Join our team
Welcome to the data diversity lab’s join us section! We invite you to be a part of our research team, where we're striving to and are making significant contributions to various fields while fostering a culture of diversity and inclusion.
Current opportunities
We’re always looking for active and enthusiastic students to fill positions in the lab as research assistants (MSc or PhD), postdoctoral researchers, or interns. Please reach out to us if you have any interest in joining the lab.
Apply By: April 15th, 2026
We’re looking for a Ph.D. student broadly interested in biological data science or applied data science (e.g. training in biology, computer science, or related disciplines). Projects will be defined with the PI and funding will be provided for 5 years through the School of Information at the University of Arizona. How to apply? Email Dr. Roman Palacios with CV, a brief description of your research interests, a writing sample, and a link to your GitHub (optional).
Apply By: January 30th, 2026
Job Description: read more here
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Work under the supervision of a primary
, at least one faculty from another discipline, and/or a non-academic community partner.
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Collaborate with post-doctoral fellows and faculty on additional interdisciplinary projects and group synthesis papers.
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Develop proposals for external funding in line with the Lovejoy BBCS mission to bridge disciplines.
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Coordinate an annual research dissemination event.
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Present research findings and methodologies at relevant conferences with travel sponsored by the University.
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Opportunity to collaborate with community partners to advance or diversify skillsets.
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Ability to be flexible and adapt to support emerging projects or needs that uphold the Lovejoy BBCS mission.
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Participation in department-wide trainings in building an anti-racist and more equitable society for the promotion of social, racial, and environmental justice.
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Additional duties may be assigned.
Knowledge, skills, & abilities:
- Effective communication.
- Teamwork and collaboration.
- Scientific data analysis skills with application of theory, frameworks, and computational science skills.
- Familiarity with data science software.
- Academic writing skills.
- Public presentation skills.
- Time management and organizational skills.
Postdocs
There are two paths to postdoc opportunities in my lab. First, I have some funding to directly support a postdoc in my lab. Second, I can help you develop proposals for external fellowship support, such as the NSF postdoctoral research fellowships in biology (PRFB) which offers a $60,000/year stipend and $20,000/year research and training funds. I would be very excited to discuss research ideas with you for these opportunities.
Graduate students (admitted)
Opportunities for graduate students (MSc candidates or PhD candidates) to take payed positions in the lab in the form of Graduate Research Assistants or TAships (Teaching Assistant) can occasionally arise. These positions can run from 10-20Hrs a week and can cover partial tuition. Funding for these positions varies, but if interested we can always initiate a conversation in regards to applying for external funding and other opportunities together. For example, US students are eligible to apply for the NSF graduate research fellowship program (GRFP) which offers 5 years of support with an annual stipend of $37,000. I strongly encourage you to apply (if you're eligible) and I can help you develop proposals!
Aspiring PhD students
Interested in starting and completing a PhD with us? The iSchool offers opportunities to fund PhD students in the form of a multi-year stipend for living expenses and full tuition costs. Once admitted, projects will be defined with the PI. For additional details please contact the Data Diversity Lab leadership or visit: https://ischool.arizona.edu/phd-information/admissions-funding to get started.
Undergraduate students
Opportunities for undergraduate students to join the lab as undergraduate research assistants ocassionally arise. These positions usually are 10Hrs a week and payed at rates of 14.50-16/hr (2024-2025 rates) depending on experience, or remunerated in the form of research credit units. Students have previously gotten a position in the lab by going through UArizona's VIP (Vertically Integrated Projects) initiative: https://uavip.arizona.edu/ . Additionally, student's who are eligible for Federal Work Study (FWS) and who are interested in our lab are encouraged to get in contact with the Data Diversity Lab's leaders for more information regarding potential opportunities.