Research Jobs at University of Chicago with Visa Sponsorship
Research jobs at University of Chicago span basic science, social science, and interdisciplinary programs across its academic divisions and affiliated national laboratories. The university has an established infrastructure for sponsoring international researchers, making it a realistic target if you're pursuing H-1B visa, E-3 visa, or immigrant visa pathways in academia.
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Get Access To All JobsDepartment BSD CTD - Data Science
About The Department
The Center for Translational Data Science (CTDS) at the University of Chicago is a research center whose mission is to develop the discipline of translational data science to impactful problems in biology, medicine, healthcare, and the environment. We envision a world in which researchers have ready access to the data needed and the tools required to make data driven discoveries that increase our scientific knowledge and improve the quality of life. We architect ecosystems of large-scale commons of research data, computing resources, applications, tools, and services for the broader research community to use data at scale to pursue scientific inquiry and accelerate discovery. Learn more at https://gdc.cancer.gov/ https://gen3.org/ https://stats.gen3.org/ and https://ctds.uchicago.edu/.
Job Summary
The Center for Translational Data Science at the University of Chicago is seeking a Staff Data Scientist to support a diverse range of research projects. Data Scientists work in a collaborative interdisciplinary team and play a critical role in AI/ML tooling, features, and improvements for our open-source software systems and applications, analyzing data, and in understanding and representing user requirements to internal and external stakeholders in our translational data science projects and products. Under the leadership of team or project leads, a person in this position will be a key contributor to the design and implementation of algorithms, AI/ML models, and workflows to enable the discovery of valuable information in large volumes of data from various sources; organizes, harmonizes, and analyzes data sets and develops tools to assist such processes; uses various technologies to visualize data or enable data visualization; and creates applications of general value to the project and product owners. The job uses best practices and advanced knowledge of data manipulation, statistical applications, programming, analysis and modeling in order to implement projects related to the University's various internal data systems as well as from external sources. This at-will position is wholly or partially funded by contractual grant funding which is renewed under provisions set by the grantor of the contract. Employment will be contingent upon the continued receipt of these grant funds and satisfactory job performance.
Responsibilities
- Leading the Interpretation of data from multiple sources.
- Developing and implementing software programs and services, software notebooks and software scripts for data transformation, data integration, data analysis and data visualization.
- Building, validating and evaluating AI/ML models.
- Contributing to and taking a leadership role in the enhancement and maintenance of previously developed in-house open-source data platforms, systems, applications and notebooks.
- Performing various types of analysis involving multiple data sets.
- Leading data science projects and initiatives within purview, by relaying data analysis and model deployment best practices, enhancing the technical knowledge of peers, and helping develop data science skills in junior employees and interns.
- Leading the conceptualization, design, and execution of sophisticated data science projects and AI/ML solutions for research and production environments.
- Establish and enforce data governance, quality assurance processes, and operational protocols for large, complex data sets from internal and external sources.
- Assisting in providing leadership for design of user-facing computational resources.
- Serving as a reference for staff, faculty members, and Gen3 users as a technical subject matter expert by applying principles of data science to define and scope data science projects that involve developing computational tools and services for data engineering, data manipulation, statistical analysis, and modeling.
- Collaborating closely with faculty, researchers, and stakeholders to translate scientific and user requirements into actionable data science strategies and solutions.
- Stay current with developments in data science, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and related fields, and adopt new methods and technologies to advance research goals.
- Communicate complex technical concepts and project results clearly to technical and non-technical audiences, and present findings at internal and external forums.
- Has a deep understanding of methods to analyze complex data sets for the purpose of extracting and purposefully using applicable information. May develop and maintain infrastructure that connects data sets.
- Guides staff or faculty members in defining the project and applies principals of data science in manipulation, statistical applications, programming, analysis and modeling.
- Calibrates data between large and complex research and administrative datasets. Guides and may set the operational protocols for collecting and analyzing information from the University's various internal data systems as well as from external sources.
- Performs other related work as needed.
Education
Minimum Qualifications
Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.
Work Experience
Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 5-7 years of work experience in a related job discipline.
Preferred Qualifications
Education
- Advanced degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Statistics, Mathematics, Bioinformatics, or a relevant quantitative field.
