Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Environmental AI

Two new full-time posts are available immediately on a 2.5 year fixed-term basis.

Recruiting for two Postdoctoral Research Fellows to participate in the UKRI AI Research Hub on AI for Collective Intelligence (AI4CI https://ai4ci.ac.uk/). AI4CI is a large consortium of leading UK universities and industry partners that will develop new AI for smart collectives, with case studies in environment, urban analysis, transport, financial markets, health and pandemic preparedness. AI4CI researchers at University of Exeter will develop “smart agent” tools that use large language models and generative AI to support better decision-making about environmental challenges. Specific projects include: (1) Creating climate-focused or biodiversity chatbots that can deliver complex scientific information to decision-makers; (2) Developing appropriate guardrails, guidelines and testing/evaluation processes to ensure robust and trustworthy performance of environmental smart agents; (3) Creating multimodal delivery mechanisms, including audiovisual avatars, social media bots, and web interfaces; (4) Engaging with stakeholders to ensure responsible innovation for social good. This interdisciplinary project will require collaboration between computational researchers with excellent technical skills in AI and machine learning, and environmental researchers with strong knowledge of application domains including climate change, biodiversity and ecosystem services. Developing such tools for social benefit will need a strong commitment to responsible innovation and ethics. We now seek to recruit two postdoctoral researchers in relevant disciplines to help deliver this exciting goal.

The successful applicants will be based at Streatham Campus and will work in a campus-based or hybrid format. They will lead research to develop smart agent tools for environmental challenges, including technical implementation of software pipelines, machine learning workflows and testing/evaluation processes. They will also work with external stakeholders to define use cases, collaborate with social scientists to consider ethics and responsible innovation, and help supervise postgraduate students. They will join the AI4CI hub and participate in the wider environmental AI research community at Exeter. The successful candidates will also have the opportunity to develop their own research ideas within the context of the AI4CI hub.

About you
The successful applicants will be able to develop research objectives, projects and proposals; identify sources of research funding and contribute to the process of securing funds; write academic papers for peer-reviewed publications; and make presentations at conferences and other events.

Applicants will possess a relevant PhD or equivalent qualification/experience and a strong research track record in a related field of study. For this interdisciplinary project, we are looking for multiple types of skills/experience, including: (1) artificial intelligence, machine learning, data science and/or computational methods; (2) domain expertise in environmental sciences including climate change, ecology/biodiversity, sustainability, ecosystems services, or similar; and (3) ethics/governance of AI, responsible innovation and stakeholder engagement. We are interested in applicants with backgrounds relevant to one or more of these areas and will seek to balance the team to complete the right mix of knowledge and skills. Experience of interdisciplinary collaboration will be an advantage. Successful applicants will be able to work collaboratively, supervise the work of others and act as team leader as required. Applicants will be able to make an effective contribution to the development of smart agent technologies in the context of environmental challenges (see Job Description).

Please ensure you read the Job Description and Person Specification for full details of this role.

For further information please contact Prof Hywel Williams by email h.t.p.williams@exeter.ac.uk.

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