Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 1 year in the first instance.

Applications are invited for a one-year EPSRC Knowledge Mobility Fellowship to work with Professor David Wales (University of Cambridge) and Dr Edward Pyzer-Knapp (IBM Research Europe, Daresbury) in a collaborative project to demonstrate the application of energy landscapes theory in understanding the structure of large foundation models. The Fellow is expected to spend a significant part of the fellowship working with IBM at Daresbury.

Energy landscapes methods have been used previously to study machine learning models, including neural networks and Gaussian processes. With the strong interest in the development and deployment of foundation models, understanding their structure is a critical task and of high value to IBM. We will employ state-of-the-art methods from chemical physics to provide interpretability and understand why these foundation models are so powerful.

Applicants should have a PhD in theoretical chemistry or chemical physics. Familiarity with computer simulations based on machine learning or statistical mechanics is essential. Experience of energy landscapes exploration would be advantageous.

The post is available for an immediate start.

Click the ‘Apply’ button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.

Please ensure that you upload your Curriculum Vitae (CV), a covering letter and publications list in the upload section of the online application. If you upload any additional documents that have not been requested, we will not be able to consider these as part of your application.

Further information can be obtained from Professor David Wales (email: [email protected]).

Please quote reference MA40232 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The Department holds an Athena SWAN silver award for women in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

Further information

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