Experience
- Experience working in data science roles, preferably in an academic, research, or health/science environment.
- Experience with collaborative open-source projects and software engineering best practices.
- Experience working in multi-disciplinary academic teams.
- Knowledge of biomedical and translational research data sources is a significant advantage.
- Knowledge of hardware specifications required for AI/ML research and projecting resource needs and use in public clouds environments like AWS and GCP.
- Knowledge of and experience with data and applications of interest to CTDS, including, but not necessarily limited to, AI data commons, AI data meshes, Gen3, NCI Genomic Data Commons, cancer genomics, biomedical imaging data, human clinical data.
- Expertise in designing and implementing machine learning, deep learning, and statistical models for research and production.
- Experience with biomedical data.
- Experience collaborating on manuscripts and submitting papers for peer-reviewed, scientific publications.
Preferred Competencies
- Advanced skills in problem solving and quantitative/qualitative analysis.
- Able to organize and prioritize work assignments to meet project needs and work independently to identify and address needs beyond assigned tasks.
- Strong communication skills to effectively convey complex findings while serving as a reference and subject matter expert for staff, faculty members, and Gen3 users.
- Ability to quickly comprehend requirements and assignments and then explain his/her solutions in both writing and speech.
- Ability to learn new skills quickly and manage complex projects.
- Proficiency in Python, R, and other relevant programming languages; experience with open-source data science platforms, technologies, and cloud environments.
- Outstanding analytical, problem-solving, and project management abilities.
- Proven track record mentoring and leading project teams and communicating technical issues to diverse audiences.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Working Conditions
- Hybrid office/remote.
Application Documents
- Resume/CV (required)
- Cover Letter (preferred)
The University of Chicago uses AI-assisted tools to streamline and augment some recruitment processes; however, AI is not used to make hiring decisions. When applying, the document(s) MUST be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.
Job Family Research
Role Impact Individual Contributor
Scheduled Weekly Hours 40
Drug Test Required No
Health Screen Required No
Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required No
Pay Rate Type Salary
FLSA Status Exempt
Pay Range $90,000.00 - $120,000.00
The included pay rate or range represents the University’s good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting.
Benefits Eligible Yes
The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook.
The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination. Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form. All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history. A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment. Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position. The University of Chicago's Annual Security & Fire Safety Report (Report) provides information about University offices and programs that provide safety support, crime and fire statistics, emergency response and communications plans, and other policies and information. The Report can be accessed online at: http://securityreport.uchicago.edu. Paper copies of the Report are available, upon request, from the University of Chicago Police Department, 850 E. 61st Street, Chicago, IL 60637.
Department BSD CTD - Data Science
About The Department
The Center for Translational Data Science (CTDS) at the University of Chicago is a research center whose mission is to develop the discipline of translational data science to impactful problems in biology, medicine, healthcare, and the environment. We envision a world in which researchers have ready access to the data needed and the tools required to make data driven discoveries that increase our scientific knowledge and improve the quality of life. We architect ecosystems of large-scale commons of research data, computing resources, applications, tools, and services for the broader research community to use data at scale to pursue scientific inquiry and accelerate discovery. Learn more at https://gdc.cancer.gov/ https://gen3.org/ https://stats.gen3.org/ and https://ctds.uchicago.edu/.
Job Summary
The Center for Translational Data Science at the University of Chicago is seeking a Staff Data Scientist to support a diverse range of research projects. Data Scientists work in a collaborative interdisciplinary team and play a critical role in AI/ML tooling, features, and improvements for our open-source software systems and applications, analyzing data, and in understanding and representing user requirements to internal and external stakeholders in our translational data science projects and products. Under the leadership of team or project leads, a person in this position will be a key contributor to the design and implementation of algorithms, AI/ML models, and workflows to enable the discovery of valuable information in large volumes of data from various sources; organizes, harmonizes, and analyzes data sets and develops tools to assist such processes; uses various technologies to visualize data or enable data visualization; and creates applications of general value to the project and product owners. The job uses best practices and advanced knowledge of data manipulation, statistical applications, programming, analysis and modeling in order to implement projects related to the University's various internal data systems as well as from external sources. This at-will position is wholly or partially funded by contractual grant funding which is renewed under provisions set by the grantor of the contract. Employment will be contingent upon the continued receipt of these grant funds and satisfactory job performance.
