Research Associate
Grade: Grade 7 (£37,694 - £46,049) - Contract Type: Full Time, Fixed Term (6 Months)
Rewards and Benefits: 33 days annual leave, plus 9 buildings closed days (and Christmas Eve when it falls on a weekday) for all full time staff. Use our total rewards calculator: to see the value of benefits provided by Heriot-Watt University.
Purpose of the Role
We seek an ambitious and creative postdoctoral research associate (PDRA), starting in March 2026 or earliest thereafter.
Detailed Description
The PDRA will be working within the auspices of the WIDERA consortium project iRISE (Improving Reproducibility In SciencE) under the guidance of Dr Daniele Fanelli, in a nascent Metascience Lab located in the School of Social Sciences at Heriot-Watt University.
The primary objective of the post is to apply Large Language Models (LLM) and Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques to analysing the texts of scientific papers, in order to extract information that helps forecast their reproducibility.
The post is for a period of 6 months but should the PDRA wish to extend their position, they will be encouraged to lead or collaborate on new grant applications.
Main Duties and Responsibilities
* Develop and test methods to measure the complexity of methods and other properties of studies using LLM and NLP.
* Contribute to the development of novel, transferable methodologies, and contribute to developing a statistical package that implements them.
* Help with data collection and curation.
* Help with general management of the project and research group (e.g. web page and social media communication).
* Take part in dissemination activities, such as conferences and workshops.
Education, Qualifications and Experience
Essential Criteria
* You should have a PhD and/or equivalent research experience in a suitable subject (any disciplinary background is accepted).
* Knowledge and practical understanding of NLP, LLMs and good quantitative/statistical skills.
Desirable Criteria
* Experience and/or a demonstrable interest in any of: metascience, scientometrics, knowledge representation.
How to Apply
Please submit by midnight on the 28th February, via the Heriot-Watt on-line recruitment system: 1) Cover letter describing your suitability for the post and a short statement about research interests 2) Full CV including list of publications.
Review of applications will start on the w/c 2nd March.
For any enquiries about this position please contact Dr Daniele Fanelli,
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Use our total rewards calculator: to see the value of benefits provided by Heriot-Watt University.
About Heriot-Watt
Heriot-Watt University has established a reputation for world-class teaching and leading-edge, relevant research, which has made it one of the top UK universities for innovation, business and industry.
Heriot-Watt University has five campuses: three in the UK (Edinburgh, Scottish Borders and Orkney), one in Dubai and one in Malaysia. The University offers a highly distinctive range of degree programmes in the specialist areas of science, engineering, design, business and languages. Heriot-Watt University is also Scotland's most international university, boasting the largest international student cohort.