PhD Student in Quantitative Online Discourse Research / PhD Studentess in Quantitative Online Discourse Research

PhD Student Position in Quantitative Online Discourse Research

100%, Zurich, fixed-term

The Public Policy Group and the Immigration Policy Lab at ETH Zurich invite applications for a PhD student position starting between July and September 2025.

Project Background

You will be part of a collaborative team committed to rigorous research aimed at enhancing public discourse on social and online media, along with other digital platforms. We explore the effects of platform policies and work alongside them to devise and test interventions that improve the quality of online discussions and mitigate the harms caused by hate speech. Our approach integrates data from social media, online newspapers, and original surveys, utilizing causal inference and machine learning methods to provide insightful evidence on the pressing issues faced by policymakers and practitioners. We also cooperate with the Public Discourse Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to combating hate speech, and various newspapers to translate our research into impactful solutions.

Job Description

We are seeking a PhD student to join our ongoing research program focused on online discourse improvement.

This research program aims to analyze online discourse, particularly in the DACH region, and to design and implement interventions that enhance discourse quality while reducing hate speech. Collaborating with online newspapers and leveraging social media data, we employ advanced statistical methods for causal inference and develop state-of-the-art machine learning classifiers to identify both harmful and high-quality speech. You will bring your data science expertise to our projects and will have the opportunity to develop your own research initiatives aligned with our broader research agenda. You will gain access to exclusive datasets of online comments, collaborating with external partners to tackle real-world problems and evaluate the effectiveness of interventions in the field.

The position is located in Dominik Hangartner's team at ETH Zurich, and you will also have the chance to work with a diverse group of affiliated faculty and the Public Discourse Foundation. In addition to your research duties, you will have minor administrative and teaching responsibilities totaling 10% of your time.

Profile

Strong candidates will possess most of the following qualifications:

• Undergraduate or (preferably) Master's degree in a social science program with a preference for Political Science, Economics, Sociology, Data Science, Computational Social Science, or a closely related discipline
• Knowledge of causal inference methods and/or machine learning
• Strong command of R (required) and/or Python (desirable)
• Working knowledge of or interest in learning NLP methods (especially transformer models, along with LLM fine-tuning and similar applications)
• Experience or interest in designing, implementing, and analyzing field experiments and/or conducting quasi-experimental studies
• Ability to collaborate effectively with project team members and external stakeholders
• Proficiency and excellent writing skills in English; the ability to work in German and/or French is an asset
• Knowledge of or interest in social media platforms and content moderation policies
• Experience or interest in translating basic research to the benefit of society

Workplace

You will be based at ETH Zurich, renowned for its cutting-edge research and collaborative environment.

We Offer

• Highly collaborative work environment within a motivated and supportive team
• Opportunity to build a network with academics and practitioners
• Career mentoring from experienced researchers
• Generous salary and pension benefits according to ETH standards
• Research and travel allowance

We Value Diversity

In line with our values, ETH Zurich promotes an inclusive culture. We encourage equality of opportunity, value diversity, and cultivate a working and learning environment that respects the rights and dignity of all staff and students. Visit our Equal Opportunities and Diversity website to learn more about how we create a fair and open environment that allows everyone to thrive.

Curious? So Are We.

We look forward to receiving your online application, which should include:

• Cover letter
• CV
• Academic transcripts
• A writing sample (e.g., Master's thesis)

Apply online using the form below. Only applications matching the job profile will be considered.

For inquiries regarding the position, please contact Laura Bronner via email at Show e-mail (Subject: PhD 2025).

For more information on the Public Policy Group and the Immigration Policy Lab, please visit our websites at pp.ethz and immigrationlab.

About ETH Zurich

ETH Zurich is one of the world's leading universities specializing in science and technology. Renowned for our excellent education, cutting-edge fundamental research, and direct transfer of new knowledge into society, we host over 30,000 individuals from more than 120 countries, promoting independent thinking in an environment that inspires excellence. Located in the heart of Europe and forging connections worldwide, we collaborate to develop solutions to today’s and tomorrow’s global challenges.