Responsibilities
- Leading the Interpretation of data from multiple sources.
- Developing and implementing software programs and services, software notebooks and software scripts for data transformation, data integration, data analysis and data visualization.
- Building, validating and evaluating AI/ML models.
- Contributing to and taking a leadership role in the enhancement and maintenance of previously developed in-house open-source data platforms, systems, applications and notebooks.
- Performing various types of analysis involving multiple data sets.
- Leading data science projects and initiatives within purview, by relaying data analysis and model deployment best practices, enhancing the technical knowledge of peers, and helping develop data science skills in junior employees and interns.
- Leading the conceptualization, design, and execution of sophisticated data science projects and AI/ML solutions for research and production environments.
- Establish and enforce data governance, quality assurance processes, and operational protocols for large, complex data sets from internal and external sources.
- Assisting in providing leadership for design of user-facing computational resources.
- Serving as a reference for staff, faculty members, and Gen3 users as a technical subject matter expert by applying principles of data science to define and scope data science projects that involve developing computational tools and services for data engineering, data manipulation, statistical analysis, and modeling.
- Collaborating closely with faculty, researchers, and stakeholders to translate scientific and user requirements into actionable data science strategies and solutions.
- Stay current with developments in data science, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and related fields, and adopt new methods and technologies to advance research goals.
- Communicate complex technical concepts and project results clearly to technical and non-technical audiences, and present findings at internal and external forums.
- Has a deep understanding of methods to analyze complex data sets for the purpose of extracting and purposefully using applicable information. May develop and maintain infrastructure that connects data sets.
- Guides staff or faculty members in defining the project and applies principals of data science in manipulation, statistical applications, programming, analysis and modeling.
- Calibrates data between large and complex research and administrative datasets. Guides and may set the operational protocols for collecting and analyzing information from the University's various internal data systems as well as from external sources.
- Performs other related work as needed.
Education
Minimum Qualifications
Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.
Work Experience
Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 5-7 years of work experience in a related job discipline.
Preferred Qualifications
Education
- Advanced degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Statistics, Mathematics, Bioinformatics, or a relevant quantitative field.
Experience
- Experience working in data science roles, preferably in an academic, research, or health/science environment.
- Experience with collaborative open-source projects and software engineering best practices.
- Experience working in multi-disciplinary academic teams.
- Knowledge of biomedical and translational research data sources is a significant advantage.
- Knowledge of hardware specifications required for AI/ML research and projecting resource needs and use in public clouds environments like AWS and GCP.
- Knowledge of and experience with data and applications of interest to CTDS, including, but not necessarily limited to, AI data commons, AI data meshes, Gen3, NCI Genomic Data Commons, cancer genomics, biomedical imaging data, human clinical data.
- Expertise in designing and implementing machine learning, deep learning, and statistical models for research and production.
- Experience with biomedical data.
- Experience collaborating on manuscripts and submitting papers for peer-reviewed, scientific publications.
Preferred Competencies
- Advanced skills in problem solving and quantitative/qualitative analysis.
- Able to organize and prioritize work assignments to meet project needs and work independently to identify and address needs beyond assigned tasks.
- Strong communication skills to effectively convey complex findings while serving as a reference and subject matter expert for staff, faculty members, and Gen3 users.
- Ability to quickly comprehend requirements and assignments and then explain his/her solutions in both writing and speech.
- Ability to learn new skills quickly and manage complex projects.
- Proficiency in Python, R, and other relevant programming languages; experience with open-source data science platforms, technologies, and cloud environments.
- Outstanding analytical, problem-solving, and project management abilities.
- Proven track record mentoring and leading project teams and communicating technical issues to diverse audiences.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Working Conditions
- Hybrid office/remote.
Application Documents
- Resume/CV (required)
- Cover Letter (preferred)
The University of Chicago uses AI-assisted tools to streamline and augment some recruitment processes; however, AI is not used to make hiring decisions. When applying, the document(s) MUST be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.
