Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Digital Minds Project (EXPIRED)

The Digital Minds project is hiring for a two-year postdoctoral position, to be based in the philosophy department at the University of Montréal, under the direction of Jonathan Simon, to begin in the fall of 2022.  This project is a collaboration between 1) researchers at MILA, the Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute, headed by Yoshua Bengio, 2) researchers at FHI, the Future of Humanity Institute, headed by Nick Bostrom, and 3) Jonathan Simon, a philosopher of mind at the University of Montréal. The project will research artificial consciousness. For more see https://jonsimon.net/digital-minds-project/.

Preference given to those with some familiarity with state-of-the-art machine learning architectures, in order to capitalize on opportunities for collaboration with the MILA group led by Bengio, and also to those with familiarity with associated moral, policy and decision-theoretic questions, in order to capitalize on opportunities for collaboration with the FHI group led by Bostrom. Doctorate must be conferred by start date in fall of 2022 (and less than five years before that date). Health and other social benefits included. The University of Montréal is a francophone institution. Knowledge of French is not required for the project, but candidates preferring to work in French are invited to do so.

To apply:
I) Please submit, all in a single PDF, via email:

1) a cover letter,
2) a CV,
3) a research statement, and
4) a writing sample.

Please title your email: “DM2022 Application Lastname, Firstname”
(but with your actual last and first names in place of `Lastname’ and `Firstname’)

Please title your PDF: Lastname_Firstname_DM2022.pdf

Send to: [email protected]

II) Please also arrange for 2-4 letter writers to email (confidential) letters of recommendation, to the same address ([email protected]). Please ask letter writers to title things as follows:

Letter PDF file: CandidateLastName_CandidateFirstName_AuthorLastname_DM2022
Email title: “DM2022 Application Letter for CandidateLastname, CandidateFirstname”

Please also specify, in the body of the original email you write containing the application PDF, the names and email addresses of your letter writers.

Members of underrepresented groups are especially encouraged to apply. Qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, creed, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, military service or any other category protected by law. We value diversity of background and opinion, and prohibit discrimination or harassment on the basis of any legally protected class in the areas of hiring, recruitment, promotion, transfer, demotion, training, compensation, pay, fringe benefits, layoff, termination or any other terms and conditions of employment.