Postdoctoral Researcher
Content + Source + Freshness • 13 Dec 2025 • 95% confidence
Offer value
Good opportunity due to high salary potential, collaboration with leading institutions, and robust research in data science.
- Collaborative research environment with top institutions
- Focus on groundbreaking data science foundations
- Competitive salary of $75,000
- Requires specific expertise in data science and algorithms
Pros
- Collaborative environment across prestigious universities
- Focus on cutting-edge data science foundation research
- Competitive salary of $75,000 with potential extensions
Cons
- Initial contract duration may feel uncertain
- High expectations for research output
- Application process may be lengthy due to multiple institutions
Who it's for
Postdoctoral • On-site
Good fit
- PhD graduates in data science and computational fields
- Researchers seeking collaborative academic settings
- Individuals passionate about algorithms and learning theory
Not recommended for
- Candidates lacking relevant research background
- Those not inclined towards collaborative work
- Individuals preferring industry roles over academic positions
Motivation fit
Key skills
About the job
The Institute for Data, Econometrics, Algorithms, and Learning (IDEAL) invites applications for three postdoctoral positions with anticipated start dates in Fall 2026. IDEAL is an NSF-funded interdisciplinary institute organized by the University of Illinois Chicago, Northwestern University, Toyota Technological Institute at Chicago, the University of Chicago, the Illinois Institute of Technology, and Loyola University Chicago, in partnership with members of the Learning Theory team at Google. More information about IDEAL can be found here: https://www.ideal-institute.org/ .
The positions will be hosted by Northwestern, TTIC, and UIC. Postdoctoral researchers will conduct research on key aspects of the foundations of data science. This field includes relevant areas of Theoretical Computer Science, Machine Learning, Electrical Engineering, Mathematics, Statistics, Operations Research, and Econometrics. The initial appointment is for one year, but may be extended for an additional year subject to funding availability and performance.
Applications received by December 31, 2025, will receive full consideration; however, the positions will remain open until filled. Applications will be considered for all positions by default. If you are interested only in a position at specific host universities, please indicate that in your cover letter.
Applicants should submit:
- Cover letter
- Curriculum vitae (CV)
- Research statement
- Names and contact information of at least three references
Salary
The target annual salary for the position is $75,000.
Benefits
Information about benefits provided by the hiring universities can be found here:
- Northwestern: https://hr.northwestern.edu/benefits/explore-benefits.html
- TTIC: See the Benefits section here: https://www.ttic.edu/faculty-hiring/
- UIC: https://www.hr.uillinois.edu/UserFiles/Servers/Server_4208/File/Benefits/Benefits_HighlightsBrochure.pdf
- Northwestern's non-discrimination statement: https://www.northwestern.edu/civil-rights-office/about/statements.html#discrimination-statement
- UIC's statement: https://oae.uic.edu/ah/
- TTIC's statement: https://www.ttic.edu/faculty-hiring/