Job Family Research
Role Impact Individual Contributor
Scheduled Weekly Hours 40
Drug Test Required No
Health Screen Required No
Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required No
Pay Rate Type Salary
FLSA Status Exempt
Pay Range $90,000.00 - $120,000.00
The included pay rate or range represents the University’s good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting.
Benefits Eligible Yes
The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook.
The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination. Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form. All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history. A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment. Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position. The University of Chicago's Annual Security & Fire Safety Report (Report) provides information about University offices and programs that provide safety support, crime and fire statistics, emergency response and communications plans, and other policies and information. The Report can be accessed online at: http://securityreport.uchicago.edu. Paper copies of the Report are available, upon request, from the University of Chicago Police Department, 850 E. 61st Street, Chicago, IL 60637.
See all Research Jobs at University of Chicago
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding Research Jobs at University of Chicago
Align your credentials with specialty occupation standards
Research roles at universities require a direct connection between your degree field and the position. If your title is something like 'Research Scientist' or 'Postdoctoral Researcher,' confirm your degree field matches the lab's focus before applying.
Target labs with active external funding
Federally funded research units at UChicago, including those tied to Argonne National Laboratory, are more likely to have budget flexibility for visa sponsorship. Check NIH Reporter and NSF Award Search to identify active grants in your subfield.
Request clarity on sponsorship before accepting an offer
University HR departments often distinguish between sponsoring a new H-1B cap-subject petition and transferring an existing one. Ask directly whether the offer triggers a new filing or a cap-exempt change of employer, since timelines differ significantly.
Prepare your publication record for PERM or EB-2 NIW
UChicago research hires at the postdoctoral or staff scientist level sometimes convert to permanent residency via PERM or the EB-2 National Interest Waiver. Compile citations, grants, and peer-reviewed outputs now so DOL documentation is ready when your supervisor initiates the process.
Use Migrate Mate to filter open Research roles by visa type
UChicago posts research positions across multiple portals and departments. Use Migrate Mate to browse current Research openings filtered by the visa types UChicago actively sponsors, so you're only spending time on roles where sponsorship is confirmed.
Account for USCIS processing time in your start date negotiation
If you need a new H-1B petition rather than a transfer, standard USCIS processing can run three to five months. Negotiate your start date with that window in mind, and ask whether the university covers premium processing to compress the timeline.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does University of Chicago sponsor H-1B visas for Researchs?
Yes. University of Chicago sponsors H-1B visas for qualifying research positions across its academic divisions, research institutes, and affiliated programs. Research roles typically qualify as specialty occupations because they require at least a bachelor's degree in a specific field. The university's international affairs office manages the filing process, and many research hires are cap-exempt given UChicago's status as a nonprofit research institution.
How do I apply for Research jobs at University of Chicago?
Applications go through UChicago's official careers portal, where research positions are posted by department or division. Many roles also appear through individual lab websites or principal investigator recruitment pages. Migrate Mate aggregates current Research openings at UChicago that include visa sponsorship, which can save time if you're filtering specifically for sponsored positions rather than reviewing postings individually.
Which visa types does University of Chicago commonly use for Research roles?
H-1B is the most common pathway for research professionals requiring employer sponsorship. E-3 visas are available for Australian citizens in qualifying specialty occupations. TN visa status covers Canadian and Mexican nationals in eligible research classifications. UChicago also supports F-1 OPT and CPT for current students in research roles, and initiates EB-2 or EB-3 immigrant visa processes for long-term research staff.
What qualifications are expected for Research positions at University of Chicago?
Requirements vary by level, but most research roles expect at minimum a relevant master's degree, with doctoral degrees required for staff scientist and principal investigator positions. UChicago places significant weight on peer-reviewed publications, grant experience, and technical specialization within the lab's focus area. Postdoctoral appointments typically require a completed PhD and demonstrated research output in the specific subfield.
How long does the visa sponsorship process take for a Research hire at University of Chicago?
If you're transferring an existing H-1B, the timeline from offer to start date can be four to eight weeks with standard processing. A new cap-subject H-1B petition requires filing during the April registration window, with employment beginning no earlier than October 1. Premium processing through USCIS reduces the adjudication period to around 15 business days, which many universities use to accelerate research hiring when grant timelines are fixed.