Research assistant in natural language processing

We are looking for a Research assistant to support the NWO VIDI project headed by Dr Ivan Titov, Scaling Semantic Parsing to Unrestricted Domains. If you are interested in natural language processing and you have a strong background in applying machine learning methods (e.g., reinforcement learning, structured prediction), we encourage you to apply . Interest in cognition and linguistics, as well as a relevant background would be a plus. Active collaboration with Dr Dieuwke Hupkes is expected.

What are you going to do?

You are expected:

• to implement novel machine learning methods, under guidance of the supervisor;
• to analyze the performance of the developed methods and their comparison with state-of-the-art methods in the field;
• to contribute to writing research articles and presenting the work at scientific conferences;
• to contribute to preparing new datasets.

What do we require?

• BSc in computer science or related area (or about to complete);
• previous research experience;
• good programming skills (especially in Python);
• experience with machine learning frameworks (PyTorch, Tensorflow);
• strong background in ML (e.g., experience implementing reinforcement learning models, structured prediction methods);
• fluency in English, both written and spoken.

Our offer

A temporary contract for 16 hours per week, preferably starting on 15 September 2020 for the duration of eight months.

The salary, depending on relevant experience before the beginning of the employment contract, will be €2,656 to €3,548 (scale 8) gross per month, based on a full-time contract of 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? Then find out more about working at the Faculty of Science.

About the Faculty of Science and the ILLC

The Faculty of Science has a student body 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 a research institute at the University of Amsterdam (UvA) in which researchers from the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Humanities collaborate. Its central research area is the study of fundamental principles of encoding, transmission and comprehension of information. Research at ILLC is interdisciplinary, and aims at bringing together insights from various disciplines concerned with information and information processing, such as logic, mathematics, computer science, linguistics, natural language processing, cognitive science, artificial intelligence, music cognition, and philosophy.

Questions?

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

• Dr Ivan Titov, Associate professor

Job application

The UvA is an equal-opportunity employer. We prioritise 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 25 August 2020. You may apply online by using the link below.

Applications should include the following information in one single pdf file (not zipped), named using your surname and ‘research assistant’ as file name:

• a motivation letter and CV, including details of studies (e.g., transcript), background and relevant experience.

No agencies please