Postdoctoral Fellow - Computational Affective and Social Cognition Lab

The University of Texas at Austin; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 63,000 - 77,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Texas at Austin is seeking a Postdoctoral Fellow for the Computational Affective and Social Cognition Lab. This full-time position involves leading research on AI and emotion, requiring a Ph.D. in Psychology or related fields. The lab studies the intersection of psychology and AI, focusing on how people and machines understand emotions.

The appointed fellow will manage data, mentor, and assist in grant writing while earning an annual salary of $70,000. Strong programming skills in R or Python are preferred.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. earned no more than three years before the start date.
• Substantial research experience and skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead research projects on an NSF-funded AI and emotion project.
• Conduct literature reviews and run empirical studies.
• Propose and lead independent research projects.
• Assist with grant writing and management.

Skills

Designing and conducting psychological experiments

Statistical data analysis

Programming in R and/or Python

Education

Ph.D. in Psychology, Cognitive Science, Computer Science, or related field

Job description

Postdoctoral Fellow - Computational Affective and Social Cognition Lab

Hiring Department: Department of Psychology

Position Open To: All Applicants

Weekly Scheduled Hours: 40

FLSA Status: Exempt from FLSA

Earliest Start Date: Immediately

Position Duration: Expected to Continue Until May 31, 2030

Location: UT MAIN CAMPUS

Job Details (General): The CASCog Lab, an interdisciplinary lab at the intersection of Psychology and Artificial Intelligence, is housed in the Department of Psychology, in the College of Liberal Arts at The University of Texas at Austin. The lab studies how people and machines understand emotions. Recent projects include investigating generative AI’s ability to provide empathy, examining how people perceive such artificial empathy, and exploring AI sycophancy and its implications for mental health. Lab website and Prof. Ong’s website. This is a fixed‑term position of one year.

Purpose: The Computational Affective and Social Cognition Lab (CASCogLab) is hiring a full‑time Postdoctoral Research Fellow for the academic year 2026‑27, directed by Professor Desmond Ong.

Responsibilities

• Lead research projects on an NSF‑funded AI and emotion project, including ethics review, participant recruitment, simulation design, data management, code maintenance, and mentoring undergraduate assistants.
• Conduct literature reviews, design and run empirical studies with human and machine participants, analyze data, build computational models, and write manuscripts for publication and presentations.
• Propose and lead independent research projects under the supervision of the Principal Investigator.
• Assist with grant writing and grant‑management activities.
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Ph.D. in Psychology, Cognitive Science, Computer Science, or a related field earned no more than three years before the start date.
• Substantial research experience and skills, including: designing and conducting psychological experiments; statistical data analysis and visualization; programming in R and/or Python.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience or willingness to use large language models for psychological research.
• Experience or willingness to adopt open science practices (e.g., GitHub version control, RMarkdown reproducible reports, pre‑registration).
• Self‑motivation, accountability, detail orientation, strong time management.
• Clear communication skills and team collaboration.
• Positive and enthusiastic attitude toward learning.

Salary

$70,000

Required Materials

• Cover Letter (≤3 pages) describing research interests, long‑term goals, alignment with the lab, and relevant skills.
• Curriculum Vitae
• Up to two representative publications
• Names, affiliations, and contact information of three referees who can provide recommendation letters.

Employment Eligibility

Please ensure you meet all required qualifications and can perform the essential functions of the role with or without reasonable accommodation.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The University of Texas at Austin, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.