Postdoctoral Researcher/Research Associate – Semantic AI and Autonomous LLM
Insight Research Ireland Centre for Data Analytics/Data Science Institute Ref. No. 010997
JOB ADVERTISEMENT
We are inviting applications from suitable candidates for 1 full-time, fixed-term, 12-month contract positions as a Postdoctoral Researcher/Research Associate with the Insight Research Ireland Centre for Data Analytics at the University of Galway https://www.universityofgalway.ie).
At the Data Science Institute (DSI), the focus lies in investigating technologies that intersect Computer Science, Web Science, and Artificial Intelligence. Our goal is to establish a foundational comprehension of how digital processes fueled by information and knowledge are becoming pivotal in shaping society. Additionally, we explore the tools, techniques, and principles that underpin a world enriched by data.
The unique combination of a bustling city and a thriving university means that Galway has something to offer everyone. Galway was ranked as the top destination to visit in Ireland by The Lonely Planet Guide in 2012 and in 2020 was designated European Capital of Culture. Galway was ranked the seventh best student city in the World by the Campus Advisor in 2023, the only Irish city making the top 10.
Galway is known as a cultural centre with events such as The Cúirt International Festival of Literature, the Galway Film Fleadh and the Galway Arts Festival. It is also home to the world-renowned Druid Theatre Company and the Town Hall Theatre. Galway is also a great sporting city where you will find everything from horse racing, Gaelic games, soccer, rugby, rowing, motorsport to greyhound racing. The University of Galway is only a stone’s throw away to some amazing natural sites including the seaside, mountains and lake-rich bogland of Connemara and the Burren, an areas of beautiful limestone landscapes in nearby County Clare.
We seek to appoint a talented and enthusiastic researcher with expertise in ontology engineering, knowledge representation, data sharing, and integrating structured semantics into AI models. The ideal candidate should have a strong background in ontology engineering, knowledge representation, integrating structured semantics into AI models, autonomous large language models (LLMs), and data sharing principles, frameworks, and technologies.
The positions is funded through the Insight Research Ireland Centre for Data Analytics https://www.insight-centre.org, and the Data Space Support Centre (https://dssc.eu/) project.
Salary: Postdoctoral Researcher e pay scale €45,846 – €58,481 per annum, (subject to the project’s
funding limitations), and pro rata for shorter and/or part-time contracts.
The default position for all new public sector appointments is the 1st point of the salary scale. This may be reviewed, and consideration afforded to appointment at a higher point on the PayScale (subject to the project’s funding limitations), where evidence of prior years’ equivalent experience is accepted in determining placement on the scale above point 1, subject to the maximum of the scale.
Closing date for receipt of applications is 17:00 (Irish Time) on Friday 11th of April 2025. It will not be possible to consider applications received after the closing date.
Interviews are planned to be held on April 25, 2025
Please review full job description for further details and essential requirements.
JOB DESCRIPTION
The postdoctoral researcher/research associate will be expected to perform research and development in the area of Semantic AI (ontologies, knowledge graphs, reasoning, and inference), autonomous LLM, and data sharing within an established group of researchers and PhD students with expertise in data and knowledge engineering, data analytics and large-scale data processing, as well as a long tradition of applying this expertise in various domains, including healthcare, education, sustainability, smart cities, privacy and digital humanities.
The successful candidates will have the opportunity to shape the data and AI landscape within Europe, research and develop methods to integrate structured semantics with autonomous LLMs to enhance their reasoning and contextual understanding, contribute to the design and implementation of interoperable data sharing within data spaces and advance the development of ontology-driven AI models by applying innovative approaches to ontology alignment and expansion using machine learning and other AI techniques. The successful candidates will participate in cross-consortium meetings with academic and industry project partners and engage within external events with stakeholders in the European Data and AI Ecosystems.
The successful candidates will be based in the Insight Research Ireland Centre for Data Analytics at the University of Galway. The successful candidates will be supported in their professional development, be able to avail of a range of career level focussed training opportunities, have the potential to publish research findings in leading journals and international events.
Duties:
The successful candidates will be expected to:
• Research and develop ontology-driven LLMs – Integrate ontologies with LLM architectures to enhance reasoning, contextual understanding, and retrieval-augmented generation
• Automated ontology alignment & expansion – Research and develop methods to align, extend, and evolve ontologies using AI.
• Research and develop semantic reasoning & inference – Implement reasoning techniques to make AI systems more explainable and reliable.
• Research and design AI agents that can plan, reason, and execute tasks using structured knowledge.
• Any other duties assigned commensurate to this level of post
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
Essential Requirements:
• PhD in Computer Science or a closely related discipline, completed or with thesis submitted before the start date, OR Primary Degree (Level 8) in a relevant discipline, with at least four years of full-time, relevant research experience after graduation.
• Practical experience with large language models (LLMs), knowledge graphs, and symbolic AI.
• Strong knowledge of data sharing techniques.
• An active research profile with a proven track record of publications.
Desirable Requirements:
• Experience in ontology engineering (OWL, RDF, SPARQL), ontology alignment, automated reasoning, and inferencing techniques.
• Familiarity with neuro-symbolic AI and hybrid AI approaches.
• Knowledge of self-improving AI models and multi-agent systems.
• Experience in multi-disciplinary research projects and academic-industrial research collaborations. Previous experience with European Union (EU) projects is an advantage.
CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Continuing Professional Development/Training:
Researchers at University of Galway are encouraged to avail of a range of training and development opportunities designed to support their personal career development plans. University of Galway provides continuing professional development supports for all researchers seeking to build their own career pathways either within or beyond academia. Researchers are encouraged to engage with our Researcher Development Centre (RDC) upon commencing employment – see HERE for further information.
FURTHER INFORMATION/LINKS
• TO APPLY: Search Current University of Galway vacancies. Applications must be submitted online.
• For informal enquiries, please contact Rafiqul Haque (Data Science Institute), Christiane Leahy-Coen (Data Science Institute), Email: akmrafiqul.haque@universityofgalway.ie and christiane.leahy-coen@universityofgalway.ie
• Working in Research at University of Galway
• Moving to Ireland (Euraxess)
We reserve the right to re-advertise or extend the closing date for this post.
University of Galway is an equal opportunities employer.
All positions are recruited in line with Open, Transparent, Merit (OTM) and Competency based recruitment.
