Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Toronto Artificial Consciousness Initiative

The University of Toronto Artificial Consciousness Initiative (ACI) is a three-year pilot project advancing foundational research connecting artificial intelligence and consciousness. The project is led by Andrew Y. Lee, and its core team includes Karina Vold, Christian Tarsney, and Gwen Bradford. Further details are available at https://artificialconsciousness.ca/

ACI, alongside the Department of Philosophy, invites applications for a two-year postdoctoral fellowship focused on the philosophy of artificial intelligence, philosophy of mind, ethics, and/or decision theory. The expected start date is July 1, 2027, though the exact start-date of the contract is negotiable.

Activities: The successful candidate will pursue an independent research program and contribute to the intellectual life of the Department of Philosophy and the Artificial Consciousness Initiative. The fellowship is a full-time research appointment, with up to 10% of hours allocated to administration and organization for ACI. The official academic unit is the Department of Philosophy, and the official supervisor is Andrew Y. Lee.

Salary: The fellowship comes with a salary of at least CA$70,000 per annum, with additional salary possible from teaching (see below). The normal hours of work are 40 hours per week for a full-time postdoctoral fellow, recognizing that the needs of the employee's research and professional development and the needs of the supervisor's research program may require flexibility in the performance of the employee's duties and hours of work. (Should the minimum salary rates stipulated in the collective agreement become higher than the rates stated in this posting, the rate stated in this posting shall prevail.)

Teaching: No teaching is required. However, the successful candidate will have the opportunity to apply for undergraduate Course Instructor positions in the Department of Philosophy, which are appointed and remunerated separately under the CUPE 3902 Unit 1 Collective Agreement. Any teaching would be remunerated separately at the standard Unit 1 rates (currently about CA$9,400–10,500 per half-course, plus vacation pay), without reducing the fellowship salary. We anticipate the ability to support the fellow in teaching one course (0.5 FCE) per year, subject to departmental need and the applicable appointment procedures.

Further Details: All qualified applicants are invited to apply. The University of Toronto is strongly committed to diversity within its community and especially welcomes applications from racialized persons / persons of colour, women, Indigenous / Aboriginal People of North America, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ2S+ persons, and others who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas. The University is committed to accessibility; applicants requiring accommodation at any stage of the application or hiring process should contact [email protected]. Employment as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Toronto is covered by the terms of the CUPE 3902 Unit 5 Collective Agreement.

Eligibility: To be eligible the successful candidate must have received a PhD in Philosophy (or a related field), and have fulfilled all conditions for conferral (including final approval of any post-defence corrections), before the starting date.

Application: To ensure full consideration, applications should be submitted by 11:59pm (ET) on January 8, 2027.

Applicants should send the following documents (all in pdf format) to [email protected]: Cover Letter, CV, Research Statement, Writing Sample, with the title of the email in the form “LastName, FirstName ACI_Postdoc_2027.”

Applicants should also solicit three Letters of Recommendation, sent to the same address, with the title of the email in the form “Letter: LastName, FirstName ACI_Postdoc_2027.”