Research Associate on AI for Scientometrics

Diversity Dashboard; Sheffield; Hybrid; GBP 38,000 - 40,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual leave (41+ days pro rata)

Pension scheme

Flexible working

Wellbeing support

Discounts

Job summary

University of Sheffield invites applications for a 12-month postdoctoral research position on the ESRC-funded metascience project. You will develop an automated NLP pipeline to extract metrics from full texts, support statistical analyses, and integrate structured data into the indicator workflow.

You will collaborate with researchers across four UK universities and oversee project communications. The role requires a PhD in relevant fields, strong Python and NLP experience, and ability to

Qualifications

• PhD (or equivalent) in data science, computer science, information science or related field.
• Strong Python programming for ML and NLP.
• Good basics in statistics.
• Familiarity with R is a bonus.
• Experience with LLMs or AI in research projects.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, presentations.

Responsibilities

• Develop automated pipeline for data collection, cleaning and processing of scientific articles.
• Statistically analyse results and write up for publication.
• Collaborate with project partners across four UK universities.
• Manage a network of researchers interested in assessment of healthiness of research outputs.
• Present at conferences and project meetings; contribute to dissemination and training.

Skills

Python programming

NLP

Statistical analysis

Communication

Collaborations

LLMs

Education

PhD in Data Science/CS/Info Science

Tools

R

Job description

The University of Sheffield is a remarkable place to work. Our people are at the heart of everything we do. Their diverse backgrounds, abilities and beliefs make Sheffield a world-class university.

We offer a fantastic range of benefits including a highly competitive annual leave entitlement (with the ability to purchase more), a generous pensions scheme, flexible working opportunities, a commitment to your development and wellbeing, a wide range of retail discounts, and much more. Find out more about our benefits (opens in a new window) and join us to become part of something special.

Overview

This is a 12-month postdoctoral research position on the ESRC-funded metascience project Rigour Hygiene Indicators for Research Assessment. You will work with Dr Xiaorui Jiang as part of a team of researchers developing an indicator that determines whether a research body reports statistically significant results more often than would be plausible given typical study sizes. You will support the technical delivery of an automated natural language processing pipeline for extracting statistical metrics and study design features from full texts. This includes developing and maintaining the automated full text processing workflow, implementing extraction methods, and supporting the integration of structured data into the indicator pipeline. This role requires specialist expertise in computational text processing, natural language processing and large language models.

Main duties and responsibilities

• Develop an automated pipeline for the data collection, cleaning and processing of scientific articles
• Statistically analyse the results, such as with correlation tests, and write up the results for publication.
• Collaborate with others in the project on shared tasks, including with project partners across four universities in the UK.
• Manage a network of researchers and others interested in assessment of the healthiness of research outputs in medical and psychological domains.
• Attend project meetings, present regular progress reports, and participate in other project-relevant activities such as training, dissemination, networking, stakeholder engagement, etc..
• Present at conferences and workshops internationally and in the UK.
• Observe the project's Data Management Plan and contribute to maintaining a well‑organised shared file system.
• As a member of staff you will be encouraged to make ethical decisions in your role, embedding the University sustainability strategy into your working activities wherever possible.
• Contribute to University life, including the free exchange of ideas and a commitment to the achievement of excellence in research and scholarship and so advance the discipline and wider society.
• Carry out other duties, commensurate with the grade and remit of the post.

Person Specification

Our diverse community of staff and students recognises the unique abilities, backgrounds, and beliefs of all. We foster a culture where everyone feels they belong and is respected. Even if your past experience doesn't match perfectly with this role's criteria, your contribution is valuable, and we encourage you to apply. Please ensure that you reference the application criteria in the application statement when you apply.

Criteria

• A PhD (or equivalent) in Data Science, Computer Science, Information Science/Studies, or relevant fields - Essential - Application/Interview
• Strong Python programming experience in machine learning and natural language processing ecosystems - Essential - Application/Interview
• Good expertise in basic statistics.
• Familiarity with R would be a bonus to work with the necessary toolchain - Desirable - Application
• Experience of using Large Language Models or AI as part of the methods of a research project. - Desirable - Application
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, report writing skills, experience of delivering presentations - Essential - Application/Interview
• Ability to engage with the substantive research questions of the project at an advanced/postdoctoral level - Essential - Application/Interview
• Proven track record of working flexibly and effectively to deadlines with a strong level of attention to detail - Essential - Application/Interview
• Experience of working successfully with project partners - Desirable - Application/InterviewProven ability to write high-quality academic publications - Desirable - Application

Further Information

• Grade: 7
• Salary: £38,784 per annum
• Work arrangement: Full‑time
• Duration: 12 months
• Line manager: Lecturer in Data Science
• Right to work in the UK: If you do not currently hold the right to work in the UK, you can find more information here to help determine your visa eligibility. Additional guidance is also available on the UK Visa & Immigration website.
• Our website: https://sheffield.ac.uk/ijc
• For informal enquiries about this job contact Dr Xiaorui Jiang at [e-mail]

Next steps in the recruitment process

The selection process will take place after the closing date. This will consist of a short presentation and an interview. We will let candidates know if they have progressed to the selection stage after the closing date. If you need any support, equipment or adjustments to enable you to participate in any element of the recruitment process you can contact [e-mail].

Our vision and strategic plan

We are the University of Sheffield. This is our vision: sheffield.ac.uk/vision (opens in new window).

What we offer

• A minimum of 41 days annual leave including bank holiday and closure days (pro rata) with the ability to purchase more.
• Flexible working opportunities, including hybrid working for some roles.
• Generous pension scheme.
• A wide range of discounts and rewards on shopping, eating out and travel.
• A variety of staff networks, providing opportunities for social interaction, peer support and personal development (for example, Race Equality, LGBT+, Women's and Parent's networks).
• Recognition Awards to reward staff who go above and beyond in their role.
• A commitment to your development access to learning and mentoring schemes; integrated with our Academic Career Pathways.
• A range of generous family‑friendly policies
  • paid time off for parenting and caring emergencies
  • access to menopause support in the workplace
  • paid time off and support for fertility treatment
  • and more

More details can be found on our benefits page: sheffield.ac.uk/jobs/benefits (opens in a new window).

We are a Disability Confident Leader (opens in a new window). If you have a disability and meet the essential criteria for this job you will be invited to take part in the next stage of the selection process.

Closing Date :17/09/2026

We are a research university with a global reputation for excellence. Our ideas and expertise change the world for the better, making a real difference to society. We know that when people come together with different views, approaches and insights it can lead to richer, more creative and innovative teaching and research and the highest levels of student experience. Our University Vision ( www.sheffield.ac.uk/vision ) outlines our commitment to building a diverse community of staff and students that recognises and values the abilities, backgrounds, beliefs and ways of living for everyone.