PostDoctoral Associate

Job Summary

The Foundations of Autonomy Group at CU Boulder (Sriram Sankaranarayanan, PI) and Autonomous Systems Group at UT Austin (Ufuk Topcu, PI) are pleased to jointly offer a PostDoctoral Researcher opportunity focusing on problems in the verification and synthesis of shared human-machine control applications. This position will work initially at CU Boulder in Boulder, CO (a beautiful town in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in the USA) and then transition to working in Austin, TX (famous for its restaurants, music festivals, and the great outdoors).

While they are hosted at one of the sites (Boulder or Austin), they will collaborate closely with researchers in both groups. The research will involve building human mental models from data and analyzing them using a combination of ideas from logic, cognitive science, and control theory. These mental models will form the basis for crafting “cognitive autonomous systems” that reason about the actions of the human operator to promote overall situational awareness, increase trust, understand the operator intent, prevent misuse and abuse, communicate in a transparent manner, and maintain safety. The project also involves collaboration with a larger group of participants from the University of New Mexico and Purdue University that involves specialists in control theory and human factors. Besides research, the project will involve involvement in teaching undergraduate/graduate students in computer science; outreach to students through our summer REU program and mentorship of PhD students. The proposed research will fit well with candidates from a diverse set of backgrounds that include mathematical/computational modeling, analysis, and cognitive science. Here are some examples:

• Formal methods: Logic, Automata, Programming Language Theory and Theory of Computation.
• Cyber-Physical Systems: Embedded computation and Human-Robot Interaction.
• Human Factors: human-machine interaction with an interest in quantitative methods and building interfaces for autonomous systems.
• Control systems: hybrid systems.

The University of Colorado Boulder is committed to building a culturally diverse community of faculty, staff, and students dedicated to contributing to an inclusive campus environment. We are an Equal Opportunity employer, including veterans and individuals with disabilities.

Who We Are

Founded in 1970, the Department of Computer Science at CU Boulder is passionate about real-world, interdisciplinary experiences for our students. Our researchers are making advances in computer science today that will change the world tomorrow.

What Your Key Responsibilities Will Be

• Carry out research in topics related to the NSF project on cognitive autonomy in close collaboration with PI Sankaranarayanan, his PhD students, and our collaborators Prof. Ufuk Topcy at UT Austin. This would require regular meetings, reading papers, attending conferences, programming prototype tools, and presenting work at conferences/seminars.
• Mentoring PhD and MS students working on the project in conjunction with the PI.
• Help the PI with project report generation and other activities such as outreach to summer undergraduate REU students.

What We Can Offer

The salary for this position will be $60,000 annually.

Benefits

The University of Colorado offers excellent benefits , including medical, dental, retirement, paid time off, tuition benefit and ECO Pass. The University of Colorado Boulder is one of the largest employers in Boulder County and offers an inspiring higher education environment. Learn more about the University of Colorado Boulder .

Be Statements
Be Ambitious. Be Engaged. Be Boulder.

What We Require

Ph.D. in a related field.

Special Instructions

To apply, please submit the following materials:

1. Cover Letter
2. Resume
3. Proof of Degree
   • The document uploaded for Proof of Degree can be a Transcript which shows the date the degree was conferred; Copy of Diploma; or official letter from the Registrar or the Dean of the School or College conferring the degree.
   • If your degree was obtained outside of the United States, please submit a translated version (if applicable).
4. Letter of Recommendation (must be dated within the last 2 years)

Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

Note: Application materials will not be accepted via email. For consideration, applications must be submitted through CU Boulder Jobs .

Posting Contact Information

Posting Contact Name: Boulder Campus Human Resources

Posting Contact Email: HRESmail@colorado.edu