AI Faculty Hiring Initiative, Faculty of Computing & Data Sciences, Boston University in BOSTON, Massachusetts

Boston University (BU) invites applications for at least seven tenure-track faculty positions, and a number of possible non-tenure track positions, as part of a multiyear cluster hiring initiative in Artificial Intelligence (AI). This university-wide initiative, led by the Faculty of Computing & Data Sciences (CDS) in partnership with five schools and colleges at BU (Arts & Sciences, Business, Communication, Engineering, and Medical) aims to recruit a cadre of scholars working on foundational, methodological, and use-inspired dimensions of AI to be appointed in academic units spanning the disciplines of Computer Science, Data Science, Electrical & Computer Engineering, Emerging Media Studies, Information Systems, Linguistics, and Medicine. Successful candidates recruited through this initiative will have the opportunity to benefit from programs and polled resources that the University will make available through CDS.

All candidates pursuing basic or applied research in data science, machine learning, and AI will be considered. Candidates working in one or more of the following dimensions of AI are encouraged to apply:

1. Foundations. Foundational research in the theories that enable the conceptualization, development, evaluation, and application of AI, including exploration of connections with topics in areas such as linguistics, cognition, algorithms, physics, biology, and biomedicine.

2. Methodologies. Supervised, unsupervised, and reinforcement machine learning methods and platform of broad applicability, including deep neural networks, federated learning, scientific machine learning, natural language processing, large language models, and multimodal learning.

3. Use-Inspired. AI research inspired by or tackling problems in areas beyond computing, including human-centered socio-technical systems, cognition, behavioral neuroscience, HCI, immersive media, business, finance, economics, public policy, regulatory compliance, and future of work.

An AAU institution with over 37,000 students from more than 140 countries and over 10,000 faculty and staff supporting over 300 programs of study and over $650M of sponsored research projects, BU is one of the largest private R1 universities in the US. Founded in 2019 and housed in an iconic 19-story building, CDS is a university-wide academic unit created to connect BU’s 17 schools and colleges through the language of computation and data and to spur civic-minded innovation driven by data science and AI.

Building on BU’s founding mission of equal access, including being first in the nation to admit women to medical school, to graduate a Native American physician, and to award a PhD to a woman, BU is committed to building a culturally, racially, and ethnically diverse scholarly community and to increasing participation of all talented students, especially women and other groups who are underrepresented in Computing and Data Sciences. Our university community welcomes differences, encourages open-minded exploration, and upholds freedom of expression.

Required Skills

BU expects excellence in teaching and in research, qualifications required of all applicants include a PhD or equivalent degree; a strong record of research; a demonstrated capacity for cross-disciplinary collaboration; and a commitment to innovative teaching.

DO NOT APPLY THROUGH THE BOSTON UNIVERSITY HR WEBSITE.

Qualified faculty candidates are invited to submit their application materials through the search web portal at https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/28310, indicating which of the academic units participating in this cluster hiring initiative they would like to be considered for. Review of applications will start on November 1, 2024 and will continue on a rolling basis until April 15, 2025.

BU conducts a background check on all final candidates for certain faculty and staff positions. The background check includes contacting the final candidate’s current and previous employer(s) to ask whether, in the last seven years, there has been a substantiated finding of misconduct violating that employer’s applicable sexual misconduct policies. To implement this process, the University requires a final candidate to complete and sign the form entitled “Authorization to Release Information” after execution of an offer letter.

We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, natural or protective hairstyle, religion, sex, age, national origin, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, military service, pregnancy or pregnancy-related condition, or because of marital, parental, or veteran status. We are a VEVRAA Federal Contractor .

Required Experience