Job Description

:
This position is part of the Post Doctoral Fellows Association and has an initial appointment of two years. This position has a .
Location - This role is in-person at North Campus, Edmonton.
Position Summary
We are seeking a postdoctoral researcher for a research position supervised by Dr. Alona Fyshe, affiliated with the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute (Amii), and in collaboration with Dr. Natalie Brito at Columbia University.
This postdoc will combine findings from developmental psychology with large language models to explore possible explanations for phenomena like infantile amnesia or the generalization skills we see in young children. The successful candidate will train and finetune large language models, and develop experimental protocols to test possible explanations for the phenomena of learning we see in infancy and early childhood.
The selected candidate will benefit from the stimulating environment at the including access to events, talks and a co-working space in downtown Edmonton. Amii also hosts , an energetic tech conference that attracts thousands of attendees from around the world and various areas of tech research and industry.
Founded in 1964, the at the University of Alberta is the oldest and one of the largest computing science departments in Canada. We have an international reputation for contributions in the many fields of computing, both in foundations and applications. The Department currently consists of 51 faculty members, approximately 326 graduate students, 20 post-doctoral fellows and research associates, 1,352 undergraduate students and 12 administrative staff. Our research partners come from a wide variety of industries and other academic disciplines. We offer courses and research opportunities in several disciplines, including Artificial Intelligence, Database Systems, Computer Games, Machine Learning, Robotics, Software Engineering, Artificial Man-Machine Interfaces, Bioinformatics, Communication Networks, Algorithmics, Computer Graphics, Computer Vision, Software Systems, Human Computer Interaction, Internetworking, and Multimedia.
Responsibilities:

• Participate in and lead research on the above theme
• Work with and potentially co-supervise students
• (Co)-write high-impact scientific publications
• Present research at top-tier conferences

Qualifications:
Minimum Qualifications

• A PhD in computer science or a related area, with a focus on machine learning or NLP
• Demonstrated evidence of high-quality research, such as publications in relevant top-tier conferences (ICLR, NeurIPS, *ACL, EMNLP, ICML, etc) and/or journals
• Effective communication skills in both written and spoken English

Preferred Qualifications:

• Expertise in training/finetuning LLMs
• Previous experience in collecting and analyzing behavioral data

Application Instructions
Click "Apply Now" to submit your cover letter and Curriculum Vitae.
In your cover letter, summarize your past work, include a description and link to a representative publication, and a list of three references.
About Us:
The University of Alberta acknowledges that we are located on Treaty 6 territory, and respects the histories, languages and cultures of First Nations, Metis, Inuit and all FirstPeoples of Canada, whose presence continues to enrich our vibrant community.
The University of Alberta is a community of knowledge seekers, change makers and world shapers who lead with purpose each and every day. We are home to over 14,000 faculty and staff, more than 40,000 students and a growing community of 300,000 alumni worldwide.
Your work will have a meaningful influence on a fascinating cross-section of people - from our students and community members, to our renowned researchers and innovators, making discoveries and generating solutions that make the world healthier, safer, stronger and more just. .
At the University of Alberta, we are committed to creating an inclusive and accessible hiring process for all candidates. If you require accommodations to participate in the interview process, please let us know at the time of booking your interview and we will make every effort to accommodate your needs.
We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those individuals selected for an interview will be contacted.
All University employees have a responsibility to foster a workplace that prioritizes safety in all its forms-physical, cultural, and psychological. This is achieved by promoting a safe environment, adhering to all safety laws, policies and procedures, completing all required safety training, identifying hazards and implementing controls, reporting incidents, and contributing to a culture of belonging and respect, while endeavoring to ensure that all colleagues feel valued and safe to express their thoughts, perspectives and concerns.
The University of Alberta is committed to creating a university community where everyone feels valued, barriers to success are removed, and thriving connections are fostered. We welcome applications from all qualified persons. We encourage women, First Nations, Metis and Inuit persons, members of visible minority groups, persons with disabilities, persons of any sexual orientation or gender identity and expression, and all those who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas and the University to apply.
L'Universite de l'Alberta s'engage a creer une communaute universitaire ou chaque personne se sent valorisee, ou les obstacles a la reussite sont elimines et ou des connexions enrichissantes peuvent se developper. Nous accueillons les demandes de toutes les personnes qualifiees. Nous encourageons les femmes; Premieres nations, Metis et Inuits; membres des groupes minoritaires visibles; personnes handicapees; personnes de toute orientation sexuelle ou identite et expression de genre; et toutes les personnes qui peuvent contribuer a la diversification des idees et a l'universite a postuler.
About the Team: The is internationally recognized for excellence in research and education. Through pioneering discovery and innovation, the faculty addresses global challenges across disciplines such as biology, chemistry, computing science, physics, mathematics, and earth sciences. Its work positions the university at the forefront of technological, environmental, and scientific advancement.

Skills Required