About

The NULab for Digital Humanities and Computational Social Science is Northeastern University’s center for digital humanities and computational social science.

NULab supports research projects and scholarly exchanges through grants and other programs; convenes a group of core faculty who teach a wide range of courses and publish broadly in the digital realm; trains graduate students in DH and CSS skills through our Graduate Certificate in Digital Humanities and NULab Fellows programs; sponsors talks and symposia; offers support to visiting scholars in partnership with Northeastern’s Digital Scholarship Group; helps to bring digital and computational methods into a broad range of classes through our Digital Integration Teaching Initiative; and provides fora for discussions of technology, teaching, and research at Northeastern.

The NULab works in close collaboration with the Digital Scholarship Group, an applied research group based in the Northeastern University Library that supports digital modes of research, publication, and collaboration at Northeastern. Many faculty and graduate student research projects at Northeastern are affiliated with both the DSG and the NULab; the two groups co-sponsor a Visiting Scholars Program, as well as the NUDIGITAL listserv and Slack workspaces; and many of the NULab’s events are co-hosted with the DSG as part of the DH Open Office Hours series. As a Library-based applied research group, the DSG provides support for research projects through guidance in best practices for designing and managing collaborative digital research endeavors; the DSG can also provide support in software access, server space, and installation of WordPress, Omeka, and OGS. Learn more about becoming a DSG-affiliated project at the DSG projects page.

Goals Statement

The NULab for Digital Humanities and Computational Social Science fosters interdisciplinary collaboration, bridging the gaps between technology, the humanities, and social science. We encourage scholars to use digital and computational methods to explore critical social and cultural challenges, with a focus on social justice, ethics, and equity. Our ongoing goals include:

  • Incubating Interdisciplinary Collaboration: NULab creates a space for scholars, practitioners, and culture-bearers from diverse fields to come together and engage in collaborative research, using computational and digital tools to develop and address key questions in the humanities and social science.
  • Committing to Critical Systemic Change: Our research, teaching, and programming address pressing challenges, emphasizing social justice and equity.
  • Supporting Emerging Scholars: NULab provides fellowships, mentoring, and hands-on collaborative opportunities to help early-career researchers in digital humanities and computational social science thrive.
  • Advancing Digital Innovation: We expand the boundaries of digital research, supporting the novel application of existing approaches and the development of new tools and methodologies. 

Through these efforts, NULab offers a dynamic and creative space for innovative research and collaboration.

NULab acknowledges the support of the College of Social Sciences and Humanities and the Khoury College of Computer Sciences.

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