Connectionists: Assistant professor in AI + Biological Cognition at UAlberta
Alona Fyshe
amfyshe at gmail.com
Fri Nov 24 12:46:08 EST 2023
Dear Colleagues,
We are excited to announce a faculty position in AI and Biological
Cognition in the Department of Psychology, University of Alberta. The
successful candidate will be nominated for a Canada CIFAR Artificial
Intelligence (CCAI) Chair by the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute
(Amii). This prestigious Chair position includes generous research funding
for at least five years.
For more details, please visit the job posting at the following link (also
copied below):
https://www.careers.ualberta.ca/Competition/A108052175/
Thanks,
Alona Fyshe
Associate Professor, CCAI Chair
Department of Computing Science and Department of Psychology
University of Alberta
—--------------------------------
Assistant Professor, Artificial Intelligence & Biological Cognition
The Department of Psychology, University of Alberta, invites applications
for a tenure-track position at the rank of Assistant Professor in
Artificial Intelligence and Biological Cognition to commence with a start
date as early as July 1, 2024. Exceptional candidates might be considered
for hiring at the rank of Associate Professor.
Artificial intelligence (AI) has a history steeped in psychology, cognitive
science, and neuroscience. Though AI research diverged from its cognitive
science roots, the advent of deep learning (DL) has reunited the fields and
enabled AI to achieve human performance on multiple tasks. As these models
become larger and more powerful, studying DL models trained for specific
tasks can help us understand how the brain might solve similar problems.
Work in this direction touches on multiple areas in psychology including
memory, learning, navigation, language, and perception.
Position Summary
This position is part of a cluster hire in the intersection of AI/ML and
other areas of research excellence within the University of Alberta that
include Health, Energy, and Indigenous Initiatives in health and
humanities, among others. The successful candidate will also become an Amii
Fellow, joining a highly collegial institute of world-class Artificial
Intelligence and Machine Learning researchers, and will have access to Amii
internal funding resources, administrative support, and a highly
collaborative environment. We particularly encourage applicants with
research programs that complement the department’s current strengths in the
areas of memory, learning, navigation, perception and language, with
special emphasis on how these areas intersect with artificial intelligence.
The successful candidate will be nominated for a Canada CIFAR Artificial
Intelligence (CCAI) Chair, by the Amii. If the candidate is successful in
their CCAI Chair nomination, the Chair includes research funding for at
least five years.
Qualifications
-
PhD in Psychology, Computing Science or a closely related field (e.g.,
Neuroscience, Computational Psychology) by the date of the appointment or
shortly thereafter.
-
Applicants are expected to have a research record that displays
excellence, including publications in top AI/ML/Psychology/Neuroscience
conferences and journals, and an innovative research program that makes
fundamental advances in machine learning (ML) and/or how ML is applied to
study the brain and mind.
-
Evidence of teaching effectiveness and potential for acquiring external
funding is required.
-
Ability to teach undergraduate and graduate courses in Psychology, or
cross-listed courses in Psychology and Computing Science.
-
Ability to contribute to the level of AI expertise across campus, as
well as to the capacity of students and investigators to engage in
emerging, multidisciplinary research opportunities consistent with
objectives of the University’s Strategic Plan, Indigenous Strategic Plan,
and the EDI Strategic Plan.
Department/Faculty Summary
The Department of Psychology <https://www.ualberta.ca/psychology/index.html>
offers about 60 different psychology courses, having 2,472 psychology
undergraduate majors and over 1,024 psychology undergraduate minors.
The Faculty
of Science <https://www.ualberta.ca/science/index.html> is globally
recognized for excellence in research and education, working to position
our community ahead of economic cycles, ecological shifts, competitive
opportunities, and disruptive technologies by pushing the boundaries of
discovery, knowledge, and innovation (Science Strategic Plan
<https://www.ualberta.ca/science/media-library/aboutus/documents/ualberta-science-strategic-plan-2020-2025.pdf>
).
Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute (Amii)
Amii is one of three institutes named in the Pan-Canadian AI Strategy,
consisting of more than 35 artificial intelligence (AI) and machine
learning (ML) researchers at the University of Alberta, as well as CCAI
Chairs at post-secondary institutions across Western Canada. The University
of Alberta is world-renowned for its strength in AI and ML. The AI cohort
that includes this position will bring together and foster the next
generation of scientists leading the development of machine learning for
societal benefit, fulfilling Amii’s mandate of AI for good and all.
Working at the University
The University of Alberta is one of the largest and most
research-productive universities in Canada. With more than 40,000 students
from 146 countries, the U of A regularly ranks in the top 5 universities in
the country and in the top 100 universities in the world according to QS
Worldwide university rankings. The University is world-renowned for its
strength in AI and ML, which the University has identified as one of three
priority areas of global research prominence (University Strategic Plan
<https://www.ualberta.ca/strategic-plan/index.html>). The University is
committed to Equity, Diversity and Inclusivity (Strategic Plan for EDI
<https://www.ualberta.ca/equity-diversity-inclusion/strategic-plan-for-edi/index.html>)
and to reconciliation (Indigenous Strategic Plan
<https://www.ualberta.ca/indigenous/strategic-plan/index.html>). Greater
Edmonton, Amiskwacîwâskahikan, in the language of the Plains Cree, is
situated on Treaty Six Territory and Métis Nation of Alberta Region 4. We
recognize and respect the history, languages, and cultures of the First
Nations, Métis, Inuit, and all First Peoples of Canada, whose presence
continues to enrich our institution.
