Post-Doctoral Research Associate School of Psychology Location: Canterbury Salary: £36,386 to £40,931 per annum Grade: Grade 7 Post Type: Full Time Contract Type: Fixed Term - Ends 30/06/2026 Release Date: Wednesday 24 April 2024 Closing Date: 23.59 hours BST on Friday 24 May 2024 (unless otherwise stated) Reference: HSS-217-24-R The School of Psychology is seeking to appoint a Post-Doctoral Research Associate (PDRA) to conduct research in moral psychology for Dr Jim Everett's project on the topic of trust in AI. This project - TRUSTAI - draws on psychology and philosophy to explore how and when humans trust AI agents that act as 'moral machines'. As a Post-Doctoral Research Associate, you work as a part of the project's team (at the University of Kent, and Dr Edmond Awad - University of Exeter) to explore, 1) the characteristics of AI agents that predict trust; 2) the individual differences that make us more or less likely to trust AI agents; 3) the situations where we are more likely to 'outsource' moral decisions to AI agents; and 4) how these findings should be used to design AI agents that warrant our trust. As a Post-Doctoral Research Associate you will: design surveys and experiments and collect data contribute to the writing of research papers and outputs addressing the project's research aims analyse data in a transparent and reproducible way using statistical techniques contribute to the write up of research work for academic and non-academic audiences promote the project to academic audiences, including presenting the research at conferences and workshops To be successful in this role you will have: a doctorate or equivalent qualification/experience in psychology, behavioural economics, or experimental philosophy - or an allied subject (or near to completion) an excellent record of publications in quality peer reviewed journals familiarity with psychological research literatures on moral psychology, trust/impression formation, and (preferably) AI experience of conducting advanced statistical analyses excellent communication skills What we can offer in return: The University of Kent is a distinctive and attractive place to work. As a member of our team, you can expect a friendly, open and collaborative working environment and support in your development and wellbeing throughout your time with us. You'll enjoy a range of great staff benefits including: hybrid working options allowing a flexible blend of office and home working (to be agreed in line with business needs) 43 days' leave per year (personal leave, bank holidays and additional days allocated for the Christmas period, pro rata for part-time staff) excellent pension scheme with generous employer contributions study while you work discounts, cycle to work scheme, local business discounts on site parking Please see the links below to view the full and to apply for this post. You may upload your CV and a cover letter, however please ensure you complete the application form and questions fully in addition to this. For further information regarding the application process please contact The People Services Team on peopleserviceshrkent.ac.uk quoting ref number: HSS-217-24-R.