Postdoctoral Research Associate (Cambridge Digital Minds Research) (Fixed Term)

The Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence (CFI), with the Institute for Technology and Humanity (ITH) at the University of Cambridge invites applications for a Postdoctoral Research Associate to join the Cambridge Digital Minds (CDM) research group directed by Dr Lucius Caviola. The position is full-time and fixed-term for two years in the first instance.

The post holder will report to Dr Caviola and work closely with senior researchers across CDM, including Research Affiliates Dr Bradford Saad and Dr Caspar Kaiser. They will carry out rigorous empirical, computational, theoretical or policy research, contribute to collaborative projects, publish in leading venues and help communicate the group's work to academic, policy and industry audiences.

Applicants should hold, or be close to completing, a PhD in a relevant discipline and have a strong research record relevant to one of the two areas. Relevant backgrounds include computer science, machine learning, cognitive science, computational social science, economics, law, political science, public policy and philosophy. Applicants trained in psychology or behavioural science are welcome if they meet the requirements for their chosen research area. We welcome applications in either of two areas: (A) technical research on AI systems, e.g. LLM experiments, evaluations or interpretability, on topics such as AI welfare or Inter-AI Morality; or (B) policy and governance of real or perceived digital minds. Full details and requirements are in the further particulars.

Studies with human participants may form part of a project, but will not be its primary focus.

There are no compulsory teaching duties, though there may be opportunities to contribute to the MPhil in Ethics of AI, Data and Algorithms and to co-supervise graduate students. The programme has dedicated funds for research costs, conference travel and workshops.

In order for your application to be considered, please upload the following:

• Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• A covering letter explaining your interest in and aptitude for the position. This should also include which of the research areas, A or B, that you are applying under and the questions or methods you would be interested in pursuing. Candidates applying under Area B should also include which policy or governance question about digital minds they think matters most, and why.
• A sample of professional writing, maximum of 10,000 words (for example, a published paper, preprint or working paper, ideally first-authored and relevant to your chosen area)
• The names and contact details of two referees who are familiar with your work

If you upload any additional documents which have not been requested, we will not be able to consider these as part of your application.

The closing date for applications is midnight (GMT) on Sunday 10 January 2027. Interviews are planned for the week commencing 25 January 2027, subject to change.

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 2 years in the first instance.

To apply online for this vacancy and to view further information about the role, please click the 'Apply' button above.

Informal enquiries are welcomed and should be directed to Dr Lucius Caviola lmoc2@cam.ac.uk. For questions on the application process, please contact the School's HR team on sahhr@admin.cam.ac.uk

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

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