DescriptionPosition Title: Research Assistant (Part-Time)
Schedule: Hybrid (remote + New York City as needed) Up to 5 hours per week
Timeline: May 4 - November 20, 2026
Location: 1 Washington Square North, NY, NY 10003
Study Title: Development and Pilot Testing of a Culturally Grounded AI Chatbot to Promote
Principal Investigators: Dale Maglalang, PhD (NYU Silver School of Social Work) and Raj Korpan, PhD (Computer Science, Hunter College, City University of New York)
- Assist with chatbot prototype development and testing
- Draft and refine chatbot-to-user prompts and dialogue flows
- Develop system instructions/style guidelines to guide LLM responses
- Support integration of curated content using retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) workflows
- Conduct internal testing and document bugs or safety concerns
- Assist with usability testing and summarize user feedback
- Attend regular team meetings
- Perform additional related duties as needed
This position is classified under the professional research staff category at NYU and does not qualify for visa sponsorship including STEM OPT extension. Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States for the duration of employment
Qualifications- Bachelor's degree in computer science, data science, human-computer interaction, information science, statistics, or related field
- Experience assisting on research or technical projects
- Experience with Python or similar programming language
- Familiarity with chatbots, conversational AI, or large language models (LLMs)
- Strong writing and organizational skills
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively
- Attention to detail and commitment to culturally grounded research
Preferred Education, Experience and Skills- Experience with prompt engineering, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), or LLM application development
- Experience working with APIs (e.g., OpenAI or similar tools)
- Experience with usability testing or human-centered design
- Interest in digital mental health or community-engaged technology
- Experience working with LGBTQ+ or Asian American communities
Application Instructions Apply Via Interfolio
In compliance with NYC's Pay Transparency Act, the hourly rate for this position is $20-$30. New York University considers factors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate's work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, as well as market and organizational considerations when extending an offer.