Job Description

Research Assistant (110444-0525)

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Location
University of Warwick Campus, Coventry
Department
Computer Science
Position Type
Fixed Term
Duration
Fixed Term Contract for 12 months with possibility of an extension
Salary
30,805 - 34,132 per annum
About the Role

For informal enquiries, please contact Markus Brill (Associate Professor) markus.brill@warwick.ac.uk

We are seeking a Research Assistant to join our interdisciplinary research project "Aggregating Safety Preferences for AI Systems: A Social Choice Approach" (ASPAI), funded by the Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA) under their Safeguarded AI programme [1].


The ASPAI project is led by the University of Warwick in collaboration with the University of Oxford, HPI Potsdam, University of Groningen, and UC Berkeley. You will join a dynamic team of researchers across multiple institutions, working on cutting-edge problems at the intersection of (computational) social choice, judgment aggregation, and AI safety.


Our research focuses on developing mathematical frameworks for aggregating human attitudes toward safety specifications for AI systems. The project addresses key challenges in collective decision-making about AI safety, exploring how to combine diverse stakeholder views into coherent safety criteria and how to handle uncertainty in both the elicitation and representation of safety preferences.


The mathematical focus of the project includes the formal modelling of stakeholder preferences in the form of approval sets over probability distributions, developing axiomatic frameworks for aggregating these preferences, and addressing challenges of incomplete information and ambiguity. You will conduct literature reviews, implement and test algorithms, contribute to research discussions, and participate in collaborative research activities while also supporting project coordination and dissemination.


The position is expected to begin as soon as possible. It is initially for 12 months, with the potential for extension.



About You
Suitable candidates will have at least a 2:1 Honours degree or 1st class degree in Computer Science, Mathematics, Economics, or a related field. A master's degree and/or experience with research in (computational) social choice, (algorithmic) game theory, logic, or decision theory would be an advantage but is not essential.


This position provides excellent preparation and research experience for candidates considering PhD studies in computational social choice, AI safety, or related fields.


For further information regarding the skills required for this role please see the personal specification section of the attached job description.



About the Department
For further information about the project, please visit our website at:https://www.aria.org.uk/opportunity-spaces/mathematics-for-safe-ai/safeguarded-ai/technical-areas


The Department of Computer Science at the University of Warwick is a national and international leader in research and teaching, ranked 4th in the most recent Research Excellence Framework out of all UK departments in the subject. We are proud of our global outlook, international research culture, high quality of teaching, and personal attentiveness to our students and staff. Our excellence is also built on extensive collaborations in teaching as well as research with other University of Warwick departments, on an established and vibrant network of links with industry, and on deep and active engagements with national and international partners such as the Alan Turing Institute.


Further information is available on the Department's website: https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/dcs/.



About the University
Born in the 60s with a mindset of boldness, imagination and collaboration, the University of Warwick is a world-leading research-intensive university with the highest academic and research standards. We're one of the world's top universities, ranked 67th in the world and 10th in the UK, with 92% of our research assessed to be 'world leading or internationally excellent'*.


You'll be joining a diverse, innovative and globally connected community committed to igniting real world progress. Here at Warwick, we offer you opportunities to follow your ambitions as long as you bring the energy and determination to succeed.

QS World University Rankings 2024

Research Excellence Framework 2021


To find out more about us visit our website.



How to Apply

CLOSING DATE: Sunday 1st June 2025 at 23:55 (BST)

To apply, submit an application form by the closing date.


Please plan for any potential delays as you will not be able to submit an application form past this deadline (even if you opened the form at, say, 23:30).


You will have to attach a CV and a cover letter.

Your

CV

should include your employment history (including your most recent employment), your education history, and any other relevant experience. Your

cover letter

should explain your

motivations for applying

to the role and for joining the ASPAI project. It should also explain, using examples, how you meet each of the

essential and desirable criteria

detailed in the Right to Work in the UK
We wish to advise applicants that this role is not eligible for sponsorship for a Skilled Worker visa. If you do not yet have the right to work in the UK you will need to check the UK Government Website to see if you are eligible to obtain the right to work in the UK through one of the other UK immigration routes before you make your application.