Assistant Professor in Experimental Methods for AI in Logic and Language

Do you combine a knowledge of natural language semantics with that of experimental methods and their statistical analysis? Are you an expert in the use of causality and/or bias in Artificial Intelligence?  Do you have a track record of publishing in leading journals in Logic, language and/or Artificial Intelligence? Are you an inspiring teacher who is competent to teach a wide variety of courses in the areas of logic and natural language analysis, as well as Human(e) AI? Do you have an excellent command of both English and Dutch?

If so, we hope you will apply for our vacancy for an assistant professor in the area of Logic and Language with a focus on experimental methods in Artificial Intelligence. This position has a significant teaching component (research:teaching ratio is 50:50).

What are you going to do

You are expected to:

• develop and teach courses at Bachelor and Master levels on topics such as Logic and Computation; Experimental Methods for AI; Causality and Common Sense Reasoning, and Human(e) AI;
• contribute significantly to the creation and supervision of BSc and MSc thesis projects on AI;
• be active in research in the field of natural language analysis at the ILLC, while also reaching out to the broader research community active in language and cognition within the Faculty of Humanities;
• contribute to the research on experimental methods in AI, focussing especially on the semantics and pragmatics of natural language;
• (help to) setup and carry out (online) experiments these topics, statistically analyse the results, and provide cognitive models to explain them;
• publish papers in international journals / conference venues in your field, and to give contributed or invited talks at international venues;
• contribute to research valorisation, as well as to outreach activities in research and/or teaching.

Wat do we require

• A PhD in a relevant field, e.g. in probabilistic modelling, experimental semantics, Logic, AI.
• Competence to teach a wide variety of courses in the areas of logic, natural language processing and Human(e) AI.
• Experience with the (co-)supervision of BSc, MSc and/or PhD students.
• Excellent research skills, evidenced by a track record of publications in renowned international journals or conference venues in any of the above-mentioned fields, and contributed and/or invited talks at international conferences / workshops.
• Experience in setting up (online) experiments and with statistical analysis of the data.
• Expertise on bias and/or the use of causal models in Artificial Intelligence such that you can contribute to our ‘Language Technology for People’ program.
• the Dutch Basic Teaching Qualification (UTQ/BKO) is required, or willingness to acquire this within the first two years.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• The ability to contribute to research valorization and to research and teaching outreach activities, and capable of multidisciplinary cooperation.
• An excellent command of both English and Dutch (oral, reading, and writing).

Our offer

A temporary contract for 38 hours a week, preferably starting on 1 December 2021 for the duration of 24 months. A permanent contract  may follow your performance positively assessed. The salary, depending on relevant experience before the beginning of the employment contract, will be €3,746 to €5,127 (scale 11) gross per month, based on a fulltime contract (38 hours a week). This is exclusive 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus. A favourable tax agreement, the ‘30% ruling’, may apply to non-Dutch applicants. The Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities is applicable.

Are you curious about our extensive package of secondary employment benefits like our excellent opportunities for study and development? Take a look here.

Questions

Do you have questions about this vacancy? Or do you want to know more about our organisation? Please contact:

• Dr. Floris Roelofsen

About us

The Faculty of Science has a student bDody of around 7,000, as well as 1,600 members of staff working in education, research or support services. Researchers and students at the Faculty of Science are fascinated by every aspect of how the world works, be it elementary particles, the birth of the universe or the functioning of the brain.

The Institute for Logic, Language and Computation (ILLC) is an ambitious research instituted, focused on the interdisciplinary study of information. It is home to researchers with many different backgrounds, including computer science, logic, linguistics, musicology, philosophy and mathematics. In the area of Artificial Intelligence, we have research groups focusing on Natural Language processing, Multi-agent systems, Digital Humanities, Cognitive Modelling, Philosophy of AI, and Computational Logic. ILLC is a founding partner in UvA’s Artificial Intelligence BSc and MSc programmes and the Master of Logic, and the institute is part of both the Faculty of Science (FNWI) and the Faculty of Humanities (FGw).

Job application

The UvA is an equal-opportunity employer. We prioritize diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for everyone. We value a spirit of enquiry and perseverance, provide the space to keep asking questions, and promote a culture of curiosity and creativity.

Do you recognize yourself in the job profile? Then we look forward to receiving your application by 16 September 2021. You can apply online by using the link below. 

Your application should include the following information (in one single PDF file, using your surname as the file name):

• a letter of motivation / discussing in some detail your past and ongoing research, future research plans and your view on teaching (max 3 pages);
• your curriculum vitae, including a list of publications and teaching and supervision experience (please highlight and provide URLs for two publications that are representative of your work);
• names, affiliations and email addresses of three academic referees who can provide details about your academic profile in relation to the advertised position (we will contact these referees only after we have requested your explicit permission to do so).

We adhere to the DORA criteria for scientific excellence; therefore, please limit the number of scientific articles mentioned in your CV to a maximum of the 10 best ones, and refrain from mentioning your H-index or the impact factor of journals/conferences.

Please mention the months (not just years) in your CV when referring to your education and work experience.

We will invite potential candidates for trial lectures and interviews in week 39, 40 or 41 of 2021.

Apply now

No agencies please

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