Research Assistant

Opportunity for Early-Career Researchers in Natural Language Processing

This exciting research opportunity is ideal for an ambitious early-career researcher with a Master's degree in Computational Linguistics or a related field. If you are passionate about advancing Natural Language Processing (NLP) and are committed to the principles of Open Science, this role offers a significant platform to further your career within one of the UK's leading research-intensive universities.

About the Project: iDEM - Inclusive Democratic Spaces for Deliberation and Participation

The iDEM project is at the forefront of addressing critical barriers to effective deliberative and participatory democratic practices. By leveraging cutting-edge NLP methods, the project aims to tackle political inequality and enhance engagement in democratic spaces. Collaborating with international partners, you will develop innovative techniques for identifying challenging language within political texts. This involves fine-tuning large language models to detect difficult words and constructions tailored to specific target audiences and domains. The research will focus on key challenges in NLP, including:

• Transferring prediction models across diverse user groups and domains, even with limited training data.
• Handling multilingual datasets and requirements.
• Integrating heterogeneous annotation levels (word, passage, sentence, or text) that may contain noise and inconsistencies.

A significant aspect of this role will involve experimenting with explainable AI (XAI) techniques. This focus ensures that the developed classifiers can provide clear and justifiable explanations for their predictions, fostering trust and enabling informed decision-making.

Key Advantages for Candidates:

• Cutting-Edge Research: Engage with a high-impact project at the intersection of NLP, linguistics, and democratic studies.
• Professional Development: This role is a strong stepping stone for individuals looking to build a career in computational linguistics and AI research.
• Collaborative Environment: Work with EU partners, gaining exposure to international research collaborations.
• Commitment to Open Science: Contribute to research practices that promote transparency and accessibility.
• Exceptional Benefits Package: The university offers a generous array of benefits, including:
  • Generous Holiday Entitlement: Over 40 days of leave per year, combining standard holiday with university closure days.
  • Excellent Pension Scheme: A substantial employer contribution of 21.6% of salary.
  • Health and Wellbeing: Access to a state-of-the-art campus gym, The Edge, with extensive facilities.
  • Personal and Professional Growth: Opportunities for training and development through various university-led courses, covering a wide range of skills and interests.
  • Additional Perks: On-site childcare, shopping discounts, and travel schemes further enhance the employee experience.

Key Considerations for Your Career Path:

• This position is ideal for those who thrive in a challenging and fast-paced research environment.
• Candidates should possess strong analytical skills and a demonstrable interest in applying NLP to real-world societal issues.
• The project's focus on explainable AI offers a unique opportunity to gain expertise in a highly sought-after area of artificial intelligence.
• An interest in democratic processes and civic engagement will be beneficial for understanding the broader impact of this research.

This role offers a unique chance to contribute meaningfully to both the advancement of NLP and the enhancement of democratic discourse. If you are driven by a desire to innovate and make a tangible impact, we encourage you to apply.