Research Director – National Tutoring Observatory, Information Science

Research Director – National Tutoring Observatory, Information Science

Cutting‑edge research is an integral part of the NTO’s mission. The successful candidate will work closely with Cornell faculty members and the project’s co‑principal investigators to oversee a cross‑organizational research team of postdoctoral associates, PhD students, and master’s or undergraduate students. The Research Director will lead communication with the Scientific Advisory Board and guide the research direction of the project.

The Research Director will generate scientific research that probes and enhances the quality of the MTM dataset and its data‑pipeline components, publish insights, and administer a mini‑grants program to engage a broader community of researchers and EdTech developers. Core work includes verifying data‑processing workflows, exploring effective tutoring moves, sharing best practices through publications and presentations, and overseeing the mini‑grants program.

• Leverage literature scans to build a theory of action and revise it with input from key partners.
• Engage with tutoring providers in regular meetings to identify common research questions.
• Engage a Scientific Advisory Board to support research direction.
• Establish a research roadmap outlining key milestones and deliverables by project phase.
• Gather requirements to ensure annotation models match user needs.
• Translate findings into engineering requirements for algorithms, models, and annotations.
• Design and lead validation studies testing AI‑powered annotations against human labels.
• Design and lead quasi‑experimental studies to identify causal evidence of effective tutoring moves.
• Design and lead studies demonstrating applications of the MTM dataset.
• Design and execute a mini‑grants program to award about five grants to EdTech researchers.
• Lead publication of academic papers in top venues in learning sciences, education technology, information science, or education research.
• Share findings at conference venues and represent the NTO at key research conferences.
• Stay abreast of current projects in the funder portfolio and broader research community and incorporate relevant insights.
• Support the NTO leadership team in staffing future research positions as needed.

Some travel may be required.

• Ph.D. or equivalent in Information Science, Education, or a related field by August 2025.
• Demonstrated experience conducting research on large‑scale educational data, tutoring systems, or related areas.
• Strong record of peer‑reviewed publications and conference presentations.
• Ability to lead interdisciplinary research teams and collaborate with engineers and stakeholders.

Applicants should submit a cover letter, a curriculum vitae (CV), a research statement, and the names and email addresses of three references. The cover letter and research statement should highlight the applicant’s most significant work related to the NTO mission and include experiences fostering learning, service, or outreach in a diverse community.

The application should be submitted online at (Use the "Apply for this Job" box below). We will review applications on a rolling basis until the search is closed.

Questions about the application can be directed to Rene Kizilcec, Principal Investigator of the NTO, at kizilcec.

Cornell University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and supports individuals with disabilities and veterans. Learn more at hr.cornell.edu/eeeo
.

$61,008 – $145,700. Pay is determined based on relevant work experience, education level, and academic discipline.