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POSITION DETAILS

Employment based visa sponsorship will NOT be considered for this position.

Position Number:  130210
Classification Title:  Postdoctoral Associate
Working Title:  Postdoctoral Associate

Department:  Ctr for Computational Intelligence
FLSA Status:  Exempt
Salary Range:  $65,000 - $80,000
Pay Basis:  Annually

POSITION OVERVIEW

JOB SUMMARY:

The successful candidate will conduct cutting-edge research under the mentorship of a Principal Investigator, Dr. Shusen Pu, to support projects under the Center for Computational Intelligence. This position will collaborate on the creation and/or application of computational models and systems capable of performing complex tasks in strategic research clusters. The specific project focuses on developing interpretable AI and computational modeling frameworks to address fundamental questions in neuroscience. The postdoctoral researcher will integrate neural recordings, dynamical systems models, recurrent neural networks, and modern AI approaches to study cognition, neural dynamics, and motor control. Working closely with experimental collaborators, the candidate will help connect computational models with empirical data, generate testable predictions, and refine models based on experimental observations. The candidate will also contribute to computational model development, neural data analysis, simulation, reproducible research workflows, manuscript preparation, and external grant development aligned with NSF and NIH funding opportunities.

The position is approved for funding for 2 years, with funding available to extend the appointment to a 3rd year, dependent on having met specified goals and metrics agreed upon by the PI and CCI leadership.

Postdocs are required to live locally with the expectation of working on campus, with schedule flexibility coordinated with the PI. Move date is also flexible within reason.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

The appointee shall have received a doctorate from an accredited institution in a field appropriate to the assigned duties and responsibilities such as. Computational Neuroscience, Neuroscience, Applied Mathematics, Statistics/Biostatistics, Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Data Science/Data Analytics, or a closely related field. Candidates must have a doctoral degree conferred before the appointment date. Candidates must also be authorized to work in the US (US citizens, permanent residents, or appropriate visa status. No H1-B visa allowed due to current moratorium).

POSITION QUALIFICATIONS:

Documented experience working in a collaborative, interdisciplinary research team environment. Strong programming skills in Python/Matlab are required. Candidates should have demonstrated experience in AI/machine learning, large language models or modern AI systems, and computational neuroscience. The position also requires strong quantitative skills relevant to computational modeling, neural data analysis, simulation, and data-driven analysis of biological or neurophysiological systems. Excellent written and oral communication skills are required, including the ability to communicate technical results to both computational and experimental collaborators.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Experience in one or more areas relevant to computational neuroscience, interpretable AI, machine learning, large language models, dynamical systems modeling, recurrent neural networks, neural-mass or mean-field modeling, EEG/ERP analysis, neural population data analysis, or model-data integration. Experience developing reproducible computational workflows in Python is preferred. Experience contributing to grant proposals or externally funded research projects is highly preferred. The ideal candidate will be able to work collaboratively in an interdisciplinary research team environment and communicate effectively with computational researchers, experimental collaborators, students, and external partners toward shared research goals.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS/JOB DUTIES:

• 30% - Performs research on assigned projects, including computational model development, neural data analysis, simulation, and model-data integration, with a primary focus on generating preliminary results, figures, and workflows that support manuscripts and competitive external funding proposals. - (Essential)
• 30% - Contributes directly to external funding proposal development, including drafting technical sections, preparing preliminary data, developing figures, supporting specific aims, and helping align project outcomes with NSF, NIH, and other relevant funding opportunities. - (Essential)
• 20% - Writes and contributes to manuscripts for publication, including literature review, methods, results, figure preparation, and manuscript revision. - (Essential)
• 10% - Coordinates project activities, tracks milestones, reports progress to the PI and research team, and helps ensure that research outputs are aligned with manuscript and proposal timelines. - (Essential)
• 5% - Prepares research presentations and communicates findings to collaborators, internal research groups, conferences, and other applicable audiences. - (Essential)
• 5% - Trains and mentors undergraduate students, graduate students, and other research associates involved in project-related research activities. - (Essential)

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

• Physical Requirements: No unusual physical requirement. Requires no heavy lifting and nearly all work is performed in a comfortable indoor facility.
• Impact of Deadlines: Work schedules, volume of work, or priorities seldom change. Able to anticipate new work. Minimum distractions or interruptions. Seldom involves conflicting demands on time.
• Standing: Occasionally
• Walking: Occasionally
• Sitting: Daily
• Reaching with hands and arms: Frequently
• Climbing or balancing: Never
• Stooping: Never
• Use of hands to handle objects: Daily
• Lifting up to 10lbs: Occasionally
• Lifting up to 25lbs: Never
• Lifting over 25lbs: Never
• Talking as express or exchange of ideas verbally: Daily
• Hearing as perceive sound by ear: Daily
• Vision as distinguish colors & depth: Daily

Special Requirements or Considerations of the Job:  

• This position requires a criminal background screening.
• This position requires fingerprinting.

Special Instructions to Applicants:  Candidates must apply online through the University of West Florida website: https://careers.uwf.edu. Applicants are required to attach a C.V., letter of interest and three recommendations. References will be contacted upon submission of this application. An opportunity to upload these documents will be provided during the application process. For assistance, please contact Human Resources at 850.474.2694 or email jobs@uwf.edu.

If one or more of your advanced degrees is awarded from an institution outside of the United States, UWF will require a credential evaluation and/or translation prior to onboarding. This credential evaluation should include original documents received directly from your institution so that the agency can evaluate and attest that your credential is equivalent to a similar degree earned at a US institution. If your credential is not in English, this evaluation should also include a translation to US English.

UWF does not endorse any particular approved agency; however, typically any current National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) member agency is acceptable. You are advised to check with the agency first to make sure your educational background can be evaluated as some agencies do not evaluate all international degrees.

When necessary, these credential evaluations will be requested as part of the Offer Letter with instructions on where and to whom these documents should be submitted.

ADDITIONAL POSTING DETAILS

Number of Vacancies: 1
Work Hours:  8am - 5pm
FTE:  1.0
Preferred Response Date:  07/15/2026