Research Assistant Jobs in Maryland

INTRODUCTION

The Department of Computer Science in the Whiting School of Engineering of The Johns Hopkins University is seeking a Research Assistant who will assist faculty on specific research projects. In this role, the research assistant will conduct experiments on language models and evaluate these models. They will also work with supervising faculty on writing research papers.

The Research Assistant oversees data collection, data organization, and/or data management or similar functions/tasks for research study(ies) in support of a PI or a research team.

Specific Duties & Responsibilities

• Run routine and ad hoc reports.
• Use standard tools and computer programs to review data.
• Assist with data cleaning measures to ensure accuracy of data and preparation of tables.
• Lead basic activities such as data collection and data entry.
• May lead specific tasks and develop processes to ensure study activities occur effectively and efficiently.
• May conduct literature searches to support faculty in research efforts.
• May design and format papers/publications.
• May assist PIs in writing summaries of papers for release as policy briefs or other channels.
• Other duties as assigned.

In addition to the duties described above:

• Develop and implement perception pipelines for surgical robotic systems, including vision model training, evaluation, and deployment.
• Design object detection, segmentation, and tracking algorithms for real-time surgical scene understanding.
• Integrate perception modules with robotic platforms (e.g., ROS-based systems) and ensure reliable real-time performance.
• Collect, curate, and annotate datasets, and conduct experiments to evaluate system performance in simulation and real-world settings.
• Contribute to research activities, including literature review, documentation, and preparation of manuscripts and technical reports.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's Degree in a related field.
• Additional education may substitute for required experience and additional related experience may substitute for required education beyond a high school diploma/graduation equivalent, to the extent permitted by the JHU equivalency formula.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Master's Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related fields.
• Strong programming skills in Python and C++.
• Familiar with probability and linear algebra.
• Training and/or experience working with computer vision models.
• Strong communication skills (both written and oral).

Technical Skills & Expected Level of Proficiency

• Analytical Skills - Awareness
• Attention to Detail - Awareness
• Data Management and Analysis - Awareness
• Formatting and Layout Proficiency - Awareness
• Information Gathering - Awareness
• Oral and Written Communications - Awareness
• Organizational Skills - Awareness

The core technical skills listed are most essential; additional technical skills may be required based on specific division or department needs.

CLASSIFIED TITLE: Research Assistant

Role/Level/Range: ACRO37.5/03/CD

Starting Salary Range: $17.20 - $30.30 HRLY (Commensurate w/exp.)

Employee group: Casual / On Call

Schedule: M-F, 20 hrs weekly

FLSA Status: Non-Exempt

LOCATION

Location: Homewood Campus

Department name: Department of Computer Science

Personnel area: Whiting School of Engineering

Total Rewards

The referenced base salary range represents the low and high end of Johns Hopkins University’s salary range for this position. Not all candidates will be eligible for the upper end of the salary range. Exact salary will ultimately depend on multiple factors, which may include the successful candidate's geographic location, skills, work experience, market conditions, education/training and other qualifications. Johns Hopkins offers a total rewards package that supports our employees' health, life, career and retirement. More information can be found here: https://hr.jhu.edu/benefits-worklife/.

Education and Experience Equivalency

Please refer to the job description above to see which forms of equivalency are permitted for this position. If permitted, equivalencies will follow these guidelines: JHU Equivalency Formula: 30 undergraduate degree credits (semester hours) or 18 graduate degree credits may substitute for one year of experience. Additional related experience may substitute for required education on the same basis. For jobs where equivalency is permitted, up to two years of non-related college course work may be applied towards the total minimum education/experience required for the respective job.

Applicants Completing Studies

Applicants who do not meet the posted requirements but are completing their final academic semester/quarter will be considered eligible for employment and may be asked to provide additional information confirming their academic completion date.

Background Checks

The successful candidate(s) for this position will be subject to a pre-employment background check. Johns Hopkins is committed to hiring individuals with a justice-involved background, consistent with applicable policies and current practice. A prior criminal history does not automatically preclude candidates from employment at Johns Hopkins University. In accordance with applicable law, the university will review, on an individual basis, the date of a candidate's conviction, the nature of the conviction and how the conviction relates to an essential job-related qualification or function.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Johns Hopkins University values diversity, equity and inclusion and advances these through our key strategic framework, the JHU Roadmap on Diversity and Inclusion.

Equal Opportunity Employer

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.

EEO is the Law

https://www.eeoc.gov/sites/default/files/2023-06/22-088_EEOC_KnowYourRights6.12ScreenRdr.pdf

Accommodation Information

If you are interested in applying for employment with The Johns Hopkins University and require special assistance or accommodation during any part of the pre-employment process, please contact the Talent Acquisition Office at jhurecruitment@jhu.edu. For TTY users, call via Maryland Relay or dial 711. For more information about workplace accommodations or accessibility at Johns Hopkins University, please visit: https://accessibility.jhu.edu/.

Vaccine Requirements

Johns Hopkins University requires all faculty, staff, and students to receive the seasonal flu vaccine. Exceptions to the flu vaccine requirements may be provided to individuals for religious beliefs or medical reasons. Requests for an exception must be submitted to the JHU vaccination registry.

The following additional provisions may apply, depending upon campus. Your recruiter will advise accordingly.

The pre-employment physical for positions in clinical areas, laboratories, working with research subjects, or involving community contact requires documentation of immune status against Rubella (German measles), Rubeola (Measles), Mumps, Varicella (chickenpox), Hepatitis B and documentation of having received the Tdap (Tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis) vaccination. This may include documentation of having two (2) MMR vaccines; two (2) Varicella vaccines; or antibody status to these diseases from laboratory testing. Blood tests for immunities to these diseases are ordinarily included in the pre-employment physical exam except for those employees who provide results of blood tests or immunization documentation from their own health care providers. Any vaccinations required for these diseases will be given at no cost in our Occupational Health office.