Category: Post-doctoral Positions and Fellowships
Institution: The University of Texas, Austin
Department: Oden Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences
Duration: 2 Years (potentially an additional year)
Location: Austin, TX
CosmicAI Fellowship:
The newly established NSF-Simons CosmicAI Institute seeks to hire an outstanding Postdoctoral Fellow specializing in AI with a focus on Explainable and Interpretable AI (XAI) methods. The Fellow will play a key role in advancing research efforts aimed at creating innovative AI techniques, with a particular focus on causal inference with AI and symbolic modeling tailored for complex data analysis in astronomy. The Fellow, based at the University of Texas at Austin, will work closely with Dr. Arya Farahi and Dr. Alessandro Rinaldo at the Department of Statistics and Data Sciences and will collaborate with researchers across the Institute to facilitate the development of cutting-edge AI tools and methodologies. While collaboration with natural scientists (such as astronomers and physicists) is encouraged, a background in these fields is not required. We are seeking candidates with expertise in AI methodologies such as causal inference or symbolic modeling and an interest in interdisciplinary collaboration. The Fellow will have access to cutting-edge computational resources, including Vista, a 600-GPU node cluster at the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC).
The Fellow will be expected to spend 50% of their time on Institute-related research efforts, with the remaining 50% available for independent research; ideally, there will be substantial overlap between the two. The appointment is for two years, with the possibility of renewal for a third year.
About CosmicAI Institute:
CosmicAI aims to grow transformative AI advances with the overarching goal to increase the accessibility of astronomy data and knowledge for researchers, students, and the public. CosmicAI leverages partnerships between academia (UT Austin, U. of Virginia, U. of Utah, UCLA), national facilities (NSF NRAO and NSF NOIRLab), nonprofits/foundations, and industry to develop capabilities that enable astronomical researchers to conceptualize, define, and execute research projects via trustworthy, efficient, robust, and explainable AI methods. By building next-generation AI tools, the Institute aims to accelerate discoveries related to the most basic human question: Where do we come from?
Key Responsibilities:
Develop XAI methods: Focus on creating interpretable and explainable AI techniques, including but not limited to causal inference with AI or symbolic modeling, that ensure transparency and interpretability in complex AI-driven models.
Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams: Engage with researchers across AI, statistics, and astronomy to apply XAI methods to large-scale datasets.
Advance trustworthy AI: Contribute to the development of robust, interpretable, and trustworthy AI systems, particularly those handling high-dimensional and complex datasets.
Qualifications:
A PhD in Statistics, AI, Machine Learning, Computer Science, or a related field by September 1, 2025.
Proven expertise in Explainable AI (XAI), causal inference, symbolic modeling, or related areas.
Proven a significant ability to contribute to interdisciplinary research efforts in broad areas across astronomy and computational science.
Strong interest in interdisciplinary collaboration with scientists in fields such as astronomy or physics, though a background in these fields is not required.
Experience with large-scale data analysis and proficiency in programming languages commonly used in AI research (e.g., Python, TensorFlow, PyTorch, JAX).
Appointment Terms:
Fellowships are for the period October 1, 2025 — August 31, 2026, with a possibility of extension for an additional year dependent upon funding availability and performance. An earlier start date is negotiable. The Fellowship salary for 2025 - 2026 is between $70,000 to 75,000, based on experience. Information about benefits can be found at https://postdocs.utexas.edu/employment/benefits
Application Instructions:
Applications are due December 15, 2024. Late submissions are unlikely to be considered. The following documents are required.
Cover letter (maximum 1 page).
Statement of past research and potential future research directions (maximum two pages without references). Emphasizing experience with XAI, causal inference, symbolic modeling, and/or interdisciplinary work.
List of publications (highlighting key relevant publications)
CV (maximum 2 pages)
Three letters of recommendation by December 15th. Note: recommendation letters must be sent directly by the composer/signee/professor through this box folder. The recommendation letters should be in PDF format, and the file name should follow this structure: "applicant-name_composer-name.pdf"
Upload all completed documents, besides recommendation letters, in one PDF form to this secure Box folder. Name files using first and last name.
For more information, contact Dr. Arya Farahi at arya.farahi@austin.utexas.edu or visit his job opportunities page for more details.
We will continue to accept applications until the position is filled. We will review applications every two weeks. Once this position is filled, we will remove this posting.