educational and working environment that provides equal opportunity to all members of the University community. In accordance with federal and state law, the University prohibits unlawful discrimination, including harassment, on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy, disability, genetic information, and/or veteran status. The University also prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender identity, and gender expression. Retaliation against persons who oppose a discriminatory practice, file a charge of discrimination, or testify for, assist in, or participate in an investigative proceeding relating to discrimination is prohibited. Constitutionally-protected expression will not be considered discrimination or harassment under this policy. It is the responsibility of all departments, employees, and students to ensure the University’s compliance with this policy.
ADA Accommodations	The University of Texas at Arlington is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If you require reasonable accommodation in completing this application, interviewing or otherwise participating in the employee selection process, please direct your inquiries to 817-272-5554 or email [email protected].

Posting Detail Information

Number of Vacancies	1
Desired Start Date	01/15/2027
Open Date	09/24/2026
Review Start Date
Open Until Filled	Yes
Special Instructions to Applicants	To apply, applicants should go to https://uta.peopleadmin.com/postings/34708and submit the following materials: Required Documents: Curriculum Vitae Cover Letter describing the applicant’s fit with transportation health and safety; experience with human-participant and behavioral research; relevant sensor, analytics, simulation, or digital-twin expertise and how it has been or could be applied to individual-level driving decisions and safety; community or partner engagement experience One representative writing sample for which the applicant played a substantial authorship role, such as a peer-reviewed article, dissertation chapter, or technical report Contact information for 3 references Applicants may also include an optional link to a code repository, technical portfolio, data visualization, or decision-support tool Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. Applicants are encouraged to apply early for the best consideration. Questions may be addressed to Dr. Kate Hyun at [email protected].

Requirement Questions

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

1. * Are you currently a UTA employee?
   • Yes
   • No
2. * If you are a current UTA employee, please provide the name and department of your current supervisor. (If not current employee, enter "N/A")

   (Open Ended Question)

Documents Needed To Apply

Required Documents

1. Curriculum Vitae
2. Cover/Interest Letter
3. Writing Sample

Optional Documents

1. Transcripts