IAS Graduate Assistantship (Digital Methods)

The Initiative for the Digital Arts & Humanities, part of the Institute for Advanced Study, is soliciting applications for the position of graduate assistant and subject specialist in digital methods and digital scholarship to assist in its goals of supporting and enriching innovative and multi-disciplinary research in this field. The graduate assistant will assist the program manager for the Initiative in the flagship digital research consultations program by providing administrative and organizational support as well as technical expertise and advice in a variety of potential tools and subfields to our affiliates. Other important tasks include, but may not be limited to, tracking affiliate outcomes, managing communications with constituents, and researching methods and tools to support the broad scope of approaches underpinning digital studies.

The Institute for Advanced Study serves as one of the premiere institutions among IU’s campuses for the incubation and development of multidisciplinary and collaborative research. As successor to the Institute for the Digital Arts & Humanities, the Initiative for DA&H continues its mission as a part of IAS to serve faculty seeking to expand their conceptual and methodological horizons and examine their research through the fast-evolving lens of digital tools. The successful applicant to the position of graduate assistant and digital methods specialist will support our endeavors by broadening our range of methodological and theoretical expertise in digital studies.

Potential areas of expertise include:
• GIS and digital mapping;
• Coding proficiency and programmatic thinking in popular programming languages such as Python, C++, and R;
• TEI and XML;
• Qualitative analysis tools like NVivo and Atlas.ti;
• SQL and database management;
• Social media studies and public digital humanities;
• LLMs, the use of generative AI, and analysis thereof;
• Web development through HTML, CSS, and JavaScript;
• Textual analysis and distant reading;
• Digital art and digital artist’s practice;
• Data visualization, such as network visualization through tools like Gephi.
Additionally, the graduate assistant will perform the following core tasks:
• Regularly attend, keep notes for, and offer advice and guidance to constituents of our digital research consultations;
• Research and build competence in a variety of digital methods, approaches, and theory;
• Develop resources and static web content to help constituents navigate the particularities of specific tools and approaches;
• Assist in planning and preparing for workshops, working groups, and speaker engagements;
• Help to maintain regular contact with constituents and correspondents via email;
• Assist in the maintenance of the Initiative’s web page and other digital platforms;
• Track and keep records of affiliate outcomes.

While applicants with prior experience in and familiarity with digital methods are preferred, all that is required in a successful applicant is curiosity in and passion for emergent digital technologies and their application to a wide variety of multidisciplinary research pursuits.
In addition to this, the graduate assistant should:
• Be comfortable working across disciplinary contexts and in a flexible, collaboration-oriented team setting, as well as independently;
• Have good written and verbal communication skills;
• Be open to expanding on and diversifying prior expertise by learning new tools and approaches.

Eligibility, Compensation, & Application

Duration: Academic Year Fall 2025-Spring 2026
Open To: G-901 eligible graduate students from the core College of Arts & Sciences
Benefits/Hours: $24,000 annually, 20 hours a week (50% FTE). Eligibility for IU student health insurance.
*Note: Fee remission is not included (G901 credit hours only).

In order to apply, please submit the following materials as one PDF by email to idah@iu.edu:
• CV with relevant research experience and technical skills;
• 1-page cover letter describing your experience with and approach to digital scholarship;
• References.
At later stages of the application process, we may contact the listed references to receive a letter of recommendation, but please do not include such letters in your application materials.

First round interviews for submitted applicants will be held the week of August 11th. Submissions will remain open until the position has been filled.