AAR Data Science Fellow

Data Science Fellowship

The Policy & Economics (P&E) Division of the Association of American Railroads is pleased to invite applications for the Data Science Ph.D. Fellowship for the year 2025-2026. This fellowship offers a unique opportunity for Ph.D. students or experienced professionals interested in data management, analysis, and visualization projects related to the railroad industry and its regulatory requirements.

About the Fellowship:

The Data Science Fellowship aims to provide data science professionals with hands-on experience and collaborative opportunities to enhance their skills. Successful candidates will work part-time for one year, engaging in activities at the intersection of data science methods and scholarly domains utilizing data science for knowledge discovery and creation. Fellows will contribute to P&E’s data modernization effort and will have the opportunity to contribute to AAR’s recurring reports and publications, gaining valuable expertise in the railroad industry. The selected candidate will partner with economists and analysts to understand business process flow and the associated data flow, inputs, and outputs to derive a connected design.

Key Details:

• Part-time appointment (24 hours/week, onsite) for one year with the possibility of appointment extension for another year.
• Annual stipend commensurate with experience
• Mentorship and career support provided
• Opportunity to contribute to data modernization efforts, develop impactful visualizations and dashboards, and gain specialized knowledge of the railroad industry by supporting AAR’s recurring reports, ensuring timely delivery and high standards of quality and clarity.

Qualifications

Broad expertise in data science or related discipline

Proficiency in SQL (writing and optimizing queries), Python (cleaning and analyzing large structured and unstructured datasets), and statistical modeling

Experience with ETL tools, database technologies, data modeling, data security, data governance

Strong communication skills to collaborate across teams and the ability to break down complex problems into actionable steps

Eligibility to work in the U.S. (AAR does not provide visa sponsorship)