Connectionists: PhD & Postdoc Opportunities in Accessible Explainable AI

[Pete Lewis]

Dear all,

The Trustworthy AI Lab at Ontario Tech University, in collaboration with 
the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB), is offering a 
funded PhD studentship and a Postdoctoral Research Fellow position in 
the area of accessible explainable artificial intelligence.

The position will be supervised by Dr Peter Lewis, Canada Research Chair 
in Trustworthy AI at Ontario Tech and Dr Mahadeo Sukhai, VP Research and 
International Affairs & Chief Accessibility Officer at CNIB.

The successful candidates will contribute to the 'Accessible Explainable 
Artificial Intelligence in Decision Making' project, which is funded by 
Accessibility Standards Canada’s Advancing Accessibility Standards 
Research Program.

Candidates should have a background in computer science, artificial 
intelligence, cognitive science, human-computer interaction, or a 
related field, and be interested in the accessibility of AI technology 
and its implications for the sight loss community. We are looking for 
candidates with strong technical and writing skills, an 
interdisciplinary mindset, and a deep understanding and commitment to 
accessibility and equity.

Working as part of the project team, the successful candidates will 
conduct research that explores ability bias in current AI technology and 
will contribute to the development of explainability techniques that 
that are accessible to persons with sight loss and other sensory 
disabilities. Engaging both the disability and technical communities in 
joint co-design sessions, the successful candidates will propose, 
prototype, and promote new best practice concerning how to remove 
systemic barriers in artificial intelligence.

As a member of the Trustworthy AI Lab at Ontario Tech, you will join a 
thriving, collegiate, and interdisciplinary team of researchers. There 
will be substantial opportunity for collaboration including with 
companies and other research groups nationally and internationally. The 
successful candidate will be expected to play an active role in these 
activities, as well as for advancing the lab’s profile and its broader 
mission to help make the relationship between AI and society work 
better. Our primary focus within this is to develop new knowledge and 
understanding concerning how to build AI systems that can reflect on, 
expose, and enhance their trustworthiness to people.

We aspire to be a collaborative, open-minded, inclusive, supportive, and 
fun environment for researchers to work and grow in, and we welcome 
applications from candidates who want to help us to advance this culture.

We adopt a flexible approach to working remotely or from the lab, though 
we anticipate that at least some physical presence at the lab will be 
necessary, and international travel might be required in line with 
international research community norms.


How to Apply:

PhD Position:
Candidates should apply to the PhD Computer Science program, mentioning 
this project, through the graduate admissions portal at 
https://gradstudies.ontariotechu.ca/grad_admin/graduate-admissions-portal.php

Postdoctoral Position: Candidates should apply via the university's job 
portal at 
https://ontariotechu.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/4/home/requisition/428?c=ontariotechu

Candidates are also strongly encouraged to email Dr Peter Lewis 
(peter.lewis at ontariotechu.ca) in advance, for an informal discussion 
about the project.

Ontario Tech University welcomes applications from all qualified 
candidates, while especially encouraging applications from women, 
members of visible minorities, Indigenous peoples, persons with 
disabilities, and persons of any sexual orientation, gender identity, 
and gender expression.

Ontario Tech University respects people's different needs and therefore 
will take all reasonable steps to ensure accommodation for applicants 
where appropriate. The University is also committed to ensuring that 
confidentiality is maintained throughout all aspects of the recruitment 
cycle.

If you require an accommodation to participate in the recruitment 
process, please get in touch with Peter Lewis 
(peter.lewis at ontariotechu.ca) or Mahadeo Sukhai 
(mahadeo.sukhai at cnib.ca). You are also welcome to contact the 
university’s Student Accessibility Services.

The university acknowledges the lands and people of the Mississaugas of 
Scugog Island First Nation which is covered under the Williams Treaties. 
We are situated on the Traditional Territory of the Mississaugas, a 
branch of the greater Anishinaabeg Nation which includes Algonquin, 
Ojibway, Odawa and Pottawatomi.

Cheers,

Peter