Post Doctoral Research Associate - McIntire School of Commerce and School of Data Science

The McIntire School of Commerce and The School of Data Science at the University of Virginia invite applications for a Post-doctoral Research Associate (PRA) position. This position is made possible through competitive grant funding from the University of Virginia’s Darden-Data Science Collaboratory for Applied Data Science ( DCADS ) and from the McIntire School of Commerce.

Under the supervision of University of Virginia faculty members Tom Hartvigsen and Steven L. Johnson , the PRA will conduct cutting-edge research on detecting implicit bias in natural language, using large language models. The ideal candidate should possess expertise in natural language processing and machine learning. Relevant experience includes (but is not limited to) toxic content detection, debiasing methods for large language models, and model editing.

This position involves active participation in a collaborative, interdisciplinary research program. The focus of the research is developing innovative methods for identifying biases in LLMs, prompting LLMs to detect bias, and developing model editing methods for LLMs to enhance their bias detection capabilities. Responsibilities include developing research code, disseminating research through publications, teaching one 3-credit course per academic year, and mentoring PhD students.

The lab’s extensive collaboration network spans academic, industrial, and clinical institutions, offering opportunities for broad impact and active feedback. This multidisciplinary and highly collaborative environment provides an exceptional opportunity for candidates to thrive and establish themselves as an expert in NLP with numerous opportunities in academia, industry, and government.

This position has a one year appointment that may be renewed up to one additional year and is located in Charlottesville, Virginia. The start date is negotiable, with an early Summer 2024 start preferred.

The annual salary for the position is $60,000. In addition to salary, standard UVA resources and benefits will be provided, including healthcare, retirement benefits, and computing resources.

Requirements

Applicants must have a relevant terminal degree before their start date, for example, a Ph.D. in data science, computer science, business analytics, or closely related fields. The position requires robust machine learning and natural language processing skills, proficient computer programming skills, and effective written and verbal communication skills.

To Apply

Please visit the UVA job board https://jobs.virginia.edu/us/en/ (search for posting #R0057100) and complete the application (or through Workday for internal applicants), and include the following:

• Cover letter of interest,
  
• One-page research statement outlining your prior research experience and other relevant qualifications,
  
• Curriculum vita, and
  
• Name, title, and email address of three references.
  

Priority review of applications will be March 15, 2024 and the position will remain open until filled.

For questions about the application process, please contact Rhiannon O’Coin, Senior Academic Recruiter at rmo2r@virginia.edu or Steven L. Johnson, Associate Professor of Commerce ( steven@virginia.edu ) or Tom Hartvigsen, Assistant Professor of Data Science (hartvigsen@virginia.edu).

For more information about UVA and the Charlottesville community, please see www.virginia.edu/life/charlottesville and embarkcva.com/ . For more information about benefits available to postdoctoral associates at UVA, visit postdoc.virginia.edu and hr.virginia.edu/benefits .

The selected candidate will be required to complete a background check at the time of the offer per University Policy.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS : This is primarily a sedentary job involving extensive use of desktop computers. The job does occasionally require traveling some distance to attend meetings, and programs.

The University of Virginia, i ncluding the UVA Health System which represents the UVA Medical Center, Schools of Medicine and Nursing, UVA Physician’s Group and the Claude Moore Health Sciences Library, are fundamentally committed to the diversity of our faculty and staff. We believe diversity is excellence expressing itself through every person's perspectives and lived experiences. We are equal opportunity and affirmative action employers. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, marital status, national or ethnic origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, veteran status, and family medical or genetic information.