Postdoctoral Research Associate

Durham University

Durham University is one of the world's top universities with strengths across the Arts and Humanities, Sciences and Social Sciences.

We are a growing Department, ranked 5th in the Complete University Guide 2021. We are proud of our high-quality teaching and research and the people who make it all happen. We strive to be a friendly and inclusive place to study and work for all. We are one of Durham's newest academic departments, having split from the School of Engineering and Computer Science in 2017, we have rapidly grown to be a thriving home for staff, undergraduates, postgraduates, and visitors.

The Role

Applications are invited for a Postdoctoral Research Associate in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) with a particular emphasis on User Modelling in Verification in the context of the research project UKRI Trustworthy Autonomous Systems (TAS) Verifiability Node (https://verifiability.org/).

The goal of the project is to develop a unifying framework that will integrate rigorous verification techniques for autonomous systems (AS). Our framework will support the heterogeneous and adaptive nature of verification techniques, their scale, and their levels of abstraction. This is a multi-disciplinary node with expertise in AI, robotics, human-computer interaction, systems and software engineering, and testing in order to realise our vision in collaboration with the Trustworthy Autonomous Systems Hub and other Nodes.

The successful candidate will work in the work-package "Closing the Reality Gap: Users" being led by Prof. Effie Lai-Chong Law on the tasks of defining user models of Human-AS collaborative interactions and validating as well as refining these models in case studies.

What to Submit

All applicants are asked to submit:

* A CV and covering letter which details your experience, strengths and potential in the requirements set out above;

* One own article (including a conference/journal paper, a manuscript in preparation or a PhD thesis chapter) on the topic related to user modelling;

Next Steps

The assessment for the post will include presentation on own research experience and expertise in the field of HCI, demonstration of user modelling skills, and ability to explain complex concepts in an accessible manner. Shortlisted candidates will be invited for interview and assessment in late January- mid February 2022.