El Colegio de México is a prestigious public higher education institution of excellence in research and teaching in the Social Sciences and Humanities. It has received numerous awards and recognitions, and has established itself as one of the most distinguished academic institutions in the Spanish-speaking world.
The rapid advancement of data science and computational sciences in recent decades has opened new opportunities to explore both traditional and emerging research questions. In response to this evolving landscape, El Colegio de México, through its Interdisciplinary Data Science Program (PICD), is launching a call for applications for a postdoctoral fellowship with three general objectives: first, to provide a space where a young researcher can apply data science and computational science to the fields of social sciences and humanities; second, to foster synergies among different centers and working groups in order to produce innovative research that leverages cutting-edge tools and technologies; and, third, to share and disseminate knowledge on the use and application of data science tools within the El Colegio community.
The postdoctoral fellowships at PICD are designed to build bridges between ongoing research at El Colegio and advanced computational methodologies. The fellowships’ goal is to explore the applicability of data collection, analysis, visualization, and storage tools in addressing key research questions in the social sciences and humanities.
Desired Profile
We are looking for a candidate with a PhD degree, committed full-time at El Colegio de México in a two-year postdoctoral fellowship. The second year is subject to a positive academic performance evaluation. We will give priority to candidates intending to stay for the full two years in the appointment.
The main project is entitled ‘Quantification and correction of biases in mobility data from digital footprints”. The principal investigador is Dr. Miguel González-Leonardo from the Centre for Demographic, Urban and Environmental Studies within El Colegio de México, and Prof. Francisco Rowe and Dr. Carmen Cabrera Arnau from the Geographic Data Science Lab at the University of Livepool are co-investigators in the project. It focuses on developing applications of data science and computational science, with a particular emphasis on the analysis of mobility data derived from digital footprints. These data offer significant potential for studying human mobility patterns and their societal impact, if we can leverage their advantages of providing broad geographic coverage, high spatial and temporal resolution, and real time availability.
Although geolocated data from mobile phone applications have become common in studies of human mobility, they often have biases and cannot provide a representative picture of the full population. This project seeks to implement methods to quantify and correct these biases in mobility data obtained from digital footprints, using data science and advanced machine learning techniques.
To deliver this project and PICD activities, we are recruiting a postdoctoral researcher with experience in managing large datasets, preferably in R and with data on human mobility and migration derived from digital footprints. We are interested in candidates with strong knowledge in computational science, statistics and machine learning, preferably in Bayesian statistics, gravity models, and neural networks. Desirable experience is prior work in correcting biases from digital data. We will also consider academic publications.
In addition to the main project, the postdoctoral researcher is expected to integrate across different research lines and activities within El Colegio de México. The candidate will have the opportunity to propose original projects and contribute his expertise to teaching courses as a lecturer.
Non-Spanish-speaking candidates are encouraged to apply; however, they should be willing to take Spanish lessons and actively engage with the (mostly Spanish-speaking) academic community.