Job Title: Doctoral Candidate (Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Project)

Location: Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany

Contract Type: Full-time Employment Contract

Duration: 36 months

Gross Salary: 3.342 € brutto per month

Application Deadline: 8th of November 2024

About the Project

We are seeking a highly motivated Doctoral Candidate (DC) to join our research team as part of a prestigious Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Doctoral Network (DN) project: AlignAI. The AlignAI Doctoral Network aims to train doctoral candidates in the interdisciplinary Large Language Model (LLM) research field. It focuses on aligning these models with human values to ensure their development and deployment are ethically sound and socially beneficial. By integrating expertise from social sciences, humanities, and technical disciplines, the project will address critical issues such as explainability and fairness, ensuring LLMs contribute positively to education, mental health, and news consumption.

The doctoral candidate will focus on mapping societal values and assessing the impact of LLMs on vulnerable groups. This project involves conducting an extensive literature review, desktop research, interviews with key stakeholders, and a large-scale survey to identify how vulnerable populations are affected by LLMs. The research will directly contribute to the development of ethical principles for LLM value alignment and governance models. The successful candidate will be supervised by Prof. Christoph Lütge (TUM) and work closely with leading experts, including Assistant Professor Carlos Zednik (TU/e), and Professor Andrea Cavallaro (Idiap).

Eligibility Criteria

• Doctoral Status: Applicants must not own a doctoral degree at the date of recruitment.
• Mobility Rule: Candidates must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Germany for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before the recruitment date.
• Nationality: Open to all nationalities.
• Doctoral Programme Enrollment: You must be willing to enrol in a doctoral programme at the Technical University of Munich.
• Full-Time Commitment: The position requires full-time commitment with a physical presence at the recruiting institution. Teleworking is not permitted.
• Educational Background/Training: Candidates would preferably have a background in social sciences, ethics, economics, philosophy, or AI-related fields, with knowledge of qualitative and quantitative research methods and an interest in societal impacts of technology.

Key Responsibilities

• Conduct a literature review and qualitative research to identify societal values relevant to LLMs and AI ethics under Prof. Dr. Christoph Lütge’s supervision.
• Design and implement a large-scale survey in collaboration with other researchers to inform risk and impact assessments.
• Engage in secondments at TU/e (Netherlands) and Idiap (Switzerland) as part of the project’s training activities. 
• Contribute to academic publications, project reports, and other dissemination activities.
• Participate in structured training programs and network-wide events organised by the consortium.
• Collaborate with international partners and other Doctoral Candidates within the network.

Selection Process

• Application Submission: Applications must be submitted by 8th of November.
• Selection Criteria: Candidates will be evaluated based on their academic background, research experience, and alignment with the project’s objectives. The selection process will be open, transparent, merit-based, impartial, and equitable.
• Interview: Shortlisted candidates will be invited for a structured interview with predefined questions and a scoring system.
• Reserve List: A reserve list of top candidates may be created for future opportunities.
• Selection Committee: The selection committee will comprise diverse experts ensuring gender balance, nationality diversity, and relevant experience.

Benefits

• Competitive Salary: The gross monthly salary is 3.342€, subject to tax and social security deductions.
• Social Security & Pension: Full coverage under Germany’s social security and pension schemes.
• Mobility Allowance: Additional monthly allowance for living costs related to relocation.
• Other Allowances: Family allowance, long-term leave allowance, and special needs allowance will be available if needed. 
• Professional Development: Access to high-quality training, networking opportunities, and career development support.

Application Procedure

• How to Apply: Submit in a single document your certificate, CV, cover letter (e.g., why are you interested in this project and/or what will you bring to this project. Max two pages), and contact information for two references at info@alignai.eu.
• Documentation: Candidates may be required to provide proof of residency history and eligibility criteria.
• Timeline: The successful candidates will be invited for interviews by the 30th of November, and the final decision will be made by the 15th of December.

Additional Information

• VISA Support: Where applicable, assistance with VISA and relocation procedures will be provided.

For more information about the project and the application process, please contact the team at info@alignai.eu.

Equal Opportunity: We are committed to diversity and inclusion in our recruitment process, and we encourage applications from underrepresented groups and all qualified individuals, regardless of nationality, gender, or background.

Note: The recruitment process will adhere strictly to the European Charter for Researchers principles and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers.