Part-Time AI Research Assistant - Interpretable and Verifiable AI (LLM-to-Logic Translation) - Saha

Penn State University • University Park, PA

53d • Hybrid

About The Position

We are seeking a part-time research assistant to serve as an AI Research Assistant for a funded project on Interpretable and Verifiable AI for Structured Decision Making. The position involves developing lightweight AI frameworks that translate natural language into formal logic using large language models (LLMs), structured prompting, and self-critique. This work supports the design of transparent, verifiable AI systems for planetary and exoplanetary mission reasoning. The ideal candidate is a motivated researcher with strong skills in AI, natural language processing, and logic-based reasoning. This role provides an opportunity to contribute to an interdisciplinary project that bridges computer science, artificial intelligence, and scientific data interpretation.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship required due to grant requirements.
• Strong background in Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing, or Computational Linguistics.
• Familiarity with formal logic, symbolic reasoning, or knowledge representation.
• Proficiency in Python and experience with AI/ML libraries (PyTorch, Hugging Face, spaCy, etc.).
• Experience reading and summarizing research papers in AI or computational linguistics.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and writing skills.

Nice To Haves

• Prior experience with LLM-based research or tool development is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Assist in developing and testing AI pipelines that translate natural language into formal logic.
• Review and analyze NASA and ESA mission documents to extract structured conditional statements.
• Conduct experiments using large language models (e.g., GPT, LLaMA) for logic translation and self-verification.
• Design and evaluate microprompting templates and self-critique strategies.
• Implement and validate clause-extraction and logic-mapping components using Python and NLP libraries (e.g., spaCy, transformers).
• Document findings, contribute to publications, and present preliminary results.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Part-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Industry: Educational Services
• Education Level: No Education Listed
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees