Senior Research Scientist

Position Title: Senior Research Scientist

Position Type: Limited-Term

Job Number: SA79124

Full or Part Time: full-time 40 hours weekly

Fair Labor Standard Act Classification: Exempt

Anticipated Pay Range: $85,000 - $90,000

Pay Range Information: Chapman University is required to provide a reasonable estimate of the compensation range for this position. This range takes into account a variety of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions, including experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, and other business and organizational needs. Salary offers are determined based on the final candidate’s qualifications and experience, as well as internal equity and other internal factors.

The anticipated pay range is not a promise of a particular wage.

Job Description

Summary:

Senior Researcher Scientist will conduct advanced scientific research investigating the area of agency, intentions, and artificial intelligence. The position requires high-level expertise in philosophy, psychology, neuroscience, and artificial intelligence research, with an emphasis on the study of intentions. Key responsibilities include designing and conducting research studies, performing complex data analysis, publishing findings in peer-reviewed journals, applying for grants and other funding, supervising junior researchers, and assisting with the scientific aspects of professional meetings and events.

This position requires a Ph.D. in Philosophy, Psychology, or Neuroscience as well as postdoctoral training. It represents a specialty occupation requiring a combination of highly advanced and domain-specific theoretical and practical knowledge.

Project objective: to describe, evaluate, and improve the definitions of the key terms used in describing the alignment of AI systems with human values and goals.

• Describe the way these key terms are defined in AI research and related fields. Evaluate how well these definitions serve their function. Improve the definitions so that they serve their function better.
• Supervise a team collecting and classifying these definitions in AI research and related fields.
• Supervise and direct conceptual analyses of the results to refine the definitions.
• Prepare and submit research reports and a manuscript for peer-reviewed publication.
• Help write grants and other funding requests on this broad topic.

Project objective: To develop a benchmark based on multidisciplinary input, designed to rate how well AI agents perform activities requiring agency and intentionality.

• Provide theoretical input into the benchmark development.
• Contribute to implementation and analysis of the benchmark prototypes.
• Prepare reports and submit research findings for peer-reviewed publication.
• Help write grants and other funding requests on this broad topic.

Project objective: Support the continuing interdisciplinary collaboration between neuroscientists, philosophers, and AI researchers to investigate intentions in artificial intelligence models and their relation to intentions in biological systems.

• Contribute to event organization with focus on the composition of their scientific program.
• Contribute scientific expertise in workshops, symposia, and talks.
• Assist with organization of educational events for a broader audience (workshops, summer schools).
• Help write grants and other funding related to this area.

In addition to project-specific work, the employee will assume other research and mentorship responsibilities in the lab:

• Provide technical support for the setup and operation of specialized lab equipment, including electroencephalography equipment.
• Present research findings at academic conferences and meetings, and help more junior lab members prepare for conferences and meetings.
• Assist in the scientific aspects of planning and coordination of academic workshops, symposia, and lab events.
• Co-mentor and help supervise undergraduate research…