Senior Research Scientist

Chapman University Careers•Irvine, CA

About The Position

The Senior Research Scientist will conduct advanced scientific research investigating the area of agency, intentions, and artificial intelligence. This position requires high-level expertise in philosophy, psychology, neuroscience, and artificial intelligence research, with a strong 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. A Ph.D. in Philosophy, Psychology, or Neuroscience, along with postdoctoral training, is required. This role is considered a specialty occupation demanding a combination of highly advanced and domain-specific theoretical and practical knowledge.

Requirements

Ph.D. in Philosophy, Psychology, Neuroscience, or a related field.
1+ year of postdoctoral research experience in philosophy, psychology, or neuroscience.
5+ peer-reviewed publications in recognized scientific journals.
Experience with MATLAB for experiment design and JASP or R for statistical analysis.
Advanced understanding of inferential statistical methods and neurophysiological data analysis.
Proficiency in setting up and using electrophysiological equipment (e.g., EEG systems).
Excellent scientific writing and public presentation skills.
Ability to work independently and manage multiple research tasks.

Responsibilities

Perform conceptual analysis of descriptions of AI systems with focus on the concepts of alignment, alignment faking, belief, deception, and intention.
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.
Provide theoretical input into the benchmark development for agency and intentionality in AI.
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.
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.
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 assistants, Postbac researchers, and graduate students providing training in experimental design, equipment usage, data collection, data analysis, and coding as well as preparing posters and publications.