The postdoctoral fellowship is offered by the Department of Cognitive Science at Carleton University in partnership with the AI Lab at RBC (Royal Bank of Canada). We aim to attract qualified candidates to join our team conducting best in breed research in deep Natural Language Processing (NLP), specifically in the area of Foundation Models and their intersection with Machine Learning Operations (MLOps).
The fellowship is for at least one year but interested candidates could be brought on for up to three years. The postdoctoral fellow will be supervised by Dr. Raj Singh at Carleton and Dr. Ehsan Amjadian at RBC. The starting salary is $45,000 CAD (plus benefits) and the postdoc will be considered unionized under PSAC Local 77000 (more information here: https://psac77000.ca/).
Project Objectives:
Foundation models such as OpenAI’s GPT3 and Codex as well as DeepMind’s AlphaCode have not only become the latest surge in NLP, they have also changed the entire training regime of leading NLP systems and have redefined the possible. For example, viable and functional UI’s can be created from only natural language instructions.
The horizons of these models are not well explored in industry and specifically not within an MLOps context. The goal of this post-doctoral fellowship aims to address this problem exactly. The postdoctoral fellow will architect and deploy NLP interfaces powered by foundations models within a bleeding edge compute infrastructure and MLOps framework, where in addition to the machine learning performance architectural efficacy and complex integration methods are explored.
Candidate Requirements:
The successful candidate is expected to have the following requirements:
- PhD in Computer Science, Mathematics, Cognitive Science, Linguistics, AI, NLP or other allied disciplines with a proven track record in the field of deep learning and NLP, demonstrated for instance by one or more of the following: a) Publication in reputable venues, b) Programming (e.g., github repositories), c) Conference Presentations;
- The candidate is expected to be fluent in one of the leading Deep Learning frameworks such as TensorFlow or PyTorch;
- The candidate is expected to have an excellent command of Python and Object Oriented Programming principles and best practices in software development;
- The candidate is expected to have machine learning development experience on at least one of the commonly used cloud platforms (Azure, AWS, or GCP);
- The candidate is expected to be familiar with MLOps on one of the commonly used cloud platforms (Azure, AWS, or GCP);
- Fluent Academic English and strong communication skills (written and oral);
- The candidate is expected to have experience utilizing single/multiple GPUs in a deep learning solution either on local servers or one of the cloud computing providers;
- Rapid Experimentation skills;
- The candidate is expected to have experience working with structured and unstructured data, such as: a) Pandas, b) SQL, c) ReGex, d) Spark;
- Familiarity with distributed computing and big data (Spark, Data Frames) is an asset;
- Excellent time management skills and agile, iterative, and timely delivery is expected.
The Department of Cognitive Science:
The Department of Cognitive Science (www.carleton.ca/cognitivescience/) offers programs at the Bachelors, Masters, and Ph.D. levels in Cognitive Science to approximately 400 undergraduate and 40 graduate students. Carleton is one of the few institutions in the world to offer B.Cog.Sc. and M.Cog.Sc. degrees. The department is a fully-independent academic unit, with dedicated faculty members. It is also supported through cross-appointments from several other departments, and our research and supervision more generally covers areas such as psychology, formal linguistics, philosophy, and computer science (e.g., Artificial Intelligence and Modelling).
About Carleton University:
Carleton University is a dynamic and innovative research and teaching institution with a national and international reputation as a leader in collaborative teaching and learning, research and governance. With over 31,000 students in more than 100 programs of study, we encourage creative risk-taking, discovery, and the generation of transformative knowledge. We are proud to be one of the most accessible campuses in North America and Carleton’s Paul Menton Centre for Students with Disabilities has been heralded as the gold standard for disability support services in Canada. Carleton’s location in Ottawa, Ontario provides many opportunities for scholarship and research with numerous and diverse groups and institutions. Canada’s capital has a population of over one million and reflects the country’s bilingual and multicultural character. To learn more about our university and the City of Ottawa, please visit www.carleton.ca/about.
Carleton University is committed to fostering diversity within its community as a source of excellence, cultural enrichment, and social strength. We welcome those who would contribute to the further diversification of our university including, but not limited to: women; visible minorities; First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples; persons with disabilities; and persons of any sexual orientation, gender identity and or expression. Furthermore, Carleton understands that career paths vary and interruptions will not prejudice the assessment process. We invite you to review our revitalized Indigenous strategy, Kinàmàgawin https://carleton.ca/indigenousinitiatives/cu-files/kinamagawin/ and visit our Department of Equity and Inclusive Communities for information about our commitment to leadership in the areas of equity, diversity, and inclusion at https://carleton.ca/equity/. Accessibility is a university strategic priority and applicants selected for an interview who require accommodations are invited to contact the Chair as soon as possible to ensure that appropriate arrangements may be made.
Application Instructions:
Applications must be sent electronically in one single PDF file which includes the following: (i) CV, (ii) A cover letter. In your letter, please provide a statement that identifies your strengths in advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion in your discipline and on campus as well as your future plans. Please also indicate in your application if you are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada. Please email your files to both Dr. Raj Singh (raj.singh@carleton.ca) and Dr. Ehsan Amjadian (ehsan.amjadian@rbc.com).