Location: The successful candidate is expected to be located in Edmonton.
For more information about the University of Alberta and Edmonton, please
visit http://www.ualberta.ca <https://www.ualberta.ca/index.html> and
https://infoedmonton.com.
Salary and Benefits: This position is a part of the Association of the
Academic Staff of the University of Alberta (AASUA). The university offers
highly competitive salaries and an excellent benefits package
<https://www.ualberta.ca/human-resources-health-safety-environment/benefits-and-pay/benefits-and-pension/benefits-overview/academic/index.html>.
Salary is commensurate with experience and qualifications in accordance
with the Faculty Agreement’s negotiated salary scales
<https://www.ualberta.ca/human-resources-health-safety-environment/benefits-and-pay/pay-and-tax/salary-increments.html>
.
How to Apply
Please read application instructions carefully as incomplete applications
will not be considered. As part of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program
(TFWP) requirements, the university must conduct recruitment efforts to
hire Canadians and permanent residents before offering a job to a temporary
foreign worker. To ensure we remain in compliance with these regulations,
please include the appropriate statement in your cover letter: “I am a
Canadian Citizen/Permanent Resident” or “I am not a Canadian
Citizen/Permanent Resident”.
Please select the Apply Online icon below and submit the following
documents:
(1) Cover letter that includes highlights of their profile (2 pages max),
along with TFWP statement of Canadian status (submit under “Cover Letter”).
(2) CV (submit under “Curriculum Vitae”).
(3) Names and contact information of three referees (submit under
“References”). The required reference letters must focus on the candidate’s
research and scholarly work under the following headings:
-
An assessment of their AI/ML expertise;
-
An appraisal of the impact and significance of their research and
scholarship;
-
Quality of their publications;
-
Standing in the field, and ranking among the scholars in their cohort;
and
-
Potential for sustained growth and achievement in the future.
(4) Copies of up to 3 recent publications or preprints, including one
paper that best exemplifies their work at the intersection of AI/ML and
psychology/neuroscience (submit under “List of Publications”).
(5) Research Statement that outlines their main areas of current and
future research and that addresses each of the criteria listed below under
EVALUATION OF CANDIDATES (submit under “Research Plan”).
(6) A summary of their teaching interests and teaching dossier (submit
under “Statement of Teaching/Research Interests”).
(7) An EDI Statement (1-2 pages) that identifies their strengths and
experiences with equity, diversity, and inclusion and includes their plans
to advance EDI in their research, teaching, mentoring, and service to the
scientific community (submit under “EDI Philosophy”).
EVALUATION OF CANDIDATES: Candidates must address each of these criteria in
their attached Research Plan.
1. Disciplinary Excellence. Candidates should be doing
internationally-recognized research, commensurate with their career stage.
This means high quality work appearing in high quality venues.
2. Depth and Breadth of Connections with AI/ML. Candidates’ past and
planned research should be deeply connected with and/or enabled by AI and
machine learning. Ideally, AI/ML techniques and advances should be at the
heart of the research. Their research should constitute fundamental
advances in AI/ML, or constitute a fundamental advance in how AI/ML is
applied in psychology and/or neuroscience.
3. Vision for AI Transforming Their Discipline. Candidates should be
current/future leaders in the transformation of psychology and neuroscience
through AI. The ideal candidate would both see the future of
psychology/neuroscience involving AI and be an advocate of the innovation
AI can bring to psychology/neuroscience.
4. Synergy with Amii. Candidates should be excited to have close
collaborations with world-class AI researchers at Amii. The ideal candidate
will both leverage Amii AI expertise (prof, student, community), as well as
be an active participant — both at a collegial and intellectual level —
giving back to the Amii community and its pool of expertise.
Inquiries regarding the position can be addressed to the Department Chair,
Dr. Anthony Singhal (psychair at ualberta.ca), and the Executive Assistant,
Llyn Madsen (psyea at ualberta.ca), using “AI BioCognition 2024” as the
email’s subject.
Applications must be received by Friday, January 12, 2024 to receive full
consideration. We thank all applicants; however, only those selected for an
interview will be contacted. All applicants are invited to indicate
appropriate accessibility accommodations that will facilitate their
participation in an interview by contacting psyea at ualberta.ca to arrange
appropriate accommodations.
All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and
permanent residents will be given priority. If suitable Canadian citizens
or permanent residents cannot be found, other individuals will be considered
.
The University of Alberta is committed to an equitable, diverse, and
inclusive workforce. We welcome applications from all qualified persons. We
encourage women; First Nations, Métis and Inuit persons; members of visible
minority groups; persons with disabilities; persons of any sexual
orientation or gender identity and expression; persons with non-traditional
career paths; and all those who may contribute to the further
diversification of ideas and the University to apply. The University of
Alberta recognizes the legitimate impact that leaves such as parental leave
or leave due to illness can have on a candidate’s record of research
achievement, and these leaves will be taken into careful consideration
during the assessment process